A review by dileksayed89
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
3.0
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. Barnes was quite thorough, beginning at childhood for both the main characters, so it is not until the halfway of the novel that Arthur and George finally meet. While this provides richness to the story, it also makes for a rather VERY slow start to the book.
That being said, I do look forward to reading Barnes' "Levels of Life." I have heard that Barnes has special skills in writing about complexities of love with key understandings. We also witness that in this novel.
This is an enjoyable and historically accurate account 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 Sir Doyle comes across Edalji's case - one which can only be described as a grave miscarriage of justice and racism - and does everything in his power to right George's wronged name.
The story of Arthur and George is told alternately, like two separate train tracks, before they are skillfully merged. Parts I and II proceed very slowly as the distinct background of Arthur and George is fleshed out and offer the reader a grasp of their core identity. This is important as the strength of this story rests on our confidence in the integrity of the key characters, particularly George. Therefore, Part III that centers on the Edalji case and drives the plot makes for compelling reading. Questions asked in this section are the following:
-What is the motive behind the vicious attacks to frame an innocent man?
-Why would a mild-mannered man with few acquaintances have enemies bent on ruining his career and reputation?
-Is it racially motivated?
Also, we see how ludicrous that Edalji is convicted in the absence of evidence, motivation, and opportunity for him to commit the crimes of which he has been accused. We also see similar examples of racist-motivated convictions to this day.
This novel is an exploration of the theme of perception and its implications for human judgment and behavior. Sir Arthur is an ophthalmologist. George is "as blind as the proverbial bat". Sir Arthur has eyes afforded by his medical training to judge rightly at his first meeting with George. In his own words, "I do not think. I do not believe. I know." On the other hand, the police and the legal system perceive George as a half-caste, and attribute blame to the pull of his Parsee blood.
In the background, we also read Sir Arthur’s love story. It raises questions about what it means to live a life of chivalry and honor. Three years after Touie (his wife) becomes terminally ill, Sir Arthur falls in love with Jean Leckie. Arthur conducts himself as honorably as he can in his relationship with Jean; their meetings are carefully planned. Jean is his "mystical wife" while his wife lives.
Lastly, Arthur and George is a novel about being English. The root of Englishness, Sir Arthur believes, resides in "the long-gone, long-remembered, long-invented world of chivalry."
That being said, I do look forward to reading Barnes' "Levels of Life." I have heard that Barnes has special skills in writing about complexities of love with key understandings. We also witness that in this novel.
This is an enjoyable and historically accurate account 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 Sir Doyle comes across Edalji's case - one which can only be described as a grave miscarriage of justice and racism - and does everything in his power to right George's wronged name.
The story of Arthur and George is told alternately, like two separate train tracks, before they are skillfully merged. Parts I and II proceed very slowly as the distinct background of Arthur and George is fleshed out and offer the reader a grasp of their core identity. This is important as the strength of this story rests on our confidence in the integrity of the key characters, particularly George. Therefore, Part III that centers on the Edalji case and drives the plot makes for compelling reading. Questions asked in this section are the following:
-What is the motive behind the vicious attacks to frame an innocent man?
-Why would a mild-mannered man with few acquaintances have enemies bent on ruining his career and reputation?
-Is it racially motivated?
Also, we see how ludicrous that Edalji is convicted in the absence of evidence, motivation, and opportunity for him to commit the crimes of which he has been accused. We also see similar examples of racist-motivated convictions to this day.
This novel is an exploration of the theme of perception and its implications for human judgment and behavior. Sir Arthur is an ophthalmologist. George is "as blind as the proverbial bat". Sir Arthur has eyes afforded by his medical training to judge rightly at his first meeting with George. In his own words, "I do not think. I do not believe. I know." On the other hand, the police and the legal system perceive George as a half-caste, and attribute blame to the pull of his Parsee blood.
In the background, we also read Sir Arthur’s love story. It raises questions about what it means to live a life of chivalry and honor. Three years after Touie (his wife) becomes terminally ill, Sir Arthur falls in love with Jean Leckie. Arthur conducts himself as honorably as he can in his relationship with Jean; their meetings are carefully planned. Jean is his "mystical wife" while his wife lives.
Lastly, Arthur and George is a novel about being English. The root of Englishness, Sir Arthur believes, resides in "the long-gone, long-remembered, long-invented world of chivalry."