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bfraynt's review against another edition
3.0
Arthur and George is based on the true story of Arthur Conan Doyle helping to exonerate George Edalji, a young British solicitor, who was wrongfully convicted of maiming animals near his father's vicarage in rural England. It is likely that racial prejudice played a strong role in George's conviction, and Conan Doyle's work helped create the British Court of Appeals. This book had so many elements that I was sure I would enjoy: history, one of my favorite authors, and a real-life mystery. Julian Barnes also gets great reviews as a writer, so I was surprised that my reaction was somewhat tepid.
The main issue is that I think Barnes took on a far too ambitious project. After reading the whole novel, it feels like he wanted to cover themes as diverse as love, life after death, justice, racism, and honor in less than 400 pages, all while also describing real people and events. The result was that the beginning of the book was kind of plodding and didn't hang together very well. Barnes felt the need to summarize both Conan Doyle's and Edlaji's full biographies, neither of which were incredibly interesting. At the end of the book, I finally understood why I had to tramp through pages and pages of descriptions of Conan Doyle's interest in spiritism and deception of his first wife, but I think Barnes could have achieved much of the same impact at the end with a 1/3 as many pages at the beginning.
Thankfully, the last 150-200 pages, where Barnes actually focuses on the main story: Conan Doyle's investigation of the maimings and his interactions with Edalji, were genuinely interesting and even moving at times.
I guess my final verdict was that I closed the book not entirely regretting that I had picked it up.
The main issue is that I think Barnes took on a far too ambitious project. After reading the whole novel, it feels like he wanted to cover themes as diverse as love, life after death, justice, racism, and honor in less than 400 pages, all while also describing real people and events. The result was that the beginning of the book was kind of plodding and didn't hang together very well. Barnes felt the need to summarize both Conan Doyle's and Edlaji's full biographies, neither of which were incredibly interesting. At the end of the book, I finally understood why I had to tramp through pages and pages of descriptions of Conan Doyle's interest in spiritism and deception of his first wife, but I think Barnes could have achieved much of the same impact at the end with a 1/3 as many pages at the beginning.
Thankfully, the last 150-200 pages, where Barnes actually focuses on the main story: Conan Doyle's investigation of the maimings and his interactions with Edalji, were genuinely interesting and even moving at times.
I guess my final verdict was that I closed the book not entirely regretting that I had picked it up.
marissa_roo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a gift, I hadn't even read the inside flap - I just knew that I would give it a try. The story telling felt disjointed at times but quickly engaged me into page-turning excitement. Complex people and an air of mystery kept me reading.
k5tog's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting tale, but much in need of editing - way too many words. Could have easily been 50-100 pages shorter.
vespers9's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
neen_mai's review against another edition
4.0
an interesting take on arthur's life as a victorian celebrity - a gentleman who was charismatic and enigmatic but still with flaws. while george, a commoner, and a bit of an outsider, struggling just to live-by peacefully.
also, got a glimpse of the judiciary system in the late 19th century - how easy to manipulate it by those people in power and how far it has evolved until now.
also, got a glimpse of the judiciary system in the late 19th century - how easy to manipulate it by those people in power and how far it has evolved until now.
rysiaczek's review against another edition
4.0
Nie dziwię się nominacji do Bookera i nie dziwię się, że otrzymał ją jednak Banville. Jestem pod dużym wrażeniem pomysłu i realizacji chociaż końcówka mnie lekko rozczarowała.
tillybeller's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
covergirlbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I initially had high hopes for this novel... a story about the author of Sherlock Holmes involved in solving a real life mystery? But while the problem was intriguing, how do I put this... I was nearly 2/3 through the book by the time the game was truly afoot.
Barnes spends so much time introducing us to the origins of the two protagonists, Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji, with the minutiae of their life's work and interests, things that could have been dispensed of in pat sentences were multiple chapters.
One particularly overdone exposition was the nature of Doyle's fascination with psychical practices. Very creepy the theological theories he held to, and the dangerous stuff he was playing with.
There was far too much build up and biographical trivia to keep the momentum of the story. This pedantic pace combined with Barnes' tendency to get caught up in description of every meal, every costume...
Sorry to have wasted my time on this one. I committed to finishing it to find out the ending. It felt like slogging through quicksand, honestly. Ultimately found myself doing some extreme skimming on the last quarter of the book.
If you want a well-crafted novel which imagines Doyle in a sleuthing adventure, I recommend you pick up The Sherlockian by Graham Moore.
Barnes spends so much time introducing us to the origins of the two protagonists, Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji, with the minutiae of their life's work and interests, things that could have been dispensed of in pat sentences were multiple chapters.
One particularly overdone exposition was the nature of Doyle's fascination with psychical practices. Very creepy the theological theories he held to, and the dangerous stuff he was playing with.
There was far too much build up and biographical trivia to keep the momentum of the story. This pedantic pace combined with Barnes' tendency to get caught up in description of every meal, every costume...
Sorry to have wasted my time on this one. I committed to finishing it to find out the ending. It felt like slogging through quicksand, honestly. Ultimately found myself doing some extreme skimming on the last quarter of the book.
If you want a well-crafted novel which imagines Doyle in a sleuthing adventure, I recommend you pick up The Sherlockian by Graham Moore.
helenkat's review against another edition
4.0
Slow to start in a biographical manner dealing with George and Arthur as children. Followed by the events in their lives until they meet. Angst on both sides - George and his persecution, Arthur loving a woman not his sick wife and the ghost of Sherlock Holmes constantly with him.
Two people who could not have been any different if they tried - loud boisterous Arthur and quiet, systematic George. There is a sadness to both I found.
Themes of injustice, racism, honour, love, preconceptions and spirituality. In part detective novel, in part biography, in part a look at humanity during the Victorian age.
One thing that surprised me was for such a more forward thinking man , Doyle didn't agree with the vote for women (not told if he changed his mind in later life). That did disappoint me. Though I still found myself liking him thanks to his determination to see George cleared of any crimes. He seems a complex man who needed to be active. Needed to have a task or a cause.
I have been slowly reading the Sherlock Holmes stories and so seeing this, I wanted to know a little about his creator.
Two people who could not have been any different if they tried - loud boisterous Arthur and quiet, systematic George. There is a sadness to both I found.
Themes of injustice, racism, honour, love, preconceptions and spirituality. In part detective novel, in part biography, in part a look at humanity during the Victorian age.
One thing that surprised me was for such a more forward thinking man , Doyle didn't agree with the vote for women (not told if he changed his mind in later life). That did disappoint me. Though I still found myself liking him thanks to his determination to see George cleared of any crimes. He seems a complex man who needed to be active. Needed to have a task or a cause.
I have been slowly reading the Sherlock Holmes stories and so seeing this, I wanted to know a little about his creator.