LOST Experience: Bad Twin by Gary Troup
A detailed summary of facts from the book can be found at: http://www.watermarkcommunity2.org/files/student_badtwinstuff.pdf
Chapter Summaries - Bad Twin by Gary Troup (Compliments of >: from 4825262342.com):
Chapter 1:
The book begins by introducing us to Paul Artisan, a private detective. It is from Mr Artisan point of view from which the story is told. In this chapter we follow Artisan as he carries out his work on a case involving a fraudulent law-suit by a woman against her chiropractor.Chapter 2:
Chapter is a small chapter which details Artisan’s reasons for becoming a private detective as he returns to his office from the law-suit case. Artisan became a private detective to help people, to right wrongs. Not to work on malpractice case etc.. and his hopes that one day a case that would fit this. Not knowing what he was about to embark on.Chapter 3:
This Chapter introduces us to a client, still anonymous at this point, who comes to Artisan with a case. The well-dressed man vaguely asks for help with a missing person. A person he fears is in trouble as he “invites people to hurt him” by doing bad things to others. As the chapter closes the mystery man finally reveals that the missing person is his brother. More significantly his identical twin.Chapter 4:
In this chapter the mystery man continues to elaborate on how ‘identical’ his twin and himself are, before offering a large sum of money for Artisans services. He describes his brother as a “mirror-twin”. Identical in everyway except his brother is left handed.The mystery man finally reveals who he is after more questions from Artisan. His name is Cliff Widmore. Belonging to the “very, very rich” Widmore family. The book then describes what Artisan knew about the Widmore Family.
The Widmore family own the ‘Widmore Building’ on 57th street in NY. The company started in real estate and moved to the financial sector and kept branching out to around the States, the Caribean and beyond. The Widmore business were also rumoured to have been involved in mysterious construction, enginering, and scientific projects. There had also been rumours of offshore projects that would have been illegal if conducted in the states.
Cliff then goes on to describe how his father is ill, before again offering Artisan a large sum of money for his services.
Chapter 5:
Chapter 5 introduces us to Manny Weissman. A close friend of Artisan’s with whom he shares a dog named Argos. Manny was originally Artisan’s Proffessor of Classics while at Columbia. Manny was Artisan’s trusted confident, and was the person he would often get help from with his work. Manny was a well educated man, he his described as not-well travelled physically but having a wealth of knowledge about the world through literature. And often relates Artisan’s cases to literary cases.Several books are mentioned at this point (unsure of any relevance to Lost though). The titles are Gilgamesh, Beowulf. (no authors named) The works of Plato are also mentioned aswell as Herman Melville.
Manny compares Artisan’s new case to a book called “A River Runs Through I”. The story is about a “Dutiful brother (who) tries to rescue (a) screw-up brother”. Manny also compares the situation with Cliff to doppelgangers. Where a person’s double (or twin in the case) could be the dark side of themself.
Chapter 6:
While in his office and waiting for Cliff’s phone call, Artisan searches for Widmore Corporation on google to come up with an enormous amount of hits. With articles about constructions (in Singapore), projects with the Hanso Foundation, articles about re-inforcing concrete and also articles about allegedly breaking environmental laws in obscure places of the world.After a phone call from Cliff, Artisan heads to a meeting scheduled with Cliff at the Widmore building (in 57th street, east of the Carnegie Hall). When at the building Artisan mistakenly thnks he was told 42nd floor (he was told 47th) and gets off the elevator there. When he gets out he sees numerous men and women working away in lab coats. He is told by the receptionist that this floor is the Hanso Foundation and he was looking for th 47th floor. Artisan asks what they do on this floor and is shown a plaque which reads:
“The Hanso Foundation stands at the vanguard of social and
scentific research for the advancement of the human race.
For forty years, the foundation has offered grants to worthy
experiments designed to further the evolution of the human
race and provide technological solutions to the most pressing
problems of our time. The Hanso Foundation: a commitment
to encouraging excellence in science and technology and
furthuring the cause of human development.”After finally getting to Cliff’s office we are told about several of the photographs, trophies etc.. on the walls, one of which is Cliff hunting polar bears in the Yukon
It is pointed out that Cliff is the Widmore heir.
Chapter 7 and 8:
Through chapters 7 and 8 the meeting with Cliff continues. We find out that Cliff’s brother is called Alexander but is known as Zander. Cliff describes his brothers unruly childhood, being kicked out of schools and colleges. Cliff also appears to feel pressured by what is expected of him in terms of the family. For instance what he studied, the people he assosciates with etc..We find out that Zander had several ‘failed’ business ventures and that Cliff had doubts over the legitimacy of these ventures, and whether or not hedid actually spend the money on these ventures at all.
Zander returned home eventually and was put in place high up in the company despite not working as hard as Cliff (who was still higher up) did in order to deserve his position.
Another company is mentioned in relation to its dealings with the Widmore corporation. This company was ‘Paik Heavy Industries’ from South Korea. Paik is a Korean surname I believe. I am going to look into that. - A possible connection to Sun’s father’s empire?.
We also learn that the place Cliff had seen Zander was at Cliff’s wife’s funeral (Shannon Widmore), which was four months and a week prior to the current events. Zander was with a man called Keith Baker.
Chapter 9:
Chapter 9 takes place during another trip to the park with Artisan’s dog and his friend Manny. Manny relates the update on the case to “the Prodigal Son” which is in the New Testament (Book of Luke). Manny says that he finds it interesting that a man who seemed jealous of his brother’s last return would be so desperate to find him this time.Chapter 10:
In this chapter Artisan heads to Peconiquot Island, where he is going to find Keith Baker in hope that he would lead him to Zander. While on the ferry across to the island Artisan is warned (when he asks one of the ferry crew about Keith) “We look out for our own here. Moth’s a guy a lot of people like. And you still need to get off the island”. Sounds ominously like an others quote . Moth is a nickname given to Keith. We find out that Moth works at a dock, maintaining boats.When Artisan meets Moth he is working on a boat which is noted as having the words “escape hatch” on the side. I was unclear if it was the boats name or literally an escape hatch, but an escape hatch on a small boat?
Moth says he does not know of Zanders whereabouts but that he may be in Florida. We also find out from Moth that Zander had been ‘close’ to Cliff’s, now late, wife. However, no elaboration is given on how ‘close’.
Chapter 11 and 12:
In these chapters Artisan travel back from Peconiquot, but on his way home he take a detour by the Widmore residence, where he meets with Cliff and Zander’s father, Arthur Widmore, and his 3rd eife Vivian.Arthur is a man proud of his Scottish heritage (and ancestors), evident in the way his home is decorated. With hints of tartan, maps of old Scotland on the wall (Caledonia to be specific, the latin name used before the country became known as Scotland).
Artisan ends up staying for a meal and then the night before leaving in the morning. During the meal Arthur and Artisan discuss the night before the funeral, where Arthur and his son (Zander) had argued over a subject that arthur would not disclose. Though, it is implied that it was another business venture that they were discussing.
Chapter 12:
coming soon
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