Beekley Book Club: The Double by José Saramago

The inspiration for the major motion picture Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Tertuliano Máximo Afonso is a divorced, depressed history teacher. To lift his spirits, a colleague suggests he rent a certain video. Tertuliano watches the film, unimpressed. But during the night, when he is awakened by noises in his apartment, he goes into the living room to find that the VCR is replaying the video. He watches in astonishment as a man who looks exactly like him-or, more specifically, exactly like he did five years before, mustachioed and fuller in the face-appears on the screen. He sleeps badly.
Against his better judgment, Tertuliano decides to pursue his double. As he roots out the man's identity, what begins as a whimsical story becomes a "wonderfully twisted meditation on identity and individuality" (The Boston Globe). Saramago displays his remarkable talent in this haunting tale of appearance versus reality.

Reserve a copy of the book through a patron account or call the Beekley at 860-379-7235. The Beekley Book Club is a book discussion group that meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in. Register at beekleylibrary.org.

Host or Publisher Beekley Library