A review by helenkat
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
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.