The Scapegoat
1985
First Published
3.98
Average Rating
230
Number of Pages
Part of Series
The second Benjamin Malaussne novel set in Paris' explosive Belleville quarter. His title is Quality Controller, but Benjamin's function at The Store is scapegoat for the rage of the customers. So sweet is his nature, so pathetic and eloquent his contrition, that most indignant victims withdraw their complaints. But there is also the matter of the bombs that keep exploding not far from where Benjamin is standing. Naturally, he becomes the prime suspect, even as he and his journalist girlfriend, Julie, have begun to unearth an even deeper mystery, a sinister and sordid conspiracy whose unraveling will expose yet one more seam in the dark heart behind the beguiling veneer of contemporary Paris. Daniel Pennac's novels of life in the Belleville Arab quarter, which began with The Fairy Gunmother, are as funny as Damon Runyon's stories, as thrilling as Raymond Chandler's novels, and as wild as the best of Carl Hiaasen. With The Scapegoat, Pennac has once again struck just the right balance.
Avg Rating
3.98
Number of Ratings
13,928
5 STARS
34%
4 STARS
39%
3 STARS
20%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
2%
goodreads
Author
Daniel Pennac
Author · 27 books
Daniel Pennac (real name Daniel Pennacchioni) is a French writer. He received the Prix Renaudot in 2007 for his essay Chagrin d'école. After studying in Nice he became a teacher. He began to write for children and then wrote his book series "La Saga Malaussène", that tells the story of Benjamin Malaussène, a scapegoat, and his family in Belleville, Paris. His writing style can be humorous and imaginative like in "La Saga Malaussène", but he has also written essays, such as "Comme un roman", a pedagogic essay."La Débauche", written jointly with Jacques Tardi, treats the topic of unemployment, revealing his social preoccupations.
