The Golden Rope

by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

"FASCINATING."
--San Francisco Chronicle

Doris Meek adored her twin sister, Florence. She was only too happy to play in her gifted sister's shadow. And there she remained. For when Florence disappeared at the height of her career as an artist, she had disavowed Doris.

The world thought the great Florence Meek was an orphan.

For twenty years this fact made searching for Florence a psychological impossibility. But now Doris wants to know. Why did Florence carve a life for herself from lies and half-truths? And as she seeks answers, Doris begins to solve the greatest mystery of her own identity. . . .

"Fromberg Schaeffer is a highly accomplished writer."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"In lush, romantic prose, Susan Fromberg Schaeffer uses the notion of twinship to explore the psychological predicament of coming to terms with one's identity, an exploration that takes the form of a quasi-mystery story."
--The Boston Globe

Genres: Fiction

371 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Susan Fromberg Schaeffer was an American novelist and poet who was a Professor of English at Brooklyn College for more than thirty years. She won numerous national writing awards and contributed book reviews for the New York Times.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Fr...

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the descriptions of life as a twin...one soul in two bodies, etc. I never got tired of seeing Doris and Florence's relationship through each woman's eyes. The plot wandered, but held my attention. I admit I was disappointed by the end. Overall, I'd recommend this book.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the "Madness of a Seduced Woman" so I thought I'd give this book a try.
Told mostly through the eyes of one of the twins (Doris) who is left behind and denied by her sister whom she purportedly adored & admired, (Florence) "disappears" and 20 years later Doris is contacted by Dennis (a journalist?) who is still searching for Florence convinces Doris to come to London and then France. The history of the sister's childhood is told throughout the book, however, what could have been a great story turns into a complete waste of time because the characters turn out to be a bunch of selfish idiots and the story was ultimately preposterous. Perhaps the intention was to give the reader some psychological insight into the psyche of twins; one wanting and liking their similarities (Doris) and the other wanting her own unique identity (Florence). Their respective struggles culminating in adulthood did offer some interesting moments. But it wasn't enough to make up for the bad behavior and obsessiveness that ground on throughout. The characters were mostly weak and unlikeable and the choices they made despite their talents seemed incredibly short-sighted. I guess there are people who live in these little vacuums where constant rumination on their own navels seems deep and profound but really, it's just annoying to me.

[Kezia Jusayan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to finish reading this. I really did but I just couldn't. From the start, I couldn't relate to Doris' feelings of closeness with her sister which to me bordered on obsessive. Maybe it was because I don't have a twin but it left a sour taste in my mouth. No matter how much I tried to finish it - by reading something else and then going back to it - in the end, I had to accept the fact that this is just one of the few novels I will never get to the end of. (I have a regrettably strange habit of finishing every book I read even when I can no longer stand it.)

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel is full of relationships that require deep consideration and analysis. I was intrigued by the subject matter involving a missing twin, but much of the content was vague and left to interpretation. Many of the characters are complex, but as a reader I was left feeling that too much was unexamined. This feeling maintained all the way through the end, where much was left unresolved.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG this was painful to get through. I did not like at all. The text was long winded and just plain boring. I kept waiting for it to get better and it did not.

[Gill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought this book was really hard work and not very interesting. Shame because madness of a seduced woman is one of my favourite books.

[Eric Hines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not so very good--shows some promise here and there but never really justifies the air of mystery and foreboding that hangs over the entire book.

[Debra Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poetic, lyrical novel. Very slow moving--in a good way--very richly detailed. I love the parallel between soul mates and twinship and the struggle for individual identity. An intricate work.