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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction, Mar 18 2012
I'm still shaking my head that I never read this great book until now. I'm also still shaking my head at the miscarriage of justice it details. Yes, it is a novel, but almost all of the historical details are accurate. The first part of the book is especially haunting, as it paints a picture of an awkward, earnest young lawyer (whose background, which turns out to be a possibly motivating factor for his ensuing apprehension and detainment, is kept hidden until later on) by the name of George is falsely accused of heinous and disturbing crimes in his small community in Staffordshire. Arthur, a failed eye doctor turned successful novelist, tries to come to grips with his father's debilitating illness, his wife's death, and his public's obsession with what he perceives to be a one-trick pony. Arthur hears of George's plight and brings to bear his connections, his fervour for righteousness, and his humanity to help him. Alternately uplifting and saddening, Arthur & George is always moving. The middle portion of the novel, which elaborates on Arthur's relationships, goes on a bit too long, but overall it is an engaging read. Highly recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-Dramatized Dual Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Railroaded Solicitor He Befriended, Mar 21 2012
"It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity." -- Proverbs 21:15 (NKJV) Many people primarily know about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, something he didn't take as much comfort from as his fans did. After a number of years, Sir Arthur began looking into cases of seeming injustice to employ his skills as a crime thinker. This book considers the most highly visible and important of those investigations, the conviction of an innocent man, solicitor George Edalji, who was a victim of racial prejudice in part and an incompetent court system in part. Sir Arthur was also a dedicated student of what was called spiritualism, had a most unusual relationship with his mother, and courted his second wife in a most unusual way. Julian Barnes intertwines the stories of the two men to illuminate our understanding of them, their times, and their nation. In doing so, he draws on authentic letters and quotations to ground his "fiction" in plenty of fact. The result resembles something a bit better than the so-called new journalism that some use to report news stories today in fictionalized form. I have read about the facts covered by this book in a number of different forms, and I was blown away by how much more effective Mr. Barnes' approach is for making the story interesting, lively, and revealing. As a result, I added a lot to my understanding, even though I thought I didn't need to do so. Bravo, Mr. Barnes!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply brilliant., Mar 5 2006
By A Customer
In 1903, solicitor George Edalji is arrested and convicted of mutilating cattle and other farm animals as well as writing threatening letters. He is sent to prison and disbarred from practicing law.----- In 1906 Arthur Conan Doyle still grieves the loss of his beloved life when he learns of the case that some claim is the result of racism. He does a perfunctory review and quickly learns that police and others have harassed the Edalji family before the arrest and apparently continue to do so. He digs deeper as the investigation helps him out of his morbid funk until he concludes that the extremely near-sighted George, who can barely see and was obviously a logical rational person, could not have committed these atrocious acts. Doyle begins a campaign to free George and get him reinstated as a lawyer.------ This is a terrific fictionalized account of a real event as Doyle actually undertook a campaign to free the imprisoned Edalji. The investigation grips the audience who will receive a taste of Edwardian England’s darker societal practices as much as insight into the two lead characters. Readers will understand how the intelligent George became a victim and how Arthur turned to spiritualism when logic especially that of his society failed him. The details make this a fabulous historical fiction that will shock the audience with its equivalency to the Emile Zola-Dreyfus Affair. Another great read in the genre is 'Giorgio Quest' Highly recommend.
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