Trish's review
Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
I really enjoyed this book, but I can't think of annyone to whom I could recommend it. I told Aaron that it isn't post-modern enough for him. Aaron's favorite Julian Barnes book is, I believe, A History of the World in 10 1/1 Chapters, while mine is the more narratively traditional Flaubert's Parrot. And Arthur & George is yet more traditional.
Arthur is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. George is George Edalji, a man falsely convicted of a bizarre rural crime. Barnes tells their tales in parallel until they finally entwine, with Arthur bringing his celebrity, clout, and energy to bear on George's cause.
It's an engrossinig historical novel with vivid, likable characters.
"The impression is that they are all clamouring for attention, fighting to convey their message. A facetious if logical question comes into George's mind, from where he cannot tell, unless as a reaction to all this unwonted intensity. If these are indeed the spirits of English...more
Arthur is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. George is George Edalji, a man falsely convicted of a bizarre rural crime. Barnes tells their tales in parallel until they finally entwine, with Arthur bringing his celebrity, clout, and energy to bear on George's cause.
It's an engrossinig historical novel with vivid, likable characters.
"The impression is that they are all clamouring for attention, fighting to convey their message. A facetious if logical question comes into George's mind, from where he cannot tell, unless as a reaction to all this unwonted intensity. If these are indeed the spirits of English...more
