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The Scapegoat (Hardcover)

by Daphne du Maurier (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £17.99
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The Scapegoat + The House on the Strand (Virago Modern Classics) + My Cousin Rachel (Virago Modern Classics)
Total RRP: £33.97
Price For All Three: £26.17

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Orion; New Ed edition (1 Jan 1981)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0575029218
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575029217
  • Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 899,376 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #94 in  Books > Fiction > 20th Century Classics > Du Maurier, Daphne

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Product Description

Product Description

Ever since Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier has regularly disconcerted those critics who seem to assume that, to be great, a writer must be dull, obscure, and pretentious. The Scapegoat, which is none of these, is both an unashamed best-seller and by any test, a great novel. The extraordinary story takes hold of the reader and never lets go; the setting in a French chateau in these times is wholly real; the prose is simple and assured; and finally, the characters speak, act, and react precisely as they would have done in that family network of hatred, deceit, and jealousy. In particular the portrait of a neurotic child is exquisitely drawn. By an intriguing device the role of scapegoat for the sins of a charming, idle, and destructive French aristocrat and his family is thrust upon a lonely English traveller. His personality sets off a series of dramatic reactions, in which the author reveals a perfect comprehension of the chemistry of human nature.

About the Author

In many ways the life of Daphne du Maurier resembles that of a fairy tale. Born into a family with a rich artistic and historical background, the daughter of a famous actor-manager, she was indulged as a child and grew up enjoying enormous freedom from financial and parental restraint. She spent her youth sailing boats, travelling on the Continent with friends, and writing stories. A prestigious publishing house accepted her first novel when she was in her early twenties, and its publication brought her not only fame but the attentions of a handsome soldier, Major (later Lieutenant-General Sir) Frederick Browning, who married her.
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An almost forgotten masterpiece, 22 Feb 2005
By A. Gordon "annettego" (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Scapegoat (Paperback)
It's great to see Daphne du Maurier getting a reprint of all her novels with revamped covers. It's easy to think of her as a writer of romantic melodrama but she isn't and this book, as if the others haven't anyway, proves that she has plenty to say about the human condition. Beautifully written and cleverly paced The Scapegoat draws you in and keeps you fascinated to learn the truth about the protagonists double.

Apart from being an atmospheric and well written thriller the book has a number of philosophical questions to ask about the nature of self and the different perspectives we all bring to the same situation. Above all it's about the choice we all have to do good or evil in our lives. It never at any point gets bogged down in what it is trying to say. A deftly written well told story that shows you don't have to sacrifice content, character and storytelling on the altar of style and structure to make a point.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another 'can't put it down' Daphne du Maurier book...., 22 Mar 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Scapegoat (Paperback)
A lonely single English man John who longs for a life so different to his own meets a Frenchman Jean who 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, so Jean (who is also tired of his life but for the opposite reasons to John) decides to trick John into swapping places. John finds himself in someone elses shoes and leading the life of a person he has always wanted to be, but it doesnt turn out as he hoped and the masquerade leads to disaterous consequences.

Im not going to spoil it for you though so just buy it! Its another fantastic Daphne du Maurier book.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A nail-biter, 19 Oct 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: The Scapegoat (Paperback)
I could not put down this book! It started out rather depressing and slow, but soon I was hooked, and I desperately -- foregoing sleep -- wanted to know what would happen to the lead character, John. Just when I thought his situation could not get worse, something else came up and I wondered, how could he get out of it this time? It is amazing how Du Maurier is able to make this novel's villain almost likeable.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning
When you look at the premise for The Scapegoat it really shouldn't work, but such was du Maurier's skill as a writer, and such was her complete control of character and plot, that... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Gregory S. Buzwell

4.0 out of 5 stars 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. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Misfit

3.0 out of 5 stars The Scapegoat

Apparently,'The Scapegoat' is not one of Ms. DuMaurier's more popular novels, and having just finished reading this curious and frustrating book, I think I see why. Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2007 by Jeremy Gilien

5.0 out of 5 stars Have you ever thought ...
This is my second book of Du Maurier. I was intrigued by the-Prince-Pauper thingy but with more weight on the issue that caused the charade. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2005 by Spy Groove

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