Description
Book Synopsis'A global guide to the myths, legends and science of twins ... spans sacred west African sculptures, mythology and 1920s flappers to present a community defined by both similarity and uniqueness' Financial Times 'Beautiful and definitive' Chris van Tulleken The first illustrated global exploration of the cultural significance of twins. The birth of twins is unusual. Throughout history they have been revered as gods and reviled as monsters; they have been adored as amusing music hall double acts and feared as duplicitous criminals; and they have been studied by anthropologists and scientists engaged in the nature vs nurture debate and genetic experiments. Their existence challenges the norm; they are seen by singletons as âotherâ and regarded with an equal measure of wonder and distrust. Do twins have special powers? Does a twin birth present a good or bad omen? Are they telepathic? Should we fear the appearance of the ghostly doppelganger? From the Aztec creation twins Quetzalc
Trade Review'This clever “thematic collage” celebrates twindom in all its dyadic incarnations: from myth to medicine, from Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors to the Kray twins … Beautiful' - The Times
'A handsomely produced anthology of twin representations' - New Yorker
'A global guide to the myths, legends and science of twins ... spans sacred west African sculptures, mythology and 1920s flappers to present a community defined by both similarity and uniqueness' - Financial Times
'A visually fascinating study featuring dazzling photographs and artwork' - Kirkus Reviews
'Viney draws on a dizzying array of articles, anecdotes, and myths (including plenty of non-Western examples), and enriches the narrative with striking photos. It’s a meticulous inquiry into a subject of perennial fascination' - Publishers Weekly
'Viney explores the representation of twins in art, photography, and film – from the works of Roger Ballen to the cinema of Stanley Kubrick – and delves into the darker meanings ascribed to twins across the millennia' - Arab News
'The secret life of doubles is rich fodder for storytelling, as Viney’s compendium thoroughly demonstrates' - Hyperallergic
'Beautiful and definitive' - Chris van Tulleken
'A visual feast' - Wall Street Journal
'[An] impeccably researched visual treat' - Spectator
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. Gods and Heroes
2. Evil Twins
3. Twin Spirits
4. Nature and Nurture
5. Crime and Forensics
6. Born and Made
7. Born Entertainers
8. Twins and the Paranormal
9. Twin Communities
