I had not heard of the George Edalji case, but I certainly have now. This book is a fictionalized novel about his wrongful imprisonment and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's help in getting him exonerated. I learned a lot about Doyle too, which was interesting since I didn't know much about him. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the lives of these two men, how they came to be involved with each other, and how the situation was resolved in the end. ( )

Arthur & George is based on a true story of a miscarriage of justice (involving a man called George) which was taken up by Arthur Conan Doyle.* But that involvement doesn't start until halfway through the book. Before that, we get a detailed narration of each man's life from early childhood. Barnes manages to make this both interesting and hang together - partly through highlighting common themes, around the unspoken rules by which a society lives, the difference between what you know to be true about yourself and what everyone else thinks about you, and about difference.

This is a great read - page-turning, thought-provoking, and with writing that is almost invisible (by which I mean that while you laugh and are moved, your eye never snags on a flashy bit of writing - you are just caught up in the story).

Arthur is a terrific character - he is pompous, boring and deluded (for the reader, very amusingly so), and yet his story is also sympathetic and moving - I ended up respecting him despite his flaws. George, inevitably, is a less colourful character, but he still comes across as very real.

Spoiler alert: *although the case is not well-known, it led to the establishment of the Court of Appeal, and could be described as the British Dreyfus case. ( )

Sophisticated melding of biographical history and literary novel. Retelling history as fiction gives the author an opportunity to explore the undocumented inner worlds of his characters. This helps the reader to engage with the rather daunting Conan Doyle and the repressed solicitor Eedalji. It is hard to see how Barnes could avoid the heavy focus on Conan Doyle that characterises the later stages of the book but thischange of emphasis diminished its appeal to me. ( )

This is a tale of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji, a rather dull Midlands solicitor who becomes a victim of a miscarriage of justice. Arthur uses his celebrity to help George.

The story builds up the 2 contrasting characters subtly and eloquently. Arthur comes across as a man of action and impulse, but perhaps lacking self-knowledge. George is quiet and introspective, but the author seems more interested in George; his character is the strongest in the book.

My only criticism is that the book also tries to cover Conan Doyle's spritualism, I found the final section about the mass seance in the Albert Hall after Conan Doyle's death far less interesting than the rest of the book. ( )

George Edalji is wrongfully accused of mutilating a pony, as well as tormenting his family with vicious correspondence. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle takes it upon himself to prove his innocence. I have no doubt that this novel did what the author intended: showed the true events of the time with honesty, and revealed these real-life characters as they might really have been. But the mystery is short-lived and much time is spent quoting letters and news articles and describing true events. Although I now feel I have a good picture of the people George and Sir Arthur might have been, I found the book sort of dull. ( )

A truly delightful book and one worthy of the cliche of a real page turner.

The characterisation of both Arthur and George is excellently crafted and I warmed greatly to both characters. Both are naive and innocent in different ways and the subtle humourous style Barnes uses makes this a charming and uplifting story

A book I can highly recommend and a good holiday read ( )

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his involvement with an persecuted British Indian ( )

An engrossing story, masterfully presented in a convincing Victorian tones, but it all remains a little distant, a little flat. Well worth reading, however: I know others who have been far more enthusiastic. ( )

Arthur & George intertwines the stories of two historical figures: Arthur Conan Doyle, who you all know, and George Edalji, who you all should. As George becomes the victim of a ruthless smear campaign (and worse) while he struggles to make it as an Edinburgh solicitor (also publishing an excellent little book on railway law for the educated man on the train), Arthur marries his wife, invents Sherlock Holmes, and embarks on an affair. Barnes is adept, and I was drawn in almost instataneously: both characters come alive, but especially George. I think mostly because so many bad things happen to him, really allowing us to see his character from every possible angle. Arthur's not quite so fully fleshed out, but despite the title it's really George's novel, so that's okay.

I like well-written, literary novels, and I like well-plotted, gripping novels. But (if I'm going to make a wide and probably inaccurate generalization) it's rare that a novel has both characteristics. Arthur & George knocks it out of the park on both pitches. As I said, both leads are strongly characterized, and Barnes is simply marvelous to read as a writer; his prose is very strong and very insightful. But at the same time, I was very nearly always on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happened next, especially during the trial sequences. It's a detective novel in some ways, but it's a detective novel that has something to say about how we look for truth and how we hold up in the face of it. Absolutely fantastic, I was hooked all the way through, and I can't recommend it enough. The best book I've read in ages.

When I first opened, this book, I was a bit afraid - it starts out with one chapter that's a page long about Arthur, then one about George, etc. I tend to get characters confused until I'm well into the story, and page-long chapters back and forth seemed like a setup for failure for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised - Arthur and George were both so different in personalities, family situations, successes, and fears, that they were easy for me to keep straight - but then such differences had me caught up in the story right away, wondering how their lives could possibly intertwine.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, as one of the characters turns out to be someone well-known to probably anyone that speaks the English language, and I enjoyed having that secret revealed to me later on. Even after finding out the identity of that character, it still wasn't apparent how the two characters would meet later on; this novel focuses on a lesser-known event in the famous character's life.

I loved this novel. Both the main characters were so real, and getting to know them since childhood (in the early chapters) revealed so much about their later actions. This is a work of historical fiction that was incredibly well-researched. Plus, the research was done so well that it blended in with the story, and made all of the events seem more real. I've read historical fiction before and finished it thinking, "Now I am going to look that up and see what *really* happened." I didn't have that sense while reading Arthur & George - it was almost like reading two sets of memoirs. ( )

Goor read but I lost interest in the middle, when the story line seemed to disappear in favour of character development for its own sake, ( )

This is a well-researched and carefully written work of historical fiction posing as literary fiction: both of the protagonists lived -- although this fact is only slowly revealed. (One would be recognized by any reader in the English language, the other perhaps should be just as famous.)

A good counterpoint to [Mistress of the Art of Death], another work of historical fiction that points to a related historical milestone (honest.)

However, if this were one of my students' papers I would have written "Get to the point" in the margin. This book can safely be read by skipping the first half (or at least the first third). Starting when the protagonists were small children did not add much to the story. Most of the action (and the plot) are in the last half of the book (unless you like lots of historical detail as atmosphere: some readers do.)

There were also several moments when the author seemed to be showing off how much research he had done; at points I wanted to read the non-fiction book he could have written, instead. As a professional historian I know what good research can and cannot do, but there is no need to put blinking arrows pointing at the minutiae one has dug up. I knew something of one of the protagonist's life, and more about the four religions mentioned (including, as background, the Zoroastrians (or Parsis)) but at several places I felt Mr. Barnes was showing off. (Good research, like [[Mary Renault]]'s does not shout and wave its arms.) I read people showing off their grasp of minutiae all day: this is something that irks me when it appears in my time off.

That said, if you like Victoriana; if you are interested in the history of minorities (and women) in Britain; if you like the history of trains, railroads (or railway law); if you would like to know more about the life of a famous figure; if you want to learn about the history of the British legal system (less dull than it sounds); or if you would like to try guessing at who the two protagonists are then I would recommend this long and carefully thought-out telling of a piece of history.

-Kushana ( )

Good for what it was, but not really my thing. A bit too straightforward and normal for me, I think. However, I suspect a lot of people will enjoy it. ( )

The story of Arthur Conan Doyle taking up the cause of a young solicitor of Indian origin who suffered a miscarriage of justice. Written as a parallel history from birth with the nature and fame of Arthur and George only gradually being revealed. An unusual style, but a great result. Read July 2008 ( )

Arthur Conan Doyle ( )

I truly enjoyed this book - perfect summer reading. England during the early 20th century must have been a fascinating time. I love the two threads of narrative (two for the most part, but occasionally delving into other characters' minds) and how eventually they come together. The style of narrative was great, and I'm just really glad I read this book before ever reading anything by Arthur Conan Doyle; it sure would add a whole different angle to his works. ( )

Baseret på en sand historie. Noget lang, men ganske interessant ( )

A Booker short-listed book that I actually liked. Wonders will never cease.

Arthur, the son of an alcoholic, has a difficult childhood and grows up to become a doctor; George, the son of a vicar, has a different kind of difficult childhood and grows up to become a solicitor. Arthur is torn between his duty to his invalid wife and his love for another woman; George is torn between his loyalty to his family and his desire to leave his parents' home and to marry. Arthur ends up doing more writing than doctoring; George ends up being suspected of mutilating farm animals - and it's this pair of circumstances that bring them together. Their acquaintance is short, but it has a profound effect on the lives of both men.

I adored the writing, and the vividness of the characters. The slow revelation of the story and the build-up of layers of characterisation was impressive. The tension was well-sustained and there were some very poignant moments towards the end.

Very highly recommended. ( )

One of those irritating 3 for 2 books - attempt to take the sticker off and half the cover comes off with it. Barbaric.

Arthur & George is an masterful novel based on the true story of two fascinating people and actual events that occurred in Britan. It is hard to describe this book without being a plot spoiler! Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes investigates a criminal case, that appears to be a gross miscarriage of justice, centering around George Edalji. George is the somewhat naive son of a Parsee vicar of a small English church and a Scottish mother. George has no friends, he is shy, quiet and reserved, and is quite a study in contrast to the ever popular Arthur. Barnes unveils the history of these two characters in short staccato bursts, revealing each character's boyhood, development and eventual occupation, until finally their lives overlap. It is not only a story of victimization, it is a story of love, loss and what it means to be different - even if you don't believe you are - in an often cruel world. Surprisingly, it was George I admired more, when all was said and done. His quiet stoicism is often the metal which gets us all through life. Arthur & George is a great read, although the beginning chapters were making me slightly dizzy from the machine gun pace of developing their characters, eventually it slows down and becomes so engrossing that you have to continue to turn each page. I highly recommend it. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Julian Barnes is a great storyteller, I will be adding his other works to my wishlist. ( )

A random pick from my shelf dropped me in the English West Midlands at the turn of the 19th century. A mystery based on real events set during the senescence of Victorian ideals, starring the real human Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "Arthur & George" combines literary suspense with the themes of slowly declining empire. It explores what it means to be English at a time when what it means to be English is changing faster than it has ever done so before; it glances at the accelerating evolution of change in the time of full-steam-ahead Edwardian idealism. No longer is it exactly all right for a gentleman to express bald racism, instead a more insidious cousin allows for unfounded parlor and cigar chats, couched in pseudo-science, about the biological reason for Parsi 'blood lust.'

This is important, because George, our much-suffering protagonist, is the son of a Parsi vicar and his Scottish wife. Successful, but unremarkable and socially stunted Birmingham lawyer George Edalji is accused of bizarre and gruesome crimes against livestock in what seems, at best, a farcical miscarriage of police investigation. Outrage upon outrage ensues. Injustice reigns. The identity of the true perpetrator remains elusive and provides a mysterious background tension.

Doyle steps in and intertwines his own slightly-fictionalized biography with Edalji's. The novel shifts gears from a frenetic charge of clues and evidence to one more introspective. We learn of Doyle's complexes and conflicts. It is here that Barnes loses a bit of steam. While the reader champs at the bit to learn more about George and what really happened to George, we are instead derailed (to use a pervasive railroad symbolism in the book) into a yearning, self-exploratory quietness.

This, while arguably more literary, is a disappointment. Tensions are ultimately resolved and it feels like the question that was, overall, asked, is left as an exercise for the reader. ( )

Very interesting novel about a real-life relationship with Arthur Conan Doyle and a young man accussed of a terrible crime ( )

One of Barnes' best ( )

Arthur and George by Julian Barnes is a grand novel, woven around real people and the actual events that brought them together. Having as its subject the entire lives of Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji, told in alternating chapters devoted to one and then the other boy, as they grow to become men and touch one another’s lives, it not only takes us behind the headlines on “The Great Wyrley Outrages,” but beyond the public events of their lives. What led Edalji to appeal to the creator of Sherlock Holmes for help and Doyle’s heroic response has roots, not only in the circumstances of their youth in late Victorian England, and in the lives of their families, but in the men they were. ( )

Much of the book alternates between Mr. Edalji and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I found it leisurely paced and focused on the psychology of the two men.

I especially enjoyed the sections which dealt with George Edalji. He was such a consistent and individual character. It was interesting to see how his personality was shaped by his experiences. His self-concept was nicely contrasted with the perceptions others had about him. (Experiencing him "from the inside," the reader has a much different view of what he is and isn't capable of doing than the constabulary.) Conan Doyle's sections were interesting (I didn't know much about him), but didn't (to me) clearly build towards his adoption of the case. But then, maybe that was the point--the their intersection was a much more important event in Edalji's life than in Conan Doyles. ( )