Secrets in the Mirror

Reminiscent of the some of the works of Jodi Picoult, this is a book that takes a life-defining disorder and explores how this impacts upon an individual and a family.

Gavin and Devon are identical twins, physically the mirror image of each other, but temperamentally opposite. Devon suffers from (and yes, he suffers too, though the suffering is more obviously imposed on others) malignant narcissistic personality disorder. Gavin by contrast is a normal, sensible and kindly individual, who finds himself cast, from infancy into adulthood, as his difficult brother’s lesser foil, supporter, victim and protector.

Behind the relationship between the brothers there lies a damaging three-way dynamic between the twins and their domineering father. Driven by his own ambitions and inadequacies, the father force-feeds one son with a baseless narrative of superiority, whilst projecting his shame and insecurity onto the other. Into this toxic mix is thrown an insipid mother who (for reasons I could never fathom, since she is competent, assertive, insightful and has immense social capital) seems unable to remove either her sons or herself from her husband’s toxic input, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Individuals with malignant narcissistic personality disorder compensate for a fragile sense of self by taking flight into a grandiose, arrogant, delusional identity, devoid of empathy for others and demanding constant admiration and attention. They cannot sustain healthy relationships, and are frequently antisocial, aggressive, sadistic, controlling. The prognosis is poor. Their impact on those around them is typically nightmarish.

Thus it is for Gavin, who has no escape, The experience of growing up with Devon is deeply corrosive to his own identity. In adolescence he is overshadowed and dominated; into adulthood, he struggles to separate, while his brother pursues an ever more pathological quest for domination.

For my tastes there was rather more explicit psychologising than I wanted, particularly in relation to Gavin’s struggle for personal identity - though for anyone struggling with similar issues, this detail might be helpful. There were moments when I felt that the book was really being written as a self-help aid for such a person – complete with one character who seems to have been inserted specifically to provide a therapeutic commentary. I found these passages unwelcome – the novel was doing a perfectly good job at showing me what was happening to the twins at a psychological level; I didn’t want to be told as well.

For me, the book worked best as a psychological thriller. Devon’s psychopathology made him a completely gripping villain, and the sensitive portrayal of Gavin gave a protagonist with whom anyone could identify. Given their unique and beautifully written background, the trajectory of the twins is compelling and plausible, all the way from their seemingly innocent childhood differences to the almost gothic conclusion in adulthood. Throughout the book I wanted to read on, felt gripped by the dilemmas posed. A good read that will stick with me.