The Other

Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other's thoughts, but they couldn't be more different. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please, the sort of boy who makes his parents proud. The Perrys live in the bucolic New England town their family settled in centuries ago, and indeed, the extended family has gathered at their farm this summer to mourn the death of the twins' father in an unfortunate accident. Mrs. Perry never quite recovered from the shock and stays sequestered her room, leaving her sons to roam free. As the summer goes on, though, and Holland's pranks become increasingly sinister, Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother's actions. The Other is a landmark of psychological horror, part of a lineage that includes the works of James Hogg, Robert Louis Stevenson, Shirley Jackson, and Peter Straub. Thomas Tryon's bestselling novel about a homegrown monster is an eerie examination of the darkness that dwells within everyone.