The Scapegoat (Virago Modern Classics)

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For his part, John has no choice but to take the Frenchman's place—as master of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a large and embittered family, and keeper of too many secrets. But Daphne du Maurier's descriptions of the little girl's religious fervour, as well as that of her aunt Blanche, serve well to heighten the tension at various points. In particular, why Jean's sister Blache refuses to talk to Jean and why Jean wants John to fill his place. John is left to himself in a strange château, with a strange new identity and even stranger new family. It brings a lot of self-introspection and often times has the reader asking, "What would I do in this situation?

Set in 1952, as England prepares for the coronation, this movie tells the story of two very different men who have one thing in common - a face.

Throughout the book, I was forced to revise my opinions once or twice about what was really going on. There was ample material for du Maurier to develop the plot, put in some twists and turns, and make the story more engaging and interesting. He is certainly going to have his hands full as there is much to do if he is to right this particular ship.

And as the novel proceeds we become aware that John has become emotionally committed to this family, within the space of seven days.My realisation that all I had ever done in life, not only in France but in England also, was to watch people, never to partake in their happiness or pain, brought such a sense of overwhelming depression, deepened by the rain stinging the windows of the car, that when I came to Le Mans, although I had not intended to stop there and lunch, I changed my mind, hoping to change my mood. Instead, she lets it fall into monotony with the dull narrative of the story from the victim, John's, point of view.

And instead of writing herself into the story, the author took on the guise of a male narrator, one of five occasions in major novels when she did this.

It is evident that he is travelling through France, where he meets a man who eerily is his double in looks; a confident French count, Jean de Gué. It can be inferred that Daphne, herself, also desires that occurrence because it relates to her identity. There was some building-up towards the end, but, any effect it might have on the story was destroyed by the anti-climactic end. From the original review in the Akron Beacon Journal, February 17, 1957: It couldn’t actually happen in real life (or could it?