Chang and Eng A Novel

"[Straus's] prose rolls along as softly as music from a flute; it's daintily filigreed, keenly sincere and always empathetic. Moreover, his depiction of the twins' sex lives isn't done for effect--or rather, I should say, not for cruel or prurient effect. Its purpose, like the novel's, is to demonstrate the full range of humanity that these very human oddities embody....This is a high-wire act, especially for a first novel, but Strauss...proves spry and mostly surefooted. Nonetheless, for all the imaginative daring of exhuming Chang and Eng for their fictional utility, Strauss penetrates so deep that at times the novel feels vaguely exploitative....[A]nother testament to Strauss' craftsmanship: The sad affection his Chang and Eng inspire can cause you to fret unduly over their long-dead templates. His pages, in short, throb with life."Strauss, Darin is the author of 'Chang and Eng A Novel', published 2001 under ISBN 9780452281097 and ISBN 0452281091.