Leading two lives

Although Paul Theroux is best known for his travel writing, he has been just as prolific, if not quite as successful, as a writer of fiction. The Mosquito Coast may be his most famous novel, perhaps because of the movie adaptation. Another Theroux work turned into a film was Half Moon Street (1984), or at least the novella that takes up the first two-thirds of Half Moon Street, "Doctor Slaughter." The shorter novella in the book is "Doctor De Marr."

Both stories flirt with the idea of leading a double life and expose the disastrous consequences that can result.

In the first tale, Dr. Slaughter (played by Sigourney Weaver in the film) is an American doing economic research in London, although she gets by more with her beauty and charm than her intellect. She has great difficulty writing, and when she must make an oral presentation it consists mostly of other people's insights heard in conversations. Still, other people, or at least men, like Dr. Slaughter, and she advances in her field.

Yet she lives in virtual poverty because of her expensive tastes. She often pays her debts with sex, then is led into high-class prostitution, which she regards as a perfect arrangement. Two identities, one subsidizing the other. (Actually she has three identities, for her real name is Mopsy Fairlight, a former Miss Virginia.)

Eventually, of course, her lives intersect, and disaster results.

"Doctor De Marr" tells of twin brothers who, unlike most twins, hate each other. Each is glad when they finally reach adulthood and, with their parents dead, can separate and pretend the other doesn't exist. Yet one day George comes back into Gerald's life, then promptly dies.

After some investigation, Gerald discovers that his brother was a doctor, or at least was posing as a doctor. Gerald decides he would like being a doctor too and finds it easy, as a look-a-like, to take over George's practice. He figures he knows at least as much about medicine as his brother did.

Then, like Dr. Slaughter, he discovers too late the danger of a double life.

Meanwhile Paul Theroux has done very well in his own double life, as a novelist and a travel writer.