Reviews

Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

halftimelord's review against another edition

emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 This first third of this book is probably some of the best writing I've ever read. I loved the way that the audience was introduced to George and Arthur through their childhood, and the use of changing between present and past tense throughout the book was really effective. Lots of funny bits in the narration, contrasting with the tragedy of the events taking place. I didn't enjoy the latter part of the book as much (the first section set a very high bar!) but it was still good and I didn't lose interest. 

I'm really glad that Julian Barnes chose to write about these events and highlight the injustice and racism faced by George Edalji and his family. It was also the first historical book I've read set (partially) in Birmingham and it was fun seeing real life places that I walk past every day appear in this story. Looking forward to reading more from Barnes in the future. 

aljosa's review against another edition

4.0

Alas, it's not about Arthur and George Weasley. It's an incredible (and true) story of "Sherlock Holmes'" creator Arthur Connan Doyle and a solicitor named George Edalji.

It's intriguing. Probably the first book that doesn't feel like Barnes, but it's very interesting. This is my 8th Barnes book.
The mystery is very engaging, although the resolution is somewhat unsatisfactory.

I kept thinking about Harry Potter. That's no surprise when there are characters named Arthur, George, Fred, Harry and Kingsley.

kathieboucher's review against another edition

4.0

I love books that bring obscure historical events to light, especially when they're as well-written as Arthur and George.

katzreads's review against another edition

Read it a long time ago. Don't remember, but I must have liked it as I put it on the shelf. Pulling to give to John Martin.

keytone's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

raquelssilva's review against another edition

4.0

‘Arthur & George’ é um dos melhores encontros da literatura - e da vida real! - que podiam ter ocorrido. É a verdadeira aventura detectivesca do autor de Sherlock Holmes, numa obra de Julian Barnes que nos dá a conhecer um pouco destas duas vidas, destes dois homens tão diferentes, mas que o acaso acabou por juntar.

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http://leiturasmarginais.blogspot.pt/2015/12/arthur-george-julian-barnes.html

essjay1's review against another edition

4.0

Julian Barnes riffing on themes of bigotry and privilege? Always going to be an interesting and thoughtful read. Or this case, listen as I had the audio version from the BBC. Very good, very frustrating and would be especially interesting for fans of Arthur Conan Doyle & his Sherlock Holmes.

vikkiwarner's review against another edition

5.0

I'm dumbfounded by the scale and intense detail of this epic book. I loved the elegant, wry representation of English gentility of days of old. Barnes takes great pains to delicately explain the details of an old crime that captivated British society for a short time, a long time ago.

ladyreading365's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

littletaiko's review against another edition

4.0

Highly readable, slightly uneven story based on real events. Arthur is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George is George Edalji, two unofficial Englishmen growing up in different parts of England whose paths cross in later in their lives. Obviously, Doyle is best known for writing the Sherlock Holmes stories. However, from time to time he played real life detective. Upon reading about George's trial for animal mutilation and quickly determining that George was innocent despite the verdict, Doyle took it upon himself to help right the wrong. The book starts a bit slowly as it introduces the two men when they were boys and slowly builds to the point where their stories merge. From that point it was really hard to put down the book. The last few chapters were a bit of a disappointment as it didn't quite fit with the rest of the book. However, overall I really enjoyed it.