Read God's Fool (2002)

Online Book

Author

Mark Slouka

Genre

Fiction

Rating

3.62 of 5 Votes: 4

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ISBN

0375402160 (ISBN13: 9780375402166)

Language

English

Publisher

knopf

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

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God's Fool (2002) - Plot & Excerpts

Historical fiction; story is based on the conjoined twins from whom the term "Siamese twin" was originally coined. Chang and Eng had fascinating lives that stretched from Siam to Europe to the US. Before I knew this was based on a true story, I actually believed the author asked the reader to take too many leaps in faith :)What worked: Beautiful writing examples, especially of Siam and of Chang's relationship w/ his son. Fascinating storyline. Perfect example of the American Dream. I would read Slouka's short stories. I would read other historical fiction about Chang and Eng.What didn't: It felt too condensed. Some fictional forays didn't ring true. For example, the avoidance of Eng's side of the story created a big hole; they are identical twins and conjoined at that. I think Slouka believed that if he told the story from the first person perspective, he could pull this off, but are we to believe that one twin could simply ignore the other?! Further, the bizarrely small section describing their marriage was weak - I don't believe Slouka even mentioned how the two sibling pairs met! Their relationship could almost be a book in itself. I'm also unsure what the reader was to make of the sideline Christianity; was it all foreshadowing of the near death experience at the end?

The second recent novel I've read in recent months based on the life of Chang & Eng, the 19th-century Siamese twins who became southern farmers after touring for a while with P. T. Barnum. This one was narrated by the one who became a drinker; the other by the one who became a Christian & temperance advocate. This one focused more on their shared life; the other more on their individuality. This one was probably more introspective, so much so & in a way that seemed out of character that it was not always believable. But what's most remakable, given how little is actually known about Chang & Eng, is how similar the two stories are, despite a marked difference in tone. The writing was probably better here, but the several story lines didn't seem to have a common thread, & the closing section on the Civil War seemed particularly isolated from the rest. But it was a strong book nonetheless--& less depressing than the other one.

What do You think about God's Fool (2002)?

Whittaker Road LibrarytFictiontFICTION SloukatOn shelf
—Dawn Massie

I was initially a little wary of reading historical fiction about Chang and Eng Bunker, the most famous pair of conjoined twins. On the one hand, one of my absolute favorite themes in fiction is brotherhood, which Chang and Eng literally embodied, and another of my favorite themes is interculturality, and Chang and Eng not only traveled extensively but also eventually settled in North Carolina, half a world away from their native Siam. On the other hand, I didn't want to read a book about the wonderousness of freak shows.Fortunately, God's Fool contains none of the latter and quite a bit of the former. Chang is the narrator, and I would've appreciated a bit more about his relationship with Eng, especially after they grow up and leave Siam. Despite this small disappointment, though, it's an engrossing and excellently written book.
—Jain