Details

Synopsis As he did so marvelously in FLAUBERT'S PARROT, Julian Barnes uses a famous literary figure (in this case, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) as the basis for a marvelous and mysterious novel that blends academic insights and profoundly human emotion. In ARTHUR & GEORGE, the reader does not immediately discern Arthur's identity. Instead, Barnes gradually and artfully introduces us to Arthur as he pursues his medical career, aspires to being a writer, and deals with a bland marriage, an illicit love, and the attractions of spiritualism. Simultaneously , Barnes tells the story of George Edalji, a beleaguered half-Indian lawyer harassed by local villagers because of his race. Finally, after George has been falsely accused of cruelly mutilating animals, and served three years in prison, the two men's lives intersect, and Arthur, in typical Sherlock Holmes fashion, sets out to prove George's innocence. Shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2005, and based on the true story of the "Wryley Outrage," ARTHUR & GEORGE is a masterly, heartfelt, and ingenious tale about truth, class, and the intricacies of turn-of-the-century British society.
| Details | | Series: | Vintage International Series |
| Size | | Length: | 445 pages | | Height: | 8.0 in | | Width: | 5.3 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 12.8 oz |
Industry Reviews "It would be a damn fine tale even if Barnes had made the whole thing up; that it is drawn from history makes it all the more resonant. And, of course, like all good historical fiction, ARTHUR & GEORGE--if you read between the lines--is as much about our times as those in which it is set." Literary Review - Martyn Bedford (07/01/2005)
"Will Barnes ever write a dull or mediocre novel? On the strength of this one and all the others that preceded it, the prospect seems increasingly unlikely." (01/14/2006)
"[A] beautifully crafted novel, as one would expect from a virtuoso like Barnes, who can make a rounded portrait out of a few sparse brush strokes." (02/20/2006)
|