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The Parasites - Daphne Du Maurier

This book by Daphne is a very sad book. Are all the books I read appear sad to me or do I read only sad books?

The plot starts with Charles calling his wife and her half sister and brother as Parasites. Maria, Celia and Niall are children of Delaney couple. Delaney couple are talented and famous stage artists. But wife dies when the children are still very young. They are brought up by house keeper Truda.

Maria the eldest is very selfish but hard working actor. She wants all luxuries of the world. And she gets good roles because she is having an affair with the married lead actor. She goes in and out of affairs without any regrets. And there is no mother's supervising eyes at home to control her. And Truda feels that it is in her blood.

Niall is obsessed with Maria - not exactly his half sister. He is extremely talented composer but has no ambition at all. In his school, the music teacher thinks he is incapable of playing any music at all. But at 18, he meets Freada, friend of his parents and goes to Paris and starts living with her. Or rather living off her. She is a dancer.

Celia, the youngest is the one, who life treats very unkindly. With elder children away and wife dead, Delaney starts relying on her for everything. And she the child, becomes the mother of her father, taking care of him and the household. Even when he becomes paralytic, she brings him home and nurses him , instead of leaving him in hospital.

Celia draws beautifully and writes short stories when she gets time. Which is very rare as the entire house hold is on her tender shoulders. She gets an offer from a publisher for her drawings. Though she signs the contract of this work, she can not continue the contract, because of responsibilities.

Then one day, Maria realizes she needs to have a respected life and marries into an aristocratic Charles. Charles is madly in love with her. She thinks she too loves him. But she can not live in the country with his parents. So he buys a house nearer to London. After a while she even continues her acting career.

Maria's children rarely see her. They are brought up by nurses and other workers of the house. On weekends Maria visits Charles and children. And so do Celia and Niall. Celia however dotes on the children and helps even the house keeper and cook.

Now looking back, all three realize that they are, in fact parasites and have been so for ever.

You can't help but sympathize with these three orphaned children.

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