Fiction

The Parasites

The Parasites

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  • Create Date：2021-03-30 14:14:38
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Daphne du Maurier
  • ISBN：1844080722
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Reviews

lark benobi ，

For the first three chapters I loved this book for its swoony goodness， and then I got very bored and wanted to quit。 So I did。

Sandra Benitez ，

After reading Jamaica inn and Rebecca i was expecting something different here， very slow， boring。

Matthew ，

This is a very different book from REBECCA， that's for sure。 Du Maurier writes a great first line in each book， but that's about where the similarities end。 Despite the differences I admired what she was trying to do with this novel。 She took a lot of writerly risks here。 It had a very personal feel， a somewhat auto-fictional quality that was baked in。 There was also a deliberate trade-off of suspense and narrative momentum for a quiet character study。I will definitely be reading more du Maurier This is a very different book from REBECCA， that's for sure。 Du Maurier writes a great first line in each book， but that's about where the similarities end。 Despite the differences I admired what she was trying to do with this novel。 She took a lot of writerly risks here。 It had a very personal feel， a somewhat auto-fictional quality that was baked in。 There was also a deliberate trade-off of suspense and narrative momentum for a quiet character study。I will definitely be reading more du Maurier; her talent is undeniable even if this isn't her most enjoyable work。 3。5 stars rounded up。 。。。more

Rosalie ，

Masterpiece

Diane Barnes ，

It's Daphne du Maurier， how could I go wrong？ Not even her first novel， but her ninth。 The title was promising， even though it was one of her lesser known novels。 I could tell from the first chapter that this was not like her typical story; no mystery or sense of building dread， no suspense。 Okay， that's fine， I can deal with an author going in a different direction， even applaud the courage it takes。 I was enjoying the tale of the three Delaney children growing up with parents in the theater， t It's Daphne du Maurier， how could I go wrong？ Not even her first novel， but her ninth。 The title was promising， even though it was one of her lesser known novels。 I could tell from the first chapter that this was not like her typical story; no mystery or sense of building dread， no suspense。 Okay， that's fine， I can deal with an author going in a different direction， even applaud the courage it takes。 I was enjoying the tale of the three Delaney children growing up with parents in the theater， traveling all over the world。Then the kids grew up。Into the most obnoxious， self centered adults in literature。 Parasites in every sense of the word。 The two oldest had successful careers on the stage， the youngest became the caretaker and enabler。 They were always a unit of 3， so close and weird that the reader was never sure who was narrating the story。 I lost interest at the midway point and sped read the final 30%。 Even the two chapters that were supposed to be humorous horrified me by the characters total self-absorption。Had this been the first du Maurier novel I ever picked up， I would never have known the thrill of reading Rebecca， My Cousin Rachel， or Jamaica Inn。 。。。more

Bruce ，

A masterpiece by the author of REBECCA and JAMAICA INN。The novel is more complex and richer than Daphne du Maurier's other novels， with a large cast of subtly drawn characters who engage the reader fully。 A masterpiece by the author of REBECCA and JAMAICA INN。The novel is more complex and richer than Daphne du Maurier's other novels， with a large cast of subtly drawn characters who engage the reader fully。 。。。more

Iris Bratton ，

Is this。。。incest？ I'm not particularly a fan of dramas of the rich and famous。 They're rarely relatable and the characters are usually unlikeable and very whiny in their privilege。 This book is no exception。 The three main characters have every complex you can think of， feeding off of nostalgia as a deluded version of a picture perfect family。 Not to mention their relationships with each other are extremely toxic。 There's a lot in this novel that is added in for shock value that feels a little f Is this。。。incest？ I'm not particularly a fan of dramas of the rich and famous。 They're rarely relatable and the characters are usually unlikeable and very whiny in their privilege。 This book is no exception。 The three main characters have every complex you can think of， feeding off of nostalgia as a deluded version of a picture perfect family。 Not to mention their relationships with each other are extremely toxic。 There's a lot in this novel that is added in for shock value that feels a little forced。 However， du Maurier's writing never ceases to move me。 Though I hardly care about the characters， there's always a phrase， a sentence， a feeling conveyed that hits me in the heart。 And her endings are always an interesting surprise！ So， this one sits right in the middle for me。 Though I wasn't fully engaged with the story， I still felt that good escapism in the writing。 I empathized with the characters' imposter syndrome and the lack of fulfilment in trying to live up to family legacy。 That counts for something， right？ This wouldn't be the book I would start with if you're new to Daphne du Maurier。 But， if you're looking for a good rich family drama， this one might pique your interest。 。。。more

Ned ，

Deliciously crafted， a very fine obscure novel by an author I’ve not taken seriously enough。 In 1949 du Maurier wrote this， so it has all the accoutrements of British middle class in this interesting post-war period。 Her characters， on the surface， are highly successful artists of the stage and music， yet deeply flawed。 Du Maurier’s expose reveals， surely， her own personal life experience somehow， though I know almost nothing of her biography。 The rendering is perfect， and these mostly reprehens Deliciously crafted， a very fine obscure novel by an author I’ve not taken seriously enough。 In 1949 du Maurier wrote this， so it has all the accoutrements of British middle class in this interesting post-war period。 Her characters， on the surface， are highly successful artists of the stage and music， yet deeply flawed。 Du Maurier’s expose reveals， surely， her own personal life experience somehow， though I know almost nothing of her biography。 The rendering is perfect， and these mostly reprehensible people become oddly lovable， as their foibles and character deficiencies are developed。 It usually requires some introspection to understand a book title for me， yet the author explains on page one。 In fact， the first sentence。 The plot line is carefully constructed， a skill that many of the modern fiction writers I read seem to not employ。 Three siblings， two un-related by blood， have a most peculiar relationship。 The book begins with a wasted afternoon， where the “adults” trade inside jokes and sarcasm and wile asway a rainy afternoon in the parlor of Marie’s “home”。 She is the only married one， and her stodgy husband Charles， is acutely aware that he is the outsider。 He is also the aggressor who， at the outset， accuses the three siblings of their parasitic behavior in human relationships。 After all， it is his house and they indulge themselves at his expense， pay him no respect， and refuse to allow him into their confidence。 Maids take care of the children， cleaning and food preparation， and Charles sees the siblings' entire family （both parents deceased） as laggards and unprincipled。 The point of view alternates amongst the three siblings， as they spend an afternoon reminiscing about their childhood。 Charles， bored and frustrated， takes a long walk， and at the end they regather for the typical Sunday evening dinner， a family custom put on in their home。 Charles makes a pronouncement of his big decision during a very awkward dinner， which forces all into independence and life-changing decisions。Niall， the musician， has had great success as a popular songwriter， and is a free spirit。 He is an odd duck， indeed， and has no love interests beyond his sister Marie （no blood relation， thankfully）。 There are no overt sexual acts shared， but the author skillfully lets the hints drop that both Marie and Niall share a physical and psychological tryst。 They are intimate in thought and deed， and the jealous husband， understandably， is at his wits end after many years and having children together。 Celia， the youngest， is the peacemaker， a committed future spinster to be， who is the most reliable of the three。 She took care of their aging father， yet cannot get out of his shadow （gregarious， famous as a singer， world renowned）。 All children were raised by nannies， as their parents traipsed the world performing in the theatre to great fanfare。 The mother dies young from an accident， and the overbearing father puts demands on Celia who happily sacrifices her own talents in obeisance。 Du Maurier， whom I know from The House on the Strand （over 40 years ago， I wrote a book report in high school） and the famous Rebecca， is an exceptional writer。 （I re-read Rebecca not long ago to help my son with a college book report）。 Perusing her works， I was surprised at her many novels。 I read this only because of GoodReads， having recently joined a group that seeks out novels that have fallen out of favor。 I note that everything from du Maurier seems perfect for the screen – her plots and dialogue are pitch perfect for film and action。 Although the plot may sound dull， the discovery of what motivates these three is riveting。 The other thing I loved about this book is its attention to detail， the quirky slang， the uniquely British customs of living and the mindset of 1940s middle class life at this time。 There is a great deal of smoking， drinking， eating of kippers and even the full dinner protocol is wonderfully detailed。 My British colleague at work told me of the “soup to nuts” order of dining， which this book validated。 Children are the greatest inconvenience to Marie and Niall （the loner） who are selfish in the extreme。 A hilarious account of Marie and Niall taking care of her baby when the maid had to leave， was borderline child abuse by today’s standards。 We see how people like Niall exist， and his sloppy lifestyle， as he exists。 I know such types， and would share Charles’ immense frustration of these “unprincipled” and needy types。These characters are tragic yet find release in their art and how to manage the inconveniences and joys of fame。 The parents factor large， and they endow their children with a narcissistic confidence and freedom yet precious few life-skills and a most unordinary upbringing。 The father advises the daughter upon her debut in the theatre （p。 108） to “Be nervous， Be ill。 Be sick down the lavatory pan。 It’s part of your life from now on。 You’ve got to go through with it。 Nothing’s worth while if you don’t fight for it first， if you haven’t a pain in your belly beforehand。”The self-absorbed slacker Niall， droll and sarcastic and socially awkward， had an easy time during the war as a fire-watcher during the bombing raids。 He recounts （p。 188） that it was “…very dangerous。 Things dropped all round me as a stood alone on that curious-shaped roof。 Nobody will ever realize how terribly brave I was。 Far braver than Charles， who was doing something with S。HA。E。F。 or whatever it was…。 People got so used to uniforms and strings of letters that they swallowed anything。 I remember telling a woman I was working very hard in S。H。I。T。 and she believed me。”Marie never adjusted to normal， boring life and she mostly lived in the fantasy of the theatre。 She quickly adjusted to roles in life， as on the stage， rather than openly confront her true self and deal with the difficulties of real life。 She found her husband’s family oppressive （p。 263）: “No， the real bore was her father-in-law， old Lord Wyndham， who simply would not die。 He had no business to go on living， and eighty-one。 Poor old man， he got no enjoyment out of it。 It would be so much simpler for him， and for everybody else， if he just faded away。 He was so deaf now that he could not even hear the clocks ticking， and as he spent most of his time in a wheeled chair it could not matter whether it was half-past two or half-past twelve。” Like child-rearing， Marie could hardly bear the responsibilities of being a grown-up， a source of friction between her and her traditional， principled， older husband。Marie is the most detestable of the three， always able to avoid work and responsibility due to her special talent of manipulation。 She is like a child who wants to play alone and self-indulge yet needs others around her for companionship （always on her terms） and to take care of basic needs。 She does mature， late， when forced – illustrative of her failed upbringing。 Here she has mixed emotions as she is finally relieved of her own children visiting her in her London flat upon their return to her husband’s home （p。 269）。 “…the blessed relief of seeing everyone off at the station on the three-fifteen。 A pang， for one brief moment， because of the little faces at the window and the waving hands; a queer inexplicable clutch at the heart。 Why was Maria not with them？ Why did she not look after them？ Why did she not behave like other mothers？ There were not hers。 They did not belong to her。 They were Charles’ children。”Marie， the good daughter， knows in her heart her deeds are largely cowardly （p。 276）: “…。。to do this was no sacrifice。 It was not unselfishness。 She had made her choice of her own free-will because she wished to do it。 However demanding Pappy may have been， however tiring， however petulant， he was， in the true and deeper sense， her refuge。 He shielded her from action。 His was the cloak that covered her。 She need not go out into the world， she need not struggle， need not face the things that other people face – because she looked after Pappy。”Charles expounds on his condemnation of the parasites on p。 295 at the fateful dinner: “If you take， there comes a time when you suck the giver dry， just as you， Maria， at the minute have sucked the last of that orange。 And the outlook for the taker， becomes grim。 The outlook for the giber is equally grim， because he has practically no feeling left。 But he has enough determination to decide one thing。 And that is not to waste the little feeling that remains。” This just ahead of his public announcement that he wants a divorce。Here we seem some of the odd （and inexplicable to me） thinking in Marie’s head as she contemplates the other woman that her husband has left her for （p。 310-311）: “Shen he marries this other woman， he does so not because he has fallen in love with her， but because her ways are suited to the country， she is good with horses， dogs…。 I remember thinking at the time that she had sly eyes。 Auburn hair too， which means that later on she will run to fat， and the skin that goes with auburn hair smells！ Charles can’t have discovered that yet。 He will in time。”Niall was the hardest character for me to like， with his aloofness and strange behavior which we would like put on the Asperger spectrum today。 He is bored with anything but himself – and what fuels his art， as here as he recklessly drives away after the evening dinner fiasco （p。 326/327） toward his hermit-life and wantonness: “He was safe by night。 No one could oppose him。 Driving by night had glamour， like Dick Turpin on Black Bess。 Doing anything by night was always better than doing anything by day。 A song composed at three in the morning was often better than one composed at three in the afternoon。 A walk by moonlight made a walk by day seem drab。 Howe good a kipper tasted in the small hours， how potent a hunk of cheese。 What energy flowed from the body to the brain， what power， what quicksilver。” Here he reminisces about his beloved Maria: “Maria’s mind was like her body in that it would not scar。 A sudden flare-up in her side， some years before， had been diagnosed as a grumbling appendix， and the appendix was removed。 The wound healed in about three weeks。 In three months nothing showed upon her body but a thin， white line。 Whereas with other women… purple weals， and blotches。 How often， too， the performance of bearing children tore the gust out of a woman。 Not Maria。” 。。。more

Stef Rozitis ，

I actually hated it but don't think it was objectively bad enough to go below a three。 It was well written with the "we" but you are not sure which of the three is speaking as each individual gets referred to in third person except at one point where there is a slip up and it's Maria's voice for half a paragraph which is sloppy editing （I write that sloppy too but you have to try to reread and catch it）。 I don't think that was deliberate though， if the "we" can be reduced to one of them （and it I actually hated it but don't think it was objectively bad enough to go below a three。 It was well written with the "we" but you are not sure which of the three is speaking as each individual gets referred to in third person except at one point where there is a slip up and it's Maria's voice for half a paragraph which is sloppy editing （I write that sloppy too but you have to try to reread and catch it）。 I don't think that was deliberate though， if the "we" can be reduced to one of them （and it can't） then it would be the neurodivergent and introspective Niall not the exceptionally self-centred， spoilt Maria。The problem was I loathed the characters。 Maria was intolerable and I alternated between pity for Niall and hating him too。 Celia I just felt sorry for until the end where she chooses martyrdom over meaning and becomes a horrible female stereotype （do people like that really exist）？ I thought maybe the book would be about them overcoming themselves or something。 It's just waffle， just nothing。 They are born， they grow up， they become who their upbringing logically makes them and they never seem to exercise any agency or choose who to be。 Any self-examination is pointless and leads to nothing which makes the tedium of it unrewarded for the reader。It's beautifully crafted with the crisis and then the series of flashbacks and discussions and then back to the present and the next thing but it's beautifully crafted， pointless， navel gazing。 You may as well read someone's private journal。 Not everyone is as gifted as the Delaneys but then again not everyone is as narcissistic and selfish。 You can see why and how and pity them but I couldn't like them， not even for a half-page anywhere。 And Charles is just a pompous prig， I felt annoyed that Niall and Celia were so solicitous of his feelings。 He's so disgusting he is possibly worse than Maria。 He's secretly just as selfish and privileged but with the illusion of his "values" and "virtues" and some sort of noblesse oblige which makes him rubbish in my book。This level of craftwomanship surely deserves better characters to write about。 。。。more

Maria Dutton ，

My favourite book。 Richly complex， layered psychological questions。

Julia Schulz ，

Mumsy had a copy of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca" on her bookshelf when I was a child。 Whenever I was bored and complaining she would say， "why don't you go and see what you can find in the bookcase？" Several times I held "Rebecca" in my tiny hands， flipping it back and forth， back and forth， until I decided each time that it was a blah book for adults。 I came across it again recently and did the same thing again。 I decided it was a blah book。 Now I've found "The Parasites" and thought that this Mumsy had a copy of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca" on her bookshelf when I was a child。 Whenever I was bored and complaining she would say， "why don't you go and see what you can find in the bookcase？" Several times I held "Rebecca" in my tiny hands， flipping it back and forth， back and forth， until I decided each time that it was a blah book for adults。 I came across it again recently and did the same thing again。 I decided it was a blah book。 Now I've found "The Parasites" and thought that this could be different。 It wasn't。 It's a blah book。 。。。more

kp ，

Not your typical du Maurier--no dark villains and gloomy forests--but a social comedy with a sad undertone about three siblings who are alienated from everyone but each other and unable to fully grow up and step out of the shadow of their brilliant parents。 I loved the way DuMaurier ended the novel with a chapter for each， as they drift away finally from even each other。

Donna ，

I had passed by this book on many visits to the thrift store and finally decided to buy it。 I only buy really old books。。。。and this one was du Maurier。 It took me too long to read it。。。。due to a return to school， leaving me no time for personal reading。 After restarting it twice。。。I finally finished！！ I do enjoy the author， but this was not what I expected。 It was very different， not mysterious or foreboding。 Without giving anything away， I'd say the author does not make you feel much sympathy f I had passed by this book on many visits to the thrift store and finally decided to buy it。 I only buy really old books。。。。and this one was du Maurier。 It took me too long to read it。。。。due to a return to school， leaving me no time for personal reading。 After restarting it twice。。。I finally finished！！ I do enjoy the author， but this was not what I expected。 It was very different， not mysterious or foreboding。 Without giving anything away， I'd say the author does not make you feel much sympathy for the characters。 There was one sentence that cracked me up。 Since this was set in England， the author mentions American sneakers。 Why that amuses me， I have no idea。 It seemed to jolt me to present day！ Would I recommend this book？ I think fans of du Maurier would find it different。 。。。more

Таниэрис Тартт ，

it wasn't worth the paper it was written on。 it wasn't worth the paper it was written on。 。。。more

Rebecca Alcazaze ，

As a general du Maurier fan I found this a little disappointing。 Funny that I read this the same month as Dodi Smith’s ‘I Capture the Castle’， as it has many similar themes。 Sadly， ‘the Parasites’ is devoid of all the joy and humour that made the family dynamics of Smith’s novel seem vital and important。 Instead， this novel is like a depressingly grown-up and dried out take on the early C20th centre eccentric family。More of a character study than a novel， yet the three central characters of the As a general du Maurier fan I found this a little disappointing。 Funny that I read this the same month as Dodi Smith’s ‘I Capture the Castle’， as it has many similar themes。 Sadly， ‘the Parasites’ is devoid of all the joy and humour that made the family dynamics of Smith’s novel seem vital and important。 Instead， this novel is like a depressingly grown-up and dried out take on the early C20th centre eccentric family。More of a character study than a novel， yet the three central characters of the ‘The Parasites’ are not particularly well realised。 This could be due to a lack of story; leaving them without any practical impetus to shift their characteristics into anything beyond mere musings in later passages。The present day chapters were the most problematic for me in terms of narrative force。 Chapters of childhood reminiscences showed great promise but were not met with any structure in the present day sections。 That said， I found the use of narrative voice fascinating。 The omniscient third-person voice of the past slips into a distanced first/third person hybrid in certain chapters。 This offered an interesting sense of dislocation and distance。 The reader recognises the use of ‘we’ and ‘us’ as a clue to the fact that one of the three siblings is narrating， but continued anonymity keeps this aspect of the narrative view point a lovely mystery。 It’s a bit sad when a narrative technique is the high point of a reading novel though。 。。。more

Katie ，

Beautiful prose， genius way of telling the story - 3rd person plus a mysterious 1st person - and magnificent way of using flashbacks。 I actually didn't find the main characters as horrible as I maybe should have。 They each had an interesting back story and specific reasons for doing things， even if they didn't conform to society。 Not sure if I failed， then， as the reader？ I think Daphne wanted us to see this as a thorough study （as in a scientific report） of human parasites， maybe a kind of post Beautiful prose， genius way of telling the story - 3rd person plus a mysterious 1st person - and magnificent way of using flashbacks。 I actually didn't find the main characters as horrible as I maybe should have。 They each had an interesting back story and specific reasons for doing things， even if they didn't conform to society。 Not sure if I failed， then， as the reader？ I think Daphne wanted us to see this as a thorough study （as in a scientific report） of human parasites， maybe a kind of post-modern "look at the downfall of these horrible people who， whoever seemingly unique， are just gross， masked stereotypes。" But her writing voice was too compassionate if this was her goal。 I felt for the characters， and so as different as our life goals， moral code， and values， I think I'd be friends with the Delaney siblings。 People kept calling them "parasites" or treating them as such。 I wish someone had grabbed the siblings' hands （or slapped them） and said they weren't。 They just needed to find their passion in life and TRY。 I hate when people give dire prophecies about a person's life。 It's the worst kind of discouragement， and often becomes true because the person believes it and acts on it。 These siblings deserved better， as all people do。No big spoilers here， but the reason it's not 5 stars is the ending， which didn't work for me at all， and the ambiguous but consistent hints of sexual liasons between the two main characters。 I have no problem with step-siblings - NOT related by blood - to eventually fall in love。 But the constant hints that they were sexually involved started from when they were late teens and on through middle age （and through her marriage to someone else）。 Since they were the leads， and sympathetic ones too thanks to the compassionate writing voice， I couldn't admire the adultery and juvenile sexual encounters。 It was frustrating to know so much about the characters， almost like a confession， but be purposefully toyed with by Daphne about Maria and Niall's relationship。 I think it was supposed to be a device to show suspense and forbidden love （and smirk at the readers as if to say， "See， there's nothing here。 You could be sick and reading in to things）。。。 For me， it was a tiring device when repeated over and over。 It was actually up there with explicit sex scenes （which I don't like） as a writing device， which is ironic。 Based on the hints， the leads practically slept together at the end of every chapter。 There were 25 chapters， people。 Of course， the irritating and frankly， insulting， ambiguity could translate as that they never ever did sleep together， and only said dramatic， romantic things and reached out their arms to the other at the end of chapters to， say， give a friendly hug。 But I doubt it。 Soo。。。 Sadly it's up there with a 2。5 for me， and I'll be selling my beautiful new copy。 Which is an absolute shame， because Daphne is a genius with words and a master storyteller。 It showed here， but the plot failings and rampant sex were too much for me to plan on reading again。Ugh - this is why I don't buy books I haven't read before。 。。。more

Debra Monteith ，

The Parasites by Daphne du MaurierI saw the movie Rebecca years ago and enjoyed it but her writing is beautiful。 I loved this book。 Part of the time I wanted to shake some sense into the characters and part of the time I questioned nature over nurture。 I loved Daphne du Maurier's The Parasites and will read more of her works。 She is definitely a gifted author。 The Parasites by Daphne du MaurierI saw the movie Rebecca years ago and enjoyed it but her writing is beautiful。 I loved this book。 Part of the time I wanted to shake some sense into the characters and part of the time I questioned nature over nurture。 I loved Daphne du Maurier's The Parasites and will read more of her works。 She is definitely a gifted author。 。。。more

Henry Cuningham ，

Really liked it， but I was hoping it could be used as a text for the 7th grade， and I'm afraid it cannot。 Too many adult themes。 I haven't given up on Daphne du Maurier yet though。 Great writer， and she's written a lot。 Maybe one of her novels would work。 Really liked it， but I was hoping it could be used as a text for the 7th grade， and I'm afraid it cannot。 Too many adult themes。 I haven't given up on Daphne du Maurier yet though。 Great writer， and she's written a lot。 Maybe one of her novels would work。 。。。more

mark monday ，

The problem with the book is that these three siblings aren't parasites， they're trash。 Well， that's not exact。 Two of them are garbage people， the third is a self-denying loser。 Parasites only take and these three actually do a lot of giving。 Two are symbiotes: a brother who is a writer of catchy tunes and a sister who is a famous stage actress， creepily dependent on each other， both literally giving the world pleasure with their talents。 A third sacrifices her entire life to serve others， espe The problem with the book is that these three siblings aren't parasites， they're trash。 Well， that's not exact。 Two of them are garbage people， the third is a self-denying loser。 Parasites only take and these three actually do a lot of giving。 Two are symbiotes: a brother who is a writer of catchy tunes and a sister who is a famous stage actress， creepily dependent on each other， both literally giving the world pleasure with their talents。 A third sacrifices her entire life to serve others， especially her father。 I suppose du Maurier was trying to say that superficial rich artists full of angsty white fragility who don't have healthy relationships with other people are。。。 parasites？ Um， no。 So many other words can be used。 To be kind， I will just say that these three are Sad with a capital S， but certainly not parasitical。 Anyway， for such an exact and exacting author， the misuse of that word is strange and disappointing。Fortunately the book itself is a mainly absorbing experience。 du Maurier is a superb writer: her characters dense with inchoate ambitions and inarticulated emotions， her prose all the shades of gray but somehow still entirely vivid， scenes carefully set and dripping with atmosphere and detail， small tragedies and big moments all delivered with subtlety and finesse， and she serves up the whole bitter feast with such marvelously dry detachment。 In general， du Maurier does leave me cold - possibly because she has ice running through her veins - but her skills are entirely admirable。For much of the novel， the narrative switches back and forth in time， portraying the present when the siblings are shattered and ruminative after being called parasites by the husband of one （c'mon， get a grip everyone） and also portraying the past， mainly their lives as the children of two fey artists with rampant egos， growing up all around the world in various luxurious hotels and rentals。 These narratives are in alternating chapters。 Honestly， I found myself rushing through the chapters set in the present because they were so full of navel-gazing， while the chapters set in the past are dazzlingly vital。 What lives these kids had！ Although du Maurier is far from generous with her characters， she paints a picture of a lifestyle that is both completely alien to me and completely real。 Their hopes and dreams， the whirlwind of locations， the eccentric characters coming in and out of their world， their relationships with each other and their parents - I wish the whole book was set in this enchanting past。 Unfortunately， the more we stayed in the present， the more moralistic the book became， and so it also became rather stultifying。 I'm not interested in the grown-up lives of an unloving mother， her brother the self-absorbed twit， and her sister the tedious doormat。 That said， the most lively chapter occurs late， when these so-called parasites and their plus ones are invited to a weekend at a country manor， and turn the whole thing into a humiliating debacle for everyone。 Old Money should never invite self-centered artistes over for the weekend， hopefully lesson learned。 Stay in your lane， Old Money; those types will only mortify everyone's delicate sensibilities， including the staff。synopsis: three rich kids live their lives and are sad about it。 。。。more

Agrippina ，

Beautifully written and enthralling yet let down by ghastly characters and a lack of plot。

Georgia Gouros ，

Far more interesting than this story， which had some sparkling chapters interspersed with patchy and dull ones， is the story of the author herself， accused of parasitic plagiarism in two high profile cases。 "。。 after Rebecca was published in Brazil， critic Álvaro Lins and other readers pointed out many resemblances to the 1934 book， A Sucessora （The Successor）， by Brazilian writer Carolina Nabuco" 。。。"Author Frank Baker believed that du Maurier had plagiarised his novel The Birds （1936） in her s Far more interesting than this story， which had some sparkling chapters interspersed with patchy and dull ones， is the story of the author herself， accused of parasitic plagiarism in two high profile cases。 "。。 after Rebecca was published in Brazil， critic Álvaro Lins and other readers pointed out many resemblances to the 1934 book， A Sucessora （The Successor）， by Brazilian writer Carolina Nabuco" 。。。"Author Frank Baker believed that du Maurier had plagiarised his novel The Birds （1936） in her short story "The Birds" （1952）。 Du Maurier had been working as a reader for Baker's publisher Peter Davies at the time he submitted the book。" https://en。wikipedia。org/wiki/Daphne_。。。 。。。more

Nimesh Naran ，

Very interesting characterisation with a complex psychological portrayals of family dynamics， childhood anxiety and trauma， that I think were ahead of its time。

Mary Goodson ，

This book is a great read。 I've long been a fan of the author， having read Rebecca years ago。 This book is very different in that it is character rather than plot driven - a relatively light-hearted comedy of manners and a love story of sorts。 However， it shares with Rebecca brilliantly drawn characters， and resonant evocation of their places and times， tracing the lives of the Delaneys - the parasites of the title - a trio of half and step siblings brought up together by their flamboyant and ta This book is a great read。 I've long been a fan of the author， having read Rebecca years ago。 This book is very different in that it is character rather than plot driven - a relatively light-hearted comedy of manners and a love story of sorts。 However， it shares with Rebecca brilliantly drawn characters， and resonant evocation of their places and times， tracing the lives of the Delaneys - the parasites of the title - a trio of half and step siblings brought up together by their flamboyant and talented parents - ill-disciplined， raucous， but vulnerable in their own way。These characters are not， on the face of it， the nicest people， but the author clearly cares about them， and by the end of the book， I knew them well enough to hope they would get the happy endings I wanted for them。This book is laugh-out-loud funny in places。 The author has great fun introducing the tardy， bohemian， not-quite-English Delaneys to their po-faced in-laws - the kind of English people who's children open their Christmas presents in the afternoon。 This clash of outlooks is what earns them their label。The central relationship is tender and passionate， but what I enjoyed about it most was how much fun the lovers are allowed to have with each other。 Whether the book's ending is going to allow them to carry on having their cake and eating it， is a matter of opinion， but there is much pleasure to be had on the way。 Which brings me to the thing I enjoyed most about this book; how beautifully grubby it is。 Published in 1949， there it nothing here to worry the censor - the sex is suggested rather than described; indeed， the prudish reader could reassure themselves that some of it hasn't taken place at all。 But for those of us who like that kind of thing， we are shown just enough to spark the imagination into taking care of the rest。 。。。more

Igenlode Wordsmith ，

Brilliantly written， as usual; deeply disquieting， with the vein of destruction and waste that so many of du Maurier's books seem to possess。I think the thing that hurt the most was Celia's decision， again， to reject her second chance; to self-immolate， because it was her familiar role， her form of being a parasite， to exist only for others and as an appendage to their lives。。。 Brilliantly written， as usual; deeply disquieting， with the vein of destruction and waste that so many of du Maurier's books seem to possess。I think the thing that hurt the most was Celia's decision， again， to reject her second chance; to self-immolate， because it was her familiar role， her form of being a parasite， to exist only for others and as an appendage to their lives。。。 。。。more

Hannah ，

There isn't much plot， and the characters aren't very likeable， but du Marier's skill makes this a compelling tale nonetheless。 It's a tale of a theatrical families and their follies。Well， Maria and Niall are fascinating and self-absorbed。 Celia is nice but a bit of a wet blanket。I'd reccommend against reading the introduction， as it colours your view of the novel。 Draw your own comparisons and first impression。On Maria the actress sibling;"It must be lots of fun being somebody different every d There isn't much plot， and the characters aren't very likeable， but du Marier's skill makes this a compelling tale nonetheless。 It's a tale of a theatrical families and their follies。Well， Maria and Niall are fascinating and self-absorbed。 Celia is nice but a bit of a wet blanket。I'd reccommend against reading the introduction， as it colours your view of the novel。 Draw your own comparisons and first impression。On Maria the actress sibling;"It must be lots of fun being somebody different every day。 You and I， Celia， have to go on being the same people all the time for the whole of our lives。" 。。。more

Naomi ，

Much better than the last one （King’s General）。 I found the characters infuriating but very well crafted。

Luke Reynolds ，

This is the funniest du Maurier novel I've read for the du Maurier literature class， but it has its own tragedy as well。 An intense character study with moments of plural first person narration， the Delaney siblings are put under the microscope and are exposed as the parasites Maria's husband claims they are。 But are they really？LGBTQ+ rep is ambiguous， but I'd like to believe Celia is ace because of a line near the end of the book。 This is the funniest du Maurier novel I've read for the du Maurier literature class， but it has its own tragedy as well。 An intense character study with moments of plural first person narration， the Delaney siblings are put under the microscope and are exposed as the parasites Maria's husband claims they are。 But are they really？LGBTQ+ rep is ambiguous， but I'd like to believe Celia is ace because of a line near the end of the book。 。。。more

Geertje ，

wuthering-height vibes， if wuthering heights was set in the first half of the twentieth century and actually had some comedy。

Karen Mace ，

This was one of those books that had moments for me where I thought it was really enjoyable and I became absorbed by the lives these characters were leading and their awful behaviour， but then it would change and I would find myself switching off and not enjoying it at all！I had moments of sympathy for the lives of the children， born to two successful parents， and how their lives were shaped by their moods， jobs and general lack of care towards their own children！ The only people that mattered t This was one of those books that had moments for me where I thought it was really enjoyable and I became absorbed by the lives these characters were leading and their awful behaviour， but then it would change and I would find myself switching off and not enjoying it at all！I had moments of sympathy for the lives of the children， born to two successful parents， and how their lives were shaped by their moods， jobs and general lack of care towards their own children！ The only people that mattered to the parents were the parents themselves！ But as adults they seemed to let that past be their excuse for what followed and they loved to wallow！ Considering it was written so long ago， it was extremely timely when we see a very self obsessed world we live in nowadays so I think these characters would totally fit in！ 。。。more

Caroline ，

The way this novel is framed is interesting， since in fact only 1 day passes during the entire 'plot'， but the bulk of the story told is in the memories of the 3 main characters as they contemplate whether they are indeed the 'parasites' they're accused of being in the opening of the book。 Certainly their family history is an interesting one， their parents being on the stage， but if you enjoy action， this book really isn't for you！ The overall tone is very melancholic and probably not one I woul The way this novel is framed is interesting， since in fact only 1 day passes during the entire 'plot'， but the bulk of the story told is in the memories of the 3 main characters as they contemplate whether they are indeed the 'parasites' they're accused of being in the opening of the book。 Certainly their family history is an interesting one， their parents being on the stage， but if you enjoy action， this book really isn't for you！ The overall tone is very melancholic and probably not one I would recommend at the moment。 3。5 stars from me if I could do halves。Addendum: there is one point late in the book where Maria reflects to herself that if you have auburn hair your skin smells bad。 Wtf？？？ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Parasites

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Parasites&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Parasites&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0