Chang and Eng is Masterful

Chang and Eng is Darin Strauss' first foray into the realm of fiction and it is a wonderful first foray at that. This novel is a fictional account of the lives of Siamese twins Chang and Eng. The novel is narrated by Eng, the more traditionally smart of the two. The twins achieved almost instant notoriety when the King of Siam learned of their existence and exhibited them shamelessly at his court and to visiting foreign officials while Chang and Eng were at a young age. The twins then toured "freak" shows throughout Europe and the United States. Eventually, the twins settle in North Carolina a few years before the Civil War breaks out, marry a set of sisters and father a gaggle of children each. The twins also manage to own a farm, a few slaves (this is the pre-Civil War South after all) and tour a little for good measure and some extra cash.

Strauss does an expert and beautiful job in showing how the brothers are different, even though one narrates the tale in the first person. I was fascinated at how Strauss masterfully described the twins' daily lives. These men lived their entire lives learning how to sleep, walk, eat, dress and even have sexual relationships with their wives all the while being connected to each other by a band of skin. This isn't a life experience that most people have experienced, can relate to or can speak or write about with any authority. As such, the fact that Strauss can so eloquently tell a story like this from the perspective of one of the twins is absolutely wonderful and amazing.

While this is technically a historical novel (the lives of Chang and Eng are documented), the novel does not read like your stereotypical historical novel. Strauss' prose is witty and eloquent without being uptight, stuffy or inaccessible. There are nuances in this book that, if they had not been done correctly, could have easily been heavy handed. However, Strauss was able to create these nuances and convey them delicately. As a result, they worked, where other authors would have failed. I also loved seeing how the brothers developed as people throughout the novel. Strauss did a masterful job in detailing the lives of these extraordinary siblings and in conveying this highly imaginative tale. I couldn't put this book down, and I thought about it constantly when I was at work or doing other things. I would highly recommend it!