Magical, sinister, mysterious: twins in literature always have something extra. Here’s a list of some great books about twins:
On a small island in Maine, reclusive artist Oisin MacDara was left behind when his twin sister Nieve committed suicide 25 years ago at the age of 15. As a child, Oisin had the gift of second sight, but hasn’t seen any spirits since Nieve died. Always looking for her return, he is hopeful when he begins to sense a ghost in his lonely cabin…
This New England love triangle features a town librarian caught between twin brothers in early 20th century Vermont.
In 1964, Norah Henry goes into labor during a snowstorm. Her husband, a doctor, helps deliver the fraternal twins with the help of a nurse, Caroline Gill. When he sees that one of the twins has Down syndrome, he instructs the nurse to take her to a home and tells his wife that the baby died. But Caroline can’t bear to leave the baby at an institution and instead moves to another city and raises the baby as her own.
Narrator Dominick Birdsey shares the story of his life with his twin brother Thomas, who suffers from schizophrenic paranoia. A long and complex story, it opens with a gruesome scene in which Thomas slices off his own right hand as a sacrifice to God. The novel moves back and forth, interspersing scenes from their difficult childhood with their troubled lives as adults.
Conjoined twins Ruby and Rose were born to a teenage unwed mother and abandoned just two weeks later. They were taken in by a kindly nurse who refused the suggestion of doctors to sacrifice Ruby, the smaller twin, for the sake of Rose’s health. They are the longest-surviving craniopagus twins, and as they approach 30 Rose decides to write a book about their lives. A haunting story, beautifully written.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Set against a backdrop of political turmoil in late 1960s India, the story begins with fraternal twins Rahel and Estha attending the funeral of their cousin, Sophie Mol. Their family’s tragedy is described in a circuitous, magical narrative.
The mysterious Vida Winter, a prolific author whose talents extend to weaving fictional stories about her life, finally decides to tell the truth about herself to the daughter of a book shop owner. Unpredictable and gripping, this gothic tale is hard to put down, and is sure to keep you up way past your bedtime.
This one is for Losties. Private eye Paul Artisan is hired by rich businessman Cliff Widmore to find his long lost identical twin brother Zander. His search takes him island-hopping and meeting up with various interesting characters. Upon his return he checks in with his personal guru and the reader learns many interesting bits of information that may or may not relate to the show.