Scapegoat as a profession

Benjamin Malaussène is employed as a 'scapegoat' at a department store and is presented as the culprit in all complaints from the respectable clientele. During a series of bomb attacks in the department store, he always appears to be close to the scene of the disaster, which makes him particularly suspicious. His entire family is concerned with this unjustified accusation and, thanks to 'experimental' research, they ultimately prove to make an important contribution to the denouement of the drama, not least through the infallible predictions of the stargazing sister Thérèse. Parallel to the actual story runs the sequel that Benjamin tells his family every evening. This shadow story is full of literary references and ultimately results in the manuscript 'Implosie'. The tragicomic complications are wrapped by Pennac in caricatural descriptions, humorous situations in which adverdities are not uncommon, and numerous puns.