The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier, 1957

Read in 2011



Synopsis: Two men--one English, the other French--meet by chance in a provincial railway station and are astounded that they are so much alike that they could easily pass for each other. Over the course of a long evening, they talk and drink. It is not until he awakes the next day that John, the Englishman, realizes that he may have spoken too much. His French companion is gone, having stolen his identity. 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.

Loaded with suspense and wit, The Scapegoat tells the double story of the attempts by John, the imposter, to escape detection by the family, servants, and several mistresses of his alter ego, and of his constant and frustrating efforts to unravel the mystery of the enigmatic past that dominates the existence of all who live in the chateau.

Doppelganger. Isn’t that a great word? Many stories have been written about doppelgangers and what happens to them when they switch places, but none so well as this one. du Maurier is known most for her novel Rebecca, but she could easily be known for The Scapegoat instead, it’s that good. In a way it might be better than Rebecca. The opening is shorter and the plot gets underway much quicker which means I get a lot more ‘quality time’ with the characters and the scenario.

It’s that quality time that really hooked me. At first I found John, Jean and Jean’s family to be remote and difficult to connect with; everyone seemed deliberately odd and cartoonish . Then, through John’s careful management of his bizarre situation, I began to connect with them and see how they’d been used and abused by Jean. Eventually you start to root for John and how he tries to set right all the damage his wayward double has created. All the while knowing it can’t last. You hope though and that’s what sets this novel and du Maurier’s talent apart from others.

The way the unknowns are revealed is masterful; you feel as lost and at sea as John must feel, stepping into the role of pater familias. A few of them were relatively easy to guess, particularly the gulf of silence between Jean and Blanche. After a few mentions of Mr. Duval it was pretty clear what happened and Jean’s rationalization of it made it all the more heinous. In the end, Jean went from a mere selfish cad to a violent psycho and I wonder if his family will survive his return. I have to keep in mind what Bela said to John at his leave-taking, that now John has acted so well and nobly that from now on Jean’s family would look for John’s character inside Jean’s, not the other way around. Going forward Jean will have to try to live up to John’s precedent and the family will have to stand up to him if he doesn’t.

A word of warning for the hyper-literal – yes, it’s a stretch. There’s probably no way two complete strangers can exchange lives even for a few hours never mind a few days. Yes, people would be suspicious and many, many things would give each person away. That’s not really the point of this novel. It’s the vehicle only. The point is to see what good can happen to John (and maybe even to Jean in the end) and how he can save himself.

During the set up, we come to understand that John is nearly crushed under the weight of ennui and dissatisfaction with his life. He considers himself to be a failure. He wishes he could set free that part of his personality that he’s never allowed flight. The one who takes chances and wants real people in his life, not just historical figures and the occasional student to tutor. In his hopelessness, John is planning to visit a monastery in a last ditch effort to find a solution. Little does he know his cure doesn’t lie in that direction. Instead he is driven headlong into someone else’s life where he can have the freedom to shake off the crippling insecurity and act like the man he wants to be. In the process he changes Jean’s family’s lives, too and that’s what brings a sense of hope to an ending that could have been bleak.

I’m not sure this book is still in print. I bought a used copy online and still paid something like $15 with shipping for a trade paperback. Find a copy for yourself if you can. It’s worth it and I know I’ll be re-reading this one.