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9th out of 16 books
—
80 voters
The Scapegoat
"Someone jolted my elbow as I drank and said, 'Je vous demande pardon, ' and as I moved to give him space he turned and stared at me and I at him, and I realized, with a strange sense of shock and fear and nausea all combined, that his face and voice were
Paperback, 348 pages
Published
January 27th 2000
by Virago Press Ltd
(first published 1957)
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Up to its heavy-handed Christian closing, I was in love with this book. Du Maurier brilliantly, engrossingly, explores the haunting yet goofy idea of the doppleganger. The navigation of French culture, mistresses, children, dogs, another's life completely, comes to you mazelike in the narrative. And always, du Maurier twists the tension gleefully.
When a dissatisfied Englishman on holiday collides with someone in a railway station, he realizes he’s looking at his double — only his double is French. The next morning, the Englishman discovers his passport and papers have been replaced by the Frenchman’s, so he figures his best option is to assume the Frenchman’s identity. Navigating his new role as master of a chateau and head of a complicated family and family business is tricky enough for the Englishman, but adding to the suspense are his...more
Two strangers, identical in appearance, a chance meeting and lives are forever changed. English John meets French Count Jean and share dinner and drinks as they discuss the remarkable likeness the two share. But Jean's financial problems drive him to render John unconscious, switch identities and leave him in his place to deal with his failing glass factory and fractious family. John soon finds himself in the midst of a mine-field dealing with a pregnant "wife", a couple of mistresses (one of th...more
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A great page turner, most enjoyable. I didn't like the ending but at least it wasn't predictable.
Not As Good As The Movie
I started reading this after watching "The Scapegoat," a 2012 production by Charles Sturridge on Netflix and absolutely loving it. Then, after searching for it in various libraries without finding, I went out and bought it off amazon.
So if you are like me, and want to read the book because you liked the movie, I should warn you that the film is an adaptation and doesn't follow the book closely at all, especially not the ending. The major differences involve the love story...more
I started reading this after watching "The Scapegoat," a 2012 production by Charles Sturridge on Netflix and absolutely loving it. Then, after searching for it in various libraries without finding, I went out and bought it off amazon.
So if you are like me, and want to read the book because you liked the movie, I should warn you that the film is an adaptation and doesn't follow the book closely at all, especially not the ending. The major differences involve the love story...more
This is the story of what happens when two men who happen to look and sound alike trade places. One is unhappy with his life primarily due to loneliness and is seriously considering joining a monastery. The other is unhappy because he is smothered from caring for others. The situations of the men made the lonely one depressed while causing the other to be bitter and to strike back at those he loved.
British writer Daphne du Maurier, who lived from 1907 to 1989, wrote novels, short stories, plays,...more
British writer Daphne du Maurier, who lived from 1907 to 1989, wrote novels, short stories, plays,...more
Aug 18, 2010
Judy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
du Maurier fans; Rebecca is not the best book she wrote.
Scapegoat has an intriguing history as a word. Originally, in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, the High Priest confessed the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement over the head of a live goat which was then allowed to escape, taking the sins with it. From this religious tradition developed the meaning of a person, group or thing who takes the blame for the mistakes or crimes of others.
In Daphne du Maurier's excellent novel, an English history professor on his way home from holiday in...more
I greatly enjoyed The Scapegoat. The idea of doubles meeting and switching places is not new, especially with the English/French element to it. It requires a leap of faith to believe that these two men are so identical that they can fool everyone. They even have the same name - John and Jean.
The reader follows John as he wakes up to find Jean missing. He decides to go to the château and well blag it after realising it would be impossible to convince the police that he has had his identity stolen...more
I would recommend this novel to anyone who thought Daphne du Maurier never wrote another decent book after My Cousin Rachel. All in all, The Scapegoat is strangely underlooked, a neglected gem. It's hard to see why this one gets forgotten, as the premise is intriguing, the plot gripping and du Maurier's grip on the narrative is masterful and never falters. I sometimes struggle, in her historical novels, to grasp the tangled family trees and the (sometimes) unpronounceable Cornish place names, bu...more
At the end of just about every chapter of this book I had one of the following two thoughts, either "no no no no no ... please don't do that" or "oh dear, what have you done now".
The plot of the book is centred about the idea of there being two people who look and sound identical, to the point that not even their own mothers would be able to tell the difference. These two men, one an Englishman called John and the other a french nobleman by the name of Jean de Gue then swap identities and durin...more
The plot of the book is centred about the idea of there being two people who look and sound identical, to the point that not even their own mothers would be able to tell the difference. These two men, one an Englishman called John and the other a french nobleman by the name of Jean de Gue then swap identities and durin...more
Jul 11, 2012
Eustachio
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
britannici,
romanzi
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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What would you do if you came face to face with yourself?
Two men, one a rather shabby French aristocrat called Jean, and the other a down-at-heel English teacher of French history called John, meet by chance in France. John longs for a life so different to his own; Jean has all the ties and responsibilities John has never known; a crumbling family business, a sick mother, a dependent wife and child, and a reputation.
John and Jean also happen to be identical. Wishing to escape the tangled mess...more
Two men, one a rather shabby French aristocrat called Jean, and the other a down-at-heel English teacher of French history called John, meet by chance in France. John longs for a life so different to his own; Jean has all the ties and responsibilities John has never known; a crumbling family business, a sick mother, a dependent wife and child, and a reputation.
John and Jean also happen to be identical. Wishing to escape the tangled mess...more
This book blew my mind. I had no idea what to expect at first. Then, when the narrator meets his doppelganger and changes places, I was disappointed. That seemed such a silly device, and I'm always annoyed by supernatural stuff. However, this set-up produced a very interesting effect from that point on. The narrator goes home to this other man's house, and tries to act natural, but he knows nothing about his life. This puts the narrator in the same position as the reader, with all the characters...more
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One of Daphne duMaurier's lesser-known, but very well done, books, The Scapegoat is the story of a man, John, who is thrust into the life of his double, whom he stumbles upon in a small city in France. In a forced exchange of identities, John joins his double's complicated and troubled family. One of the book's few flaws is the necessity that the reader believe that John could really pull off this deception successfully. Once one decides to suspend disbelief on that point, the story is gripping...more
Actually the least impressive of the du Maurier novels I have read so far, which is still saying quite a bit. The plot was just a little meandering, which had my interest waning at times. One good thing about it, however, was its ability to allow the protagonist to observe family and personal interactions from a completely objective standpoint. This leads to the unveiling of the nature of man, which is really the goal of all thoughtful writing. It was a very creative set of circumstances for a n...more
Stunning, sophisticated, well detailed, incredibly old-fashioned, fast-paced story about how one's life can be turned upside down in just one second. This book will tell you how short life actually is, but at the same time it's also too long. This book is packed with brutal grief, anger, forgiveness, betrayal, love and learning of how to embrace everything in your life.
This book starts with John, a depressed british man that hates everything in his life. He wasn't meant to be on this earth, bas...more
This book starts with John, a depressed british man that hates everything in his life. He wasn't meant to be on this earth, bas...more
1 like · like · see review
I read this book several years ago and recommended it to a number of people. Although it's on my "read" list, I need to add it to my "to read" list, because I need to read it again. Images from this story come back to me as I read other things or watch movies, and I don't know how much I'm remembering accurately and how much is confused with other books/movies. The theme was so fascinating -- if you could (or were forced to) change places with someone else, to live a different life than the one...more
My favourite du Maurier novel (yes, I like it more than Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel), I read it every 15 or 20 years.
‘Two men stared into the mirror of the station buffet at Le Mans. It was as though one man looked back.’ The chance meeting gave Jean, the selfish and arrogant Comte de Gué, the opportunity to escape from a way of life he was daily finding more intolerable.
And the lonely and solitary Londoner, John Barratt, a university lecturer on French history, would become involved with a m...more
‘Two men stared into the mirror of the station buffet at Le Mans. It was as though one man looked back.’ The chance meeting gave Jean, the selfish and arrogant Comte de Gué, the opportunity to escape from a way of life he was daily finding more intolerable.
And the lonely and solitary Londoner, John Barratt, a university lecturer on French history, would become involved with a m...more
I truly enjoyed this book. Two men, one English and the other French, who look remarkably similar exchange places (although unbeknownst to one) and they live out each other's lives for one week. The story follows the path of the Englishman, the one who was tricked into switching. At first the story seemed monotonous. Here was this man that did not go after the individual who stole his identity, but instead took over the thief's identity whole heartedly. The Englishman is able to convince almost...more
Daphne du Maurier was amazingly ahead of her time. Or a little nuts. Or on drugs (drug use appears often in her books!). But whatever, she was a masterful storyteller.
The premise of The Scapegoat is that a quiet professor man runs into his doppelganger (don't you just love that word!) and the double (a French count) drugs him and forces him to change places. Over the course of one week, the main character uncovers secrets, makes a mess of things, finds out a lot about himself and ultimately mak...more
The premise of The Scapegoat is that a quiet professor man runs into his doppelganger (don't you just love that word!) and the double (a French count) drugs him and forces him to change places. Over the course of one week, the main character uncovers secrets, makes a mess of things, finds out a lot about himself and ultimately mak...more
I snapped up a practically brand new copy of Du Maurier's The Scapegoat whilst staying with family over Christmas and I just can't stress how much I loved this brilliant book; the story completely surprised and bowled me over and you must all go out and buy it right now! But...what is it about? **Warning** I'm going to be very sparing on the details here..
'John' is a pretty dull English university lecturer, travelling back home to England through the village of Le Mans following a brief sojourn...more
'John' is a pretty dull English university lecturer, travelling back home to England through the village of Le Mans following a brief sojourn...more
du Maurier revives a old literary trend in which two strangers bump into each other, discover they look totally alike (no explanations are ever given as to why) and for one reason or another these strangers exchange identities.
I usually like Daphne's stuff, but this book was a big disappointment for me. I couldn't stand any of the characters and the ending was really off. But what did it in for me was when something terrible happens to a relatively innocent character and no one cares. Not even t...more
I usually like Daphne's stuff, but this book was a big disappointment for me. I couldn't stand any of the characters and the ending was really off. But what did it in for me was when something terrible happens to a relatively innocent character and no one cares. Not even t...more
A slightly depressed English man travelling in France meets a Frenchman who is his double. After a night drinking the Englishman wakes up to find the Frenchman has disappeared with his clothes and car. The Englishman decides to take on the Frenchman’s identity.
A compelling read - well written with fully developed characters. The story was thought provoking and entertaining. The first half of the book was fantastic, engaging and believable. The next quarter seemed a bit overblown / un-natural (in...more
A compelling read - well written with fully developed characters. The story was thought provoking and entertaining. The first half of the book was fantastic, engaging and believable. The next quarter seemed a bit overblown / un-natural (in...more
Unlike "Rebecca" and "Jamaica Inn" this book takes place in present day (for her)and has an entirely different feel. I really enjoyed this book especially on an intellectual level.
Nov 02, 2010
Patricia Rodrigues
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
meus,
livros-2010
Desde que li e adorei “Rebecca” da Daphne du Marier, fiquei com imensa vontade de ler mais desta autora. No entanto, já li “A Pousada da Jamaica” que apesar de ter gostado, não me encheu as medidas, mas não foi o suficiente para me fazer deixar de ler du Marier. Portanto, assim que vi “O Outro Eu” numa livraria, não hesitei em compra-lo para o ler quanto antes.
Um francês e um inglês, conhecem-se numa estação de comboio, e ficam pasmados com a sua semelhança física, em que poderiam ser gémeos e e...more
Um francês e um inglês, conhecem-se numa estação de comboio, e ficam pasmados com a sua semelhança física, em que poderiam ser gémeos e e...more
Two men, who looks are indistinguishable from one another swap places. No hollywood ending here.
I love Daphne du Maurier's books, and this was the one that started the obession when I borrowed it from my mum's bookcase one day when I was a child and was bored (maybe it was the school summer holidays? Not sure now). Anyway I remember stunning my mum when I sat quietly and read it from cover to cover in an afternoon.
I haven't read it since then (20 years +), but I keep meaning to, to see if it is as good as I remember. But it doesn't matter, because it introduced me to one of the finest writ...more
I haven't read it since then (20 years +), but I keep meaning to, to see if it is as good as I remember. But it doesn't matter, because it introduced me to one of the finest writ...more
3 1/2 stars. One needs to read this book with total suspended disbelief. Although the premise has been used before, it still is hard to take on a literal level. Two men meet and end up switching lives. They look and sound exactly alike--so much so that the main character, as the double, is not recognized by the mother, wife, child, mistress or brother (the dogs know there is a problem....). Once that aspect in reading the novel is overcome, the book deals with some very profound questions about...more
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John, an English lecturer on French history, is travelling through France, unhappy with his rootless life, when he meets his doppleganger, a French comte named Jean. They spend a night drinking away and, in the morning, John finds Jean has left him with his identity and problems. Unbelieveably, John deciedes to pretend along. He stumbles and bumbles his way through Jean's life, missing every concievable clue as to the family and family business, painfully...more
John, an English lecturer on French history, is travelling through France, unhappy with his rootless life, when he meets his doppleganger, a French comte named Jean. They spend a night drinking away and, in the morning, John finds Jean has left him with his identity and problems. Unbelieveably, John deciedes to pretend along. He stumbles and bumbles his way through Jean's life, missing every concievable clue as to the family and family business, painfully...more
Dec 28, 2012
penelopewanders
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
rings-rays-loans-traded
Hard to qualify this one - it's not really contemporary, not really a thriller.... It takes place just after WWII and is an interesting story of mistaken identity, to a certain extent.
I quite enjoyed it (the fact that it took me a long time to read was related to my non-reading schedule, not the book), pretty much up until the end.
The heavy religious overtones at times were less to my taste, and I didn't really appreciate the ending. I agree with Kalise too that I kept expecting some explanati...more
I quite enjoyed it (the fact that it took me a long time to read was related to my non-reading schedule, not the book), pretty much up until the end.
The heavy religious overtones at times were less to my taste, and I didn't really appreciate the ending. I agree with Kalise too that I kept expecting some explanati...more
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If Daphne du Maurier had written only Rebecca, she would still be one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. Few writers have created more magical and mysterious places than Jamaica Inn and Manderley, buildings invested with a rich character that gives them a memorable life of their own.
In many ways the life of Daphne du Maurier resembles that of a fairy tale. Born int...more
More about Daphne du Maurier...
In many ways the life of Daphne du Maurier resembles that of a fairy tale. Born int...more
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“I could not ask for forgiveness for something I had not done. As scapegoat, I could only bear the fault.”
—
12 people liked it
“So you see, when war comes to one’s village, one’s doorstep, it isn’t tragic and impersonal any longer. It is just an excuse to vomit private hatred. That is why I am not a great patriot.”
—
7 people liked it
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