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The Scapegoat Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,734 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
By chance, John and Jean -- one English, the other French -- meet in a provincial railway station. Their resemblance to each other is uncanny, and they spend the next few hours talking and drinking - until at last John falls into a drunken stupor. It's to be his last carefree moment, for when he wakes, Jean has stolen his identity and disappeared. So the Englishman steps into the Frenchman's shoes, and faces a variety of perplexing roles - as owner of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a fractious family, and master of nothing.
Gripping and complex, The Scapegoat is a masterful exploration of doubling and identity, and of the dark side of the self.
"A dazzlingly clever and immensely entertaining novel."-New York Times
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"Thoroughly ingenious and inventive story of an Englishman, John, who meets his double, a French aristocrat, who decides to let John take over his life. John, when he arrives at the chateau, finds complicated family relationships and a failing family business, a glass foundry. Jean's character is very different from John's, and what begins as a game becomes something much more serious and destructive. [Oct 2004]"
— Helen (5 out of 5 stars)
The Scapegoat Listener Reviews
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" It was well written, and an interesting story, but the pacing was kind of slow. (And the print was waay to small! :) ) "
— Jennifer, 2/17/2014 -
" I read this years ago and really enjoyed it. The recent drama on TV was brilliant, too! "
— Judie, 2/14/2014 -
" As I expected, a beautifully written tale, but it didn't engross me as much as some of her other novels. Maybe it was because my reading time has been limited over the last week so have only managed, sometimes, a few paragraphs at a time. I didn't warm to any of the main characters who were all damaged in some way. Having read the book I can now watch the film that I recorded a while ago. "
— Brenda, 2/8/2014 -
" Almost unbelievable, but well writen and draws you in immediately. "
— Steven, 2/6/2014 -
" Absolutely gripped from page one and didn't want it to end. Intrigued by the inter-character relationships and the final outcome. "
— Andrea, 2/5/2014 -
" Absolutely loved this book, a real page turner. Up to now I thought Rebecca was her best book but not any more. "
— Linda, 1/25/2014 -
" What a well-written, enjoyable find. This novel will certainly not disappoint. "
— Tracee, 1/19/2014 -
" An oldie but goodie. She takes no easy exits and confirms a favorite theory of mine -- no one is either all black or all white. "
— Sally, 1/19/2014 -
" Could not put this one down - heartily recommend. "
— Chris, 1/4/2014 -
" Now this is a creative writer-- not perhaps an enjoyable book, but certainly not what you'd expect (and it would be interesting to try to write the sequel?) What struck me most of all-- when in doubt, just go ahead and tell the truth. "
— Elizabeth, 12/30/2013 -
" Daphne du Maurier was a writer par excellence. I read this book in high school and read it again as an adult and now 40 some years after my first time, did it again. She did not disappoint. While the plot was implausible, she, nevertheless, had me believing every word. "
— Lorraine, 12/5/2013 -
" Du Murier's "Rebecca" was perhaps her best.... But this one was quite enjoyable too.... "
— Ayesha, 12/3/2013 -
" After reading this, the third book I've read by the author, I continue to be impressed by her writing style and ability. She weaves a good story. "
— Evalyn, 12/3/2013 -
" This is a re-read for me. It's probably 20 years ago I first read this book. It was just as enjoyable and made me really think about the question of identity and who we really are. "
— Anna, 11/30/2013 -
" Such a fun read... full of suspense and intrigue. How one small decision can lead to a world of trouble. LOVED it. "
— Maggie, 1/28/2013 -
" I'm interested to read more of Du Maurier's work to see if she keeps up with the doubling theme i found in this book and in Rebecca. I also really want to see the Alec Guinness movie that was made of this book. Enjoyed a lot and people should keep reading Daphne du Maurier. "
— Cindy, 1/15/2013 -
" My first duMaurier book read.....it hooked me. "
— Anne, 10/4/2012 -
" Totally unexpected. Not at all what you think it will do. An excellent read. "
— Lynli, 7/15/2012 -
" Another great book by du Maurier. I loved the story, but wished to know what happened to all the characters at the end. "
— Kersten, 3/23/2012 -
" This was an excellent read. I really enjoyed this book's language, style and plot. I was, however, disappointed by the ending. I just wish the outcome had been different. "
— Crystal, 2/25/2012 -
" A great page turner, most enjoyable. I didn't like the ending but at least it wasn't predictable. "
— Kath, 2/19/2012 -
" I was really excited to read this book since it was the same author (Daphne Du Maurier) who wrote Rebecca. It turned out that it was just ok. It was written very beautifully, but I didn't like the story nearly as much as Rebecca. "
— Heather, 2/13/2012 -
" This is a story of two men who are identical. They have a random meeting and end up switching lives. The story line is intriguing and there were some aspects I really liked but I found myself doing a lot of skimming rather than reading. "
— Rachel, 12/23/2011
About Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) was born in London, the daughter of the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of the author and artist George du Maurier. She has been called one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. Besides novels, du Maurier wrote plays, biographies, and several collections of short fiction. Among her more famous works are The Scapegoat, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and the short story “The Birds,” all of which were subsequently made into films, the latter three directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
About Paul Shelley
Paul Shelley trained at RADA and has mainly worked in the theater as a classical actor. He has worked extensively with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company and has appeared in several West End productions. His work for television includes Secret Army, Special Branch, Blake’s 7, A Tale of Two Cities, Doctor Who, Inspector Morse, and Crossroads.