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A review by bleadenreads
The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was my first du Maurier that didn't have any sort of love story and I think it perfectly matched the coldness and cruelty of the novel. John inherits a plethora of business troubles, financial woes, affairs, family divisions and legacy of the Resistance from Jean. John makes an earnest attempt to fix everything with some successes and some huge faux pas!
John settles into his new life and starts to make a difference, living the family life he always wanted. Yet, he remains on the periphery, always the Scapegoat, the outsider, unloved and lonely.
I loved how du Maurier depicts the cruelty and neglect in upper class families, in this case towards Francoise, Jean's wife. When tragedies strike, du Maurier against proves her mastery of thriller writing slowly drip feeding the reader bits of information with the typical du Maurier ambiguity that leaves you to form your own theories along with John.
I stayed up till midnight to finish this book as I could not put it down, it was tense, shocking and ruthless. John was so naive and earnest, but life is cruel...
I've got 5 books on my shelves by du Maurier to read and I cannot wait to read her entire catalogue - I find her writing fascinating, gripping and so unique. One of the greats! A fab start to my 2023 reading
John settles into his new life and starts to make a difference, living the family life he always wanted. Yet, he remains on the periphery, always the Scapegoat, the outsider, unloved and lonely.
I loved how du Maurier depicts the cruelty and neglect in upper class families, in this case towards Francoise, Jean's wife. When tragedies strike, du Maurier against proves her mastery of thriller writing slowly drip feeding the reader bits of information with the typical du Maurier ambiguity that leaves you to form your own theories along with John.
I stayed up till midnight to finish this book as I could not put it down, it was tense, shocking and ruthless. John was so naive and earnest, but life is cruel...
I've got 5 books on my shelves by du Maurier to read and I cannot wait to read her entire catalogue - I find her writing fascinating, gripping and so unique. One of the greats! A fab start to my 2023 reading