Lost and the Bad Twin *SPOILERS*

[jasonf]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 10:18pm

So I just finished this last night - anyone else read it?

The book itself was a half-way decent read - better than I expected, but a letdown in terms of the solving of the actual mystery. I always tell my students never introduce a key character for the first time more than half way through a story - this book does it twice - and one of them is a MAJOR player in the mystery.

Anyway, in terms of Lost connections - there weren't many. I loved the code on the Widmore gate was 8-1-5-1-6. That was probably the single biggest clue that the Widmores are completely tied-in with what's happening on the island. If I got it right, they are funding the Hanso foundation, which in turn is running Dharma.

I found the use of The Odyssey in the book interesting - especially seeing as our new character as of the finale was Penelope!

I groaned a little when Manny started talking about John Locke the philosopher - that was a little bit over the top.

I'm wondering if any of the names: especiallly Paul Artisan or Monty Alban (Sexton) are in some ways anagrams for something...I just have a feeling SOMETHING is hidden in the book somewhere...

Anyone get any other connections?

[jasonf]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 7:54am

bump

[singingwendy]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 9:36am

I finished Bad Twin this weekend too. I agree with your statements about the story itself....not a bad read, but shouldn't we have had a bit more exposure to the actual criminal? It kind of came out of no where.

I enjoyed all the various literary connections. Definitely seemed to impress upon me that the "Lost" story is not a new story, but one we've heard before,

My biggest question....how does this fit into the "Lost" world and mythology? Are we to take this story as fiction? If so, then are we to believe the connection between the Widmores and the Hanso Foundation? If it's true, then how could "Gary Troup" publish it as a work of fiction? And if we're still thinking that all the people who were on the plane had some connection to Hanso and Widmore, is it possible that "Gary Troup" was on that specific plane for a reason---and what was it?

Other questions---

What is the significance of having one of the characters in the novel named "Shannon", who just happened to be a socialite with lots of money?

I thought the references to "Old Laws" and ways of running society were interesting. Wonder if they'll show up as the "Lost" society starts to become more formalized?

I also loved the idea of the book...and I can't remember the title....the mystery where it's solved half-way through, but it's solved incorrectly, so you have to go back and look at all the clues differently. I think that will be a MAJOR point to this series.

I also wonder if there is significance to the fact that Jack burned the end of the manuscript when Sawyer was reading it. I mean, in the book we get a nice tied up ending....and by destroying it Jack is stating that they don't have a nice ending in sight. Or that they need to make their own endings.

[jasonf]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:49pm

Good thoughts --
I was wondering about the Shannon thing too - waiting for a clue in the book (that didn't come) that it was somehow the same Shannon. There's no way that wasn't intentional!

I was also questioning where this fits in in the "reality" of the Lost world. "Gary Troup" hadn't been on the island - didn't know things like the numbers. So why are the numbers featured in the book? (I know, aside from the gate thing, that the number 23 definitely appeared a couple of times). How much of what was written there is meant to be taken as fiction BY Gary? It's enough to make your head spin, for sure.

Oh, and I ordered Trent's Last Case from amazon. What other show makes you READ so much? (Before Bad Twin, I read The Third Policeman!)