Booking Through Thursday: One Question

If you could ask your favorite author (alive or dead) one question … who would you ask, and what would the question be?

My favourite author is Daphne Du Maurier and I would ask her if the character of Mrs Danvers definitely dies in the fire at the end of Rebecca. I'm sure she does but she's such a sinister character and it makes me shiver sometimes to think that she could pop up again!
What would you ask your favourite author?

Birthdays and Celebrations!

It is a day of balloons and banners in the Dot Scribbles household today! Mr S has turned 25, a quarter of a century, bless him!! We had to get up bright and early to open presents as he still has to go to work today unfortunately. I got him a DAB radio which he has wanted for a while as the reception on normal radio in our house is dire and the Star Trek film box set because, well, he is a complete Trekkie geek! I will no doubt regret buying the last present as I am sure I will be subjected to watching at least one of them! Alfie bought Mr S some presents, some jelly sweets as they are Alfie's favourite too and some new slippers as Alfie left us a present in the kitchen earlier in the week which Mr S stepped in, hence needing new slippers! So he has gone off to work a happy man and we have his family coming over later for a nice meal and possibly more presents!
I also had a little mini celebration yesterday as I finally completed writing the first chapter of the book that I am working on, 2,833 words so far! My lovely sister read it and said she enjoyed it (although however much she protests, she is going to be a little biased!) so now I just need to crack on and write the rest.
One last thing for today, Kim, over at Still Reading has read and reviewed Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. This, as I am sure I have mentioned many times is my favourite book, so go and take a peek at Kim's excellent review, especially if you haven't read it yet!

The Parasites by Daphne Du Maurier

I have Simon over at Savidge Reads to thank for reminding me that this book was sitting on my shelf. Daphne Du Maurier is at the top of the list of my favourite authors, Rebecca is definitely my favourite book of all time. I always get a bit nervous when I start another one of her books as I worry that I will be disappointed in it but Du Maurier, yet again, did not disappoint.
The Parasites is about the Delaney siblings, Maria, Niall and Celia. They are the off-spring of very famous parents; their father was one of the greatest singers of the time and their mother was an extremely talented and applauded dancer. Celia is the only child that shares both parents, so she is half sister to Niall and Maria, who share no blood ties, yet they have the closest bond of all the children. These three complex characters are actually the parasites in the title as they are seen to live off the talent of their parents as they try to forge their own creative careers. Du Maurier shows them in the present day she then creates a series of flashback to show how they have become they people they are now.
This book could be slightly auto-biographical; Daphne was the daughter of Sir Gerald Du Maurier, a famous actor and manager and her mother was the actress Muriel Beaumont. Perhaps there are elements of Du Maurier in the character of Celia whose true talent is writing and illustrating stories yet she suppresses this in order to take care of her ailing father. Du Maurier did have a tempestuous relationship with her father and he greatly influenced her. She worked extremely hard to gain the success that she did; maybe Celia is the person she could have been if she had not had the will to explore and use her talent for writing.
I really enjoyed this book but many parts of it are not pleasant; Du Maurier is so good at creating characters that can truly make you cringe. Niall and Maria are especially detestable, selfish creatures. However, Du Maurier has woven the story so well that you do have sympathy for them as they are very much a product of their childhood. Du Maurier really captured for me the feeling you have when you suddenly realise that you are a grown-up:

A day would come, a day like any other day, and looking over your shoulder you would see the shadow of the child that was, receding; and there would be no going back, no possibility of recapturing the shadow.

I really enjoyed this book, the relationships between the characters keeps you gripped, especially the one between Niall and Maria. Du Maurier has an extremely clever and subtle style of writing, she does not bombard you with information, instead she weaves the little details throughout her story so that you gradually get to know the characters. There is always an air of mystery that keeps you turning the pages.

The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse

This is one of the best books that I have read so far in 2009. I had heard quite a lot about this book before I bought it, especially the comparisons to The Secret History and Rebecca. I believe that it is definitely worthy of those comparisons but in no way is Lucie Whitehouse trying to copy those books; her storytelling has very much a style of it's own.
Lucas inherits Stoneborough Manor from his Uncle, both of Lucas' parents are dead and he is haunted by the suicide of his uncle who had been a father-figure. However, Lucas decides to use Stoneborough as a place where he and his small group of friends can escape to from their busy lives in London. The group of friends is incredibly close and the relationships between them are all extremely intricate.
Lucas gradually becomes increasingly obsessed with Stoneborough and with the cine films that he finds of his Uncle and his friends in their heyday. The similarities to Lucas and his group are startling and the secrets they reveal come to have a bearing on all of them.
This book had me gripped from the very start, the suspense stays with you right until the last page. Even when events in the story take a positive turn you know that something must be waiting just round the corner. The house plays a pivotal role in the book; I love books set in large houses with their many secrets and memories hidden away in the attic just waiting to be discovered. This was a really excellent book, especially as it is Whitehouse's first novel, I hope she writes many more!

Too Much Information?

Well it's that time of the week again, thought this was a good one:

Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse - a biography has made you love an author more?

I always try to find a bit of information about the authors I am reading but to be honest this is normally just a quick google or wikipedia search. The only biography that I have read is Margaret Forster's of Daphne Du Maurier; I love her books and Rebecca will always be at the top of my favourites list. I have to be honest though that I didn't greatly warm to Du Maurier after reading about her but in no way has this put me off her books. At the end of the day an author's writing is normally greatly influenced by the life they lead and the personality they have; so I may not be greatly enamoured with Du Maurier as a person but I do love her writing and that is what matters isn't it?