Arthur & George | Julian Barnes | Arguably Barnes's best novel to date

Arthur & George | Julian Barnes | Superb

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Arthur & George

	Arthur & George Julian Barnes Vintage, 2007 - 464 pages average customer review:based on 88 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Arguably Barnes's best novel to date

Julian Barnes scales new heights with the superlative "Arthur & George (A & G)", which easily surpasses his previous work. Like watching a split screen movie with two separate parallel plots, Barnes' narrative shuffles between Arthur's growing up years that saw him make the transition from medical doctor to investigative fiction writer and George's struggle to establish himself as a small town lawyer until the occurrence of a series of savage attacks threaten to upend his career and land him in jail. While Arthur's story is altogether less dramatic, less colourful than George's which frankly is where the main action's at, it is arguably just as moving and engaging. The reader never feels like zipping through the Arthur chapters to get back on track with what's happening with George because Barnes manages to find that delicate balance between the two stories that suggests to the reader that keeping faith with him will yield results as when the two stories finally intersect and meld as one.

As historical fiction, A & G exploring issues of love, class, race and identity in late Victorian England to devastating effect, is never less than compelling. The characters are well rounded and believable, never caricatures, even with the motley crew of bigots out to nail the half-caste George simply because his complexion suggests he cannot be "one of us". The faithfulness in spirit if not in flesh of Arthur's love for his first wife Touie is so poignantly essayed, it cannot leave anyone unmoved.

Barnes' writing is simply exemplary - balanced and true. A & G is contemporary literature of the highest quality that will stand the test of time. Highly recommended.

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Superb

I really couldn't put it down. It was wonderful. I was completely absorbed. The end was a bit of a let down but did ring true. Conan Doyle lovers should read and I dare say, if you like BBC's Masterpiece Theatre or Mystery! - this book will not disappoint!

Superb- sober historical novel

I have spent a few years without reading novels, for I like History and time is limited, so I have chosen History instead of fiction.

But I read in a journal a good opinion on this novel, and foreseeing some holidays at Eastern I made up my mind to read it.

"Sober", or "full of restraint" are the words coming to my mind. Possible, due to that, it is so effective. Also, because of the excellence of dialogues, or the way Barnes pictures the characters, slowly, accumulatively. ACD becomes a larger than life figure, George as a firm and calm fellow, able to think with his brains. Stolid is the word.

I was not immediately caught. I however enjoyed the ways Barnes describes Georges' stay in prison. Smoothly, times flies by and four years have elapsed. Truly, as far as I feel them years are short and days may become endless. The scene I like the most is the dialectical duel between ACD and Anson. I did not like so much the end.

So as far as I concerned, I endorse the other readers' opinion: an excellent historical novel. Read it if you find time to.

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One of the best books of all time

This is the best book I've read since Life of Pi. Definitely Julian Barnes' best yet.

Julian Barnes writes a "non-fiction novel"

This fascinating book is the true story of two "non-Englishmen:" Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (note the Irish name) and George Edalji, the son of a Parsee father and a Scottish mother. (By the way, I picked up that detail about "Ignatius" from this book. Sir Arthur concealed that name in his later life.

So, we have Sir Arthur, of Irish blood and raised in Scotland, and George Edalji. They both have amazing life stories, and Julian Barnes picked well in selecting their tale. Edalji was harassed -- presumably because of his race, and his dark skin - and was even convicted of a shocking series of crimes (mutilating likestock, fatally), mostly because the local Police Chief hated intermarriage and people of dark skin.

I recommend this book heartily, but only have one hesitation: is this really a "novel," or some new sort of history (like "In Cold Blood")? It seems to me that it's all as true as Julian Barnes could possibly make it, far far away from "real novels" which are actually made-up stories.

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