I’ve read this book a couple times and recommended it in my post about Daphne du Maurier. However, I can’t remember the plot at all. I suspect that this doesn’t matter, as the novel is character-driven. First published in 1949, The Parasites follows the Delaney family. The parasites in question are the siblings Maria, Niall and Celia. They live off the privilege and reflected glory of their parents. There is certainly an autobiographical element here, the author being the daughter of two famous actors and the granddaughter of a famous cartoonist and writer. It’s surely not one of Daphne du Maurier’s better known novels but I think it’s underrated.
Read the most recent posts in this series here: Junk, Wuthering Heights, Mutant 59: The Plastic Eater, Not Dressed Like That, You Don’t.
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