Hidey Ho, Bookworms!
It’s been a while since I put together an Idiosyncratic Lit List, and after reading Two Lovely Berries
last week, I’m inspired to talk about twins in literature. I’m seeing double here, kids. Let’s get twinny with it.
1. Nora and Aubrey Daley from Two Lovely Berries by AM Blair (review): Oh these girls! They knew they’d never be the dress-alike-and-live-together-forever kind of twins, but they didn’t see all the crazy that was coming their way. Sharing identical genetic codes doesn’t guarantee a strife-free existence!
2. Josiah and Keziah Beardsley from The Outlander Series
by Diana Gabaldon: I don’t think these two show up until The Fiery Cross, but they were a welcome addition to Fraser’s Ridge, believe you me. I’ve never laughed so hard as when reading about Lizzie Wemyss and her rather scandalous love affair. Jo and Kezzie, FTW!
3. Emmeline and Adeline March from The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield (review): Apparently twins are cooler when they’re a bit feral (see the Beardsley twins) but the March girls are firmly planted in crazy town. They’ve got a classic good twin/ evil twin thing going on, and it’s kind of awesome.
4. Fred and George Weasley from The Harry Potter Series
by JK Rowling: Were there ever two more mischievous Hogwarts students than the Weasley twins? Those two are simply the best. The provided me with many a laugh and many a tear. Although, I am rather pleased that I was never subjected to being a test subject for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Ton tongue toffee? Puking pastilles? I’ll pass, thank you.
5. Cath and Wren from Fangirl
by Rainbow Rowell (review): These two! Poor Cath was under the impression that she and her twin sister Wren were going to be the dress-alike-and-live-together-forever kind of twins until they got to college and Wren left her high and dry. I mean, they were so inseparable they even had to SHARE A NAME. (That’s actually true, their mom wasn’t expecting twins and split “Catherine” in half.) No wonder Cath had a rough go of it…
Alright Bookworms, I’m SURE I’m forgetting some awesome sets of literary twins. Sound off!
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Joules (from Pocketful of Joules)
I love me some twins… Bobbsey twins, Sweet Valley Twins, Harry Potter twins, Fangirl twins… and my very own fraternal twin sisters. =)
Words For Worms
Oooh the Sweet Valley Twins! I read zillions of those!
AMB
I love seeing my Nora and Aubrey on your list! Thank you for including them! 🙂
Fred and George are one of my favorite sets of twins in literature (Red-headed twins? Of course they’d be my favorites!). I also thought Cath and Wren were an interesting twin pair. As a twin mom, I could never have just split one name into two for my girls. They needed their own, individual names.
As for additions to this fabulous list, I would go with all the twins in mythology (Castor/Pollux, Artemis/Apollo, Romulus/Remus, etc). Then, of course, there’s Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, who were the only example I had of identical twins in my childhood until I was in middle school.
Words For Worms
Mythological twins are a good call! I should brush up on my mythology… Or maybe just seek out some novels based on the myths. That’s always good fun!
Justjen
Iphy and Elly Binewski, the siamese twins in Katherine Dunn’s “Geek Love”.
Words For Worms
Oh I’d forgotten about that pair. I kind of feel like a reader failure because I didn’t like Geek Love the way I expected to.
Rhian
I’m not sure if they count as awesome, but I certainly consider Julia and Valentina Poole from Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger to be memorable.
I’d also add Whisky and Charlie from Whisky Charlie Foxtrot by Annabel Smith whose relationship turns out not to be quite what it seems at the start.
And of course the Wakefield twins ;-).
Annabel Smith
Aw, thanks Rian!
Words For Worms
Oooh yes! Julia and Valentina were my very first audio book experience, I should have thought of them! I’ve got Whisky Charlie Foxtrot on my kindle :).
Leah @ Books Speak Volumes
Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield of Sweet Valley, of course!
Words For Worms
I always preferred Elizabeth. Is that cliche?
ThatAshGirl
Love Joe and Kezzie. They were so adorable.
I kinda wanted to smack Wren a few times during Fangirl though.
Words For Worms
It’s not a good book unless I want to punch someone at least once :).
Karen @ One More Page...
I just came across a set of twins in one of Margaret Atwood’s new short stories from Stone Mattress! Made me think of this post. Also, the Tremblay twins from Heather O’Neill’s The Girl Who Was Saturday Night. LOVE! I’ve always been fascinated with twins too!
Words For Worms
Mmmmm new Atwood! I confess though, short stories aren’t really my thing. I might make an exception for Atwood though.
Karen @ One More Page...
I just came across a set of twins in one of Margaret Atwood’s new short stories in Stone Mattress! Also, the Tremblay twins from Heather O’Neill’s The Girl Who Was Saturday Night. LOVE. I’ve always been fascinated by twins too!
Words For Worms
Double your comment, double your fun!
bybee
Cal and Aron Trask from East of Eden.
Words For Worms
I haven’t read it. ::Hangs head in shame::
Kelly
WEASLEYS!!
And ditto on Julia and Valentina in Our Fearful Symmetry. Also, Widget and Poppet from The Night Circus!
Words For Worms
Oooooh I’d forgotten the Night Circus Twins! They were so cool!
Annabel Smith
No list of books about twins is complete without MY BOOK! However, it is not out in the US til next April so i will forgive this oversight. The twins in East of Eden spring to mind for me. And yes to the Wakefields. God, I loved those books. I’m a little embarrassed about it now but…
Words For Worms
I actually bought a copy for my Kindle a few days before you emailed me about The Ark, which I’ve started (and am enjoying, I lurve dystopia/post-apocalyptic fiction!)
Annabel Smith
Oh, fantastic! So pleased to hear you’re enjoying it.
Jenny @ Reading the End
Fred and George Weasley are, I think, the definitive set of twins. They are what I’d think of first when anybody said “twins in books” to me, from now until forever.
Words For Worms
I agree!
Lydia Lansing
Bobbsey Twins – 2 sets of twins solve mysteries