SCAPEGOATS

by George Mandel ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 27, 1970

This is one of the more ridiculous novels about racial relations. Fay is a frivolously happy housewife married to Ernest, a ghetto schoolteacher. On this day, her home is invaded by a young black boy who calls himself Clifford Clay and says that he has come to kill her. Fay throughout is in a state of inner turmoil. Unfortunately Mr. Mandel is not up to the occasion--""Oh raucous hoodlums, animals, oh vile, oh cook it baby and cook it for me in the vast world of spoilers rioting down her spine."" Particularly after the boy convinces her that Ernest has hired him to do the job and she puts Ernest and her best friend Charlotte together as co-conspirators. She waits to be ""ravaged"" . . . then hopes for it and finally when she gets the gun, she ravages him: ""Growing too breathless to speak, she welcomed his interrupting kiss, took in all she could of his lips, his hands tracing her back and buttocks festively. Then he stabbed his tongue down stiff and she tried to possess it, but he broke the kiss to say, 'Put down the gun.'"" And so it goes until she ends up signing a murder pact with Clifford to kill Ernie only to discover, too late, that she's been had, along with the hapless reader.

Pub Date: July 27, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1970

Categories: FICTION