The Scapegoat

by Daphne du Maurier
Category: "Fiction - Mystery"
Pages:348
Year of Publication:1956
Date Added:01/21/2021
Date Read:03/25/2021
Notes:John is a boring English schoolteacher on vacation in France. He meets Jean de Gue, a Frenchman who is exactly like him in looks, voice, mannerisms. The go out for a drink, and in the morning John wakes to discover Jean has stolen his identity. John allows himself to be mistaken for Jean and taken to his estate. the de Gues live in a decaying manor and own a failing glass foundry. Everyone assumes John is Jean—his mother, wife, daughter, sister, brother, servants. The only one who realizes he's different is Jean's mistress—and she says nothing. John takes on the troubles of the dysfunctional family and grows to care about them. Things get increasingly complicated when Jean's wife dies. John finds it within himself to give everyone a new purpose in life, but then Jean shows up again. He reveals that he's spent his time destroying John's life in England. He then casually resumes his identity and leaves John with nothing to do but head to a monastery to reflect.
My Rating: 6

Reviews for The Scapegoat

Review - Scapegoat, The

du Maurier is an excellent writer, and the story here was compelling—except for the beginning and the ending.
The idea that John had no choice but to assume Jean's identity after Jean stole his is ludicrous. He could easily have proved who he was simply by revealing information Jean couldn't possibly know. And the ending, where John simply allowed his life to be ruined and wandered off made him such a wimp that it destroyed any sympathy the character might have built up for himself.

Reviewed by Roger on 2021-03-26 07:18:27

Back to the list