Scan barcode
A review by badmom
The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Daphne du Maurier is always brilliant at highlighting the worst in people, even those we think might be likable. Maybe especially those - she examines every move, choice, thought in ways that make us question ourselves. In The Parasites, three privileged siblings in post-WWII England are tasked with self-reflection, a chore they take on at first with some disdain and little seriousness. But as one evening wears on, the reader is taken into the past of each from their own increasingly lucid point of view; they begin to understand (or finally admit to understanding) their experiences.
Throughout, du Maurier uses a curious point of view - sometimes second person, sometimes first, occasionally third. This forces an often unpleasant connection between characters and reader; we recognize our own flawed thinking and wonder in the back of our minds if we would behave similarly.
This novel in unsettling but captivating, and necessary still nearly 80 years later.
Throughout, du Maurier uses a curious point of view - sometimes second person, sometimes first, occasionally third. This forces an often unpleasant connection between characters and reader; we recognize our own flawed thinking and wonder in the back of our minds if we would behave similarly.
This novel in unsettling but captivating, and necessary still nearly 80 years later.