Those Extraordinary Twins

In Short

This book offers a rare, candid glimpse into the mechanics of the creative process. Originally conceived as a humorous tale about Italian conjoined twins arriving in a small Mississippi River town, the narrative was overtaken by a separate, unintended story about swapped infants and a legal mystery. The author explains his struggle to reconcile these disparate threads, ultimately deciding to perform a "literary Caesarean" to separate the farce from the tragedy. It remains an essential artifact for understanding how complex narratives evolve, often defying their creator’s initial designs.

The Story

The story opens with the arrival of Luigi and Angelo, conjoined twins from Italy, in the quiet village of Dawson’s Landing. The townspeople are initially captivated by their "extraordinary" nature, particularly the widow Aunt Patsy Cooper and her daughter, Rowena. The twins are an anatomical marvel, sharing one pair of legs and possessing two distinct personalities—Luigi is a cynical free-thinker, while Angelo is a devout, gentle soul. By a "mysterious law of their being," they alternate control over their shared body on a weekly basis, a fact they desperately attempt to keep secret from the locals, though they fail to keep it from the widow.

As the novelty of their arrival wears off, the twins become caught in the town's petty political and social rivalries. Their presence creates a "conglomerate" influence on local elections, as different factions attempt to align themselves with one twin or the other. Tensions rise until the twins find themselves in a public altercation, leading to an assault charge brought against them by Tom Driscoll. The ensuing courtroom drama becomes an absurd spectacle; the law struggles to navigate a crime committed by two beings who share a single body. The jury, paralyzed by the impossibility of assigning guilt to only one, eventually delivers a verdict that acquits them both, leaving the judge to lament the failure of justice.

Following the trial, the twins’ lives continue to spiral into farce. They engage in a ridiculous duel, during which their movements—or lack thereof—turn the proceedings into a chaotic mess. As they face physical ailments and the meddling of a local doctor, their relationship sours. Luigi becomes increasingly resentful of his brother, and the townspeople, having grown weary of their presence, eventually decide that the "monstrous freak" must be dealt with. The mob’s solution is as practical as it is grotesque: they decide to hang Luigi, effectively executing one half of the pair while leaving the innocent Angelo to suffer the consequences.

The book concludes with a frank, analytical postscript from the author, revealing that this farcical tale was originally fused with a deeper, more serious story involving a character named Roxy and a boy named Pudd’nhead Wilson. The author explains that as the serious characters took over the narrative, the twins became a "radical defect" that obstructed the plot. By "pulling out the farce," he was left with the tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson, leaving the twins’ story here as a disjointed, unfinished, and deliberately grotesque piece of literary history.

How It Unfolds

The arrival of a curiosity The townsfolk prepare for the visit of the Italian twins with immense excitement, viewing them as a romantic, high-bred addition to their humdrum society. Aunt Patsy and Rowena are particularly charmed by the twins' noble appearances, ignoring the bizarre logistical realities of their shared body.

The secret of the shared existence In private, the twins reveal to the widow that they are not always in agreement regarding the use of their body. They explain the precarious system of alternating weekly control, which prevents constant arguments but makes everyday life a series of managed compromises.

A collision with the law After a violent public dispute, the twins are brought to trial, exposing the inadequacies of the legal system. The judge and jury struggle to reconcile the concept of individual guilt with the physical impossibility of separating the brothers' actions.

The breakdown of the farce The narrative descends into a series of increasingly absurd events, including a botched duel and the twins' mutual resentment. The doctor’s incomprehensible, pseudoscientific medical advice further highlights the growing desperation of their situation.

The final judgment The townspeople, having lost their patience with the twins, settle on a final, grim resolution to their presence. The farce ends abruptly with the summary execution of one brother, leaving the other to bear the weight of the loss.

The People

Luigi and Angelo are the core of the tale, appearing as a singular, "conglomerate" entity that masks two conflicting spirits. Luigi is the more worldly and irritable of the two, often frustrated by the social and physical limitations of their existence. Angelo is the gentle, pious brother, frequently the target of Luigi’s ire and the victim of the town's confusion. Aunt Patsy Cooper serves as the twins' well-meaning, doting protector, while her daughter, Rowena, views them through a lens of romantic fascination. Pudd’nhead Wilson appears on the periphery, a figure of intellectual competence sidelined by the chaotic demands of the farcical plot. Tom Driscoll acts as the antagonist, using the law to stir trouble, while the unnamed Judge—often bewildered by the twins—struggles to impose logic on an inherently illogical situation.

In Its Own Voice

The author describes the inherent difficulty of writing a novel without a firm plan, noting how stories often hijack their creators:

"He has no clear idea of his story; in fact he has no story. He merely has some people in his mind, and an incident or two, also a locality."

One of the twins explains the bizarre physical arrangement that forces them to lead a life of constant negotiation:

"If our legs tried to obey two wills, how could we ever get anywhere? I would start one way, Luigi would start another, at the same moment--the result would be a standstill, wouldn't it?"

The author admits that the two stories—one a farce, one a tragedy—could not coexist:

"It is not practicable or rational to try to tell two stories at the same time; so I dug out the farce and left the tragedy."

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an exploration of the collision between the rational world and the irrational "freak." It asks how a society built on individual responsibility and binary legal categories functions when confronted by an entity that defies those categories. Beneath the humor, there is an argument about the nature of identity and the inherent cruelty of the mob. The book questions whether a person can be held accountable for the actions of a body they only partially control, and it ultimately exposes the fragility of justice when it is forced to confront phenomena it cannot categorize or understand. It serves as a study on the limits of human comprehension and the absurdity of social conventions.

Why Read It Today

Readers today will find this book a fascinating, if sometimes jarring, look at the creative process. It is not a polished, cohesive novel, but rather a "literary laboratory." Those interested in the history of storytelling will find the author’s admissions about his own failures—his "Caesarean" editing and his inability to balance two plots—remarkably modern and honest. The prose retains the sharp, satirical wit characteristic of the era, though readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes and the occasional, dense, and confusing medical jargon that the author uses to parody scientific pomposity.

The book feels like a conversation with an author who is pulling back the curtain on his own craft, showing you the "radically defective" gears of his work. It is an uneven, fragmented, and sometimes frustrating read, but it captures the specific, eccentric energy of its creator better than many more "perfect" novels. If you are looking for a straightforward, linear tale, you will be disappointed; if you are looking for a window into the messy, chaotic, and often hilarious reality of how a writer’s mind works, this book offers a rare and candid experience.