“A Novel by Julian Barnes”

Another excellent book by Julian Barnes. While I did rather spoil the book by seeking information on the characters elsewhere when I had only just started it, nevertheless it is such an interesting story and so well-told, I still enjoyed it.
The Arthur of the title is Arthur Conan Doyle who, as everyone knows, was a doctor, spiritualist and creator of Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps less well known is that he was also an all round sportsman as well as being an excellent cricketer who played for the MCC. He was principally a batsman but he even, once, bowled out the famous W.C.Grace.
The George of the title is the little known George Edalji, who was the son of the first Hindu vicar in Britain. He had a modest career as a solicitor and even wrote a book in 1901 entitled “Railway Law for the Man on the Train” which enjoyed a small success. But that career was savagely interrupted a few short years later when he was sentenced to 7 years hard labour. Arthur grew interested in the case when George wrote in desperation to the famous novelist asking for his help.
Barnes lists another of his books “The Noise of Time”, which is about the life of Shostacovitch as a work of fiction so I am intrigued to find out how he will categorize “Arthur and George”. There are clearly sections which deal with the private, inner thoughts of both men when Barnes must be speculating but, for the main, he closely follows the plot as it happened.
Barnes does an excellent job dissecting and illuminating the lives of both men and the reader will quickly be enthralled and involved by the different lives briefly brought together when both men are at their most vulnerable.
I highly recommend the book.
Bernard Gallivan
July 2018