Reviews - The Parasites | The StoryGraph

113 reviews for:

The Parasites

Daphne du Maurier

3.67 AVERAGE

beckylouise2904's review against another edition

1.5

sad slow-paced

thebookishwisp's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

mininea's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

muais's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

zoolmcg's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I've always wanted to read Du Maurier's work, and I think this served as a great introduction to her style and themes. The title intrigued me, and then the blurb intrigued me more, and I knew that the story of these three siblings was going to be a fascinating and sad journey from beginning to end.

What I loved from the beginning was the narrative voice instilled in this text, with an inclusive personal pronoun 'us' that makes a reader imagine which of the siblings could be speaking. Then, it's revealed, that all three are treated with the same omniscience, and every relevant thought of their lives is given to us in full detail. The dynamic of the three is extremely well established, and the explanation of their relationships does wonders for the subtle complexity behind each of their lives. For Maria to take after her father as a performer, but detached from utter stardom like her step-mother is genius. For Niall to be adored by people, but lack the strength of his step-father is fascinating. For Celia to be the product of both Pappy and Mama and yet be the most timid and directionless of the lot is so sympathetically depressing. I felt for all of them immediately, and viewed Charles as the outsider - the one who could never understand the trio quite like they could.

To say I found the Delaneys likable is a stretch. They are not likeable or nice in many respects, and often do exhibit the titular parasitic behaviours wrought from the class and fame of their parents, but it's undeniable that they are a sympathetic bunch. Celia is the one I found myself most pitiful for, as the one youngest and coddled, and yet simultaneously forgotten, barren, and exhausted by the demands of Pappy. If anything, he seemed the most parasitic towards her than any other rationalisation of the word, for he was the one demanding such time and attention in his old alcoholic age.

Celia is desperately lonely, with only the hope of her niece to occupy her. Maria is pitiable for her innate unawareness, her narrow and selfish worldview that was unavoidably bred into her in her life on stage. She neglects her children, shows no love to her husband, and yet still expects to live the life she wanted (which is actually more similar to Celia's, of freedom in her art without romantic or paternal hangups). Niall is pitiable for his directionless attitude towards life, which becomes most clear during his affair with Freada. He latches onto an older woman to seek the comfort he lost after Mama's death, and in doing so, arrests his own development. He is nothing but a ditty writer, and could never hope to hold a candle to the success of his mother.

The pace of this I found to be fast and slow at different points. It does a great job at keeping you on the hook with brilliant final lines to each chapter, but it must be said that there are a few chapters that drag, constrained by their plot that could be summed up in just a few pages. I think the first half of the novel was the strongest, and I loved many descriptions of the Delaney children's childhoods. Settings and characters were being fleshed out, and this dwindled over the course once we became all too familiar with their adult personas. Still, it was a great read and I can see myself reading it again in the future.

I'd recommend this to any Du Maurier lovers, or people seeking to get into her work. I loved so much of this, and I can't wait to seek out more (Rebecca being a priority for me).

margaretkearney's review against another edition

3.0

April 2018-I am not sure how I feel about this weird book. It’s definitely fascinating but its very weird. There’s no real driving storyline. The siblings sit in a room and look back at their childhood and then what happens to each of them after their mother dies. The dialogue is very unique and you can imagine its spoken very fast a la Gilmore Girls. The siblings are very different from each other and I’m not entirely sure I like them as people. As characters, they are very very interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending as well. It’s very ambiguous end for one of the characters. Not my favourite Daphne Du Maurier.