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A review by bianca89279
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
3.0
My fifth Julian Barnes left me underwhelmed. Who would have thought? After all, I was raving about how amazing his writing was, how intelligent etc.
Unfortunately, from the very beginning, I had an issue with the narrator of this audiobook. He wasn't terrible but not quite to my liking.
I had no idea what the book was about before I started it. I liked the short alternate chapters corresponding to the two protagonists: George Edjali's and Arthur Conan Doyle, respectively. The two grew up in different parts of Britain and had different trajectories.
Of course, Arthur Conan Doyle became Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, famous for writing the Sherlock Holmes novels.
George Edjali became a solicitor who went to jail for harming a horse. It was all a huge misconduct of justice, at the beginning of the XXth century.
The two finally come together towards the last quarter of the book, when Edjali asked for Conan Doyle's help to exonerate him. There's more action happening as we Conan Doyle takes on the task of discovering who was the actually quilty person.
Truth be told, it was interesting enough, I've learnt a few things about Doyle, but it didn't have the wit, intelligent observations or even the elevated language I've come to expect from Barnes.
So this is only getting a 3.5 stars.
Unfortunately, from the very beginning, I had an issue with the narrator of this audiobook. He wasn't terrible but not quite to my liking.
I had no idea what the book was about before I started it. I liked the short alternate chapters corresponding to the two protagonists: George Edjali's and Arthur Conan Doyle, respectively. The two grew up in different parts of Britain and had different trajectories.
Of course, Arthur Conan Doyle became Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, famous for writing the Sherlock Holmes novels.
George Edjali became a solicitor who went to jail for harming a horse. It was all a huge misconduct of justice, at the beginning of the XXth century.
The two finally come together towards the last quarter of the book, when Edjali asked for Conan Doyle's help to exonerate him. There's more action happening as we Conan Doyle takes on the task of discovering who was the actually quilty person.
Truth be told, it was interesting enough, I've learnt a few things about Doyle, but it didn't have the wit, intelligent observations or even the elevated language I've come to expect from Barnes.
So this is only getting a 3.5 stars.