I first tried to read this book in 1999 and simply didn't 'get it' and gave up less than half way through. I decided to give it a try this year as part of a project to read those books that have sat on my shelves without being read and decide whether or not to give them away. I will not be giving this one away and will probably try to read the rest of his work.

There is a debate in this country (Jamaica) about whether or not to close Bellevue Hospital, our only government supported hospital for mental illness. A lot of debate deals with the support from and impact on families with members who suffer from a variety of mental illnesses, among them paranoid schizophrenia. This book I feel takes a look at a difficult impossible to resolve issue, the impact of a paranoid schizophrenic on his family. In this case, the twin. Dominic Birdsey is a damaged man, as damaged as his diagnosed twin. The problem is, his illness is not as easy to diagnose but is assuredly just as destructive. It is an exploration of his relationship with his schizophrenic brother, but also looks at his relationship with his mother, his wife, his stepfather, etc. It explores the genesis of his anger and his desire to discover his real father.

It is riveting, 912 pages and I finished it within a week. It was worth reading again and would recommend it to anyone.