Reviews for Arthur & George

The average rating for Arthur & George based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2021-01-27 00:00:00 Steven Vitale [ the letters and mutilations continued while George was imprisoned for three years) (hide spoiler)]

Review # 2 was written on 2017-03-04 00:00:00 Richard Bowen A thoroughly enjoyable and, from what I can divine, historically accurate, telling of the intersecting lives of George Edalji and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The former being the earnest son of a country Vicar, a myopic solicitor, who also happens to be half South Asian in ancestry. The latter being the fascinating, chivalrous, athletic, literary inventor of Sherlock Holmes. Their lives meet for less than a year, when Doyle comes across Edalji's case - one which can only be described as a grave miscarriage of justice - and does everything in his power to right George's wronged name. This is the first time I have read a book by Julian Barnes, and I'm very impressed. This was meticulously researched, and beautifully written. He brought out the characters fairly without being overly sentimental. He was quite thorough, beginning at childhood for both the main characters, so it isn't until the halfway point that Arthur and George finally meet. While this provides richness to the story, it also makes for a rather slow start to the book. In addition to following the case, which highlights the racism experienced by an English man in his own country, there is more going on here. Stories of love and marriages, and themes of religious belief (including the controversial 'spiritism') light the pages. The contrast of George's small and humble life with Doyle's far reaching, enigmatic one. The power of rumour and suggestion. I also was very interested in how Doyle found real life sleuthing somehow deflating vs the way truth shows itself in satisfying drama in books. Other tidbits I savoured: - ACD felt embarrassed and punished by the character of his famous detective - guests at Sir Arthur's 2nd wedding featured literary luminaries such as Bram Stoker and J.M. Barrie - Doyle investigated and helped to exonerate other wrongfully convicted people in his life, and also played amateur sleuth in the 5-day disappearance of new mystery writer Agatha Christie Not a fast page-turner, this is a rich and thoughtful homage to two very differing people who had a meaningful impact on each other's lives.