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.
I agree an excellent book.
I feel it should be more widely known about. I’m certainly going to re-read it in the next few years.
I’ve been saying for months that I will read Rebecca and I still haven’t read it. I will read it though, soon enough, as I plan to buddy-read it with a friend. The parasites will be the next du Maurier book on the list
Rebecca is a must-read and the first du Maurier book everyone checks out, I think 🙂 The Parasites isn’t a famous one and it’s a different kind of read.