| Arthur & George | |
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first edition cover |
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| Author(s) | Julian Barnes |
| Cover artist | Bill Sanderson |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Publication date | 7 July 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-224-07703-1 (hardback edition) |
| OCLC Number | 61286197 |
Arthur & George (2005) is the tenth novel by English author Julian Barnes which takes as its basis the true story of the 'Great Wyrley Outrages.'
Contents |
Set at the turn of the 20th century, the story follows the separate but intersecting lives of two very different Englishmen: a half-Indian solicitor and son of a Vicar George Edalji, and the world-famous author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Roughly one-third of the book traces the story of Edalji's trial, conviction, and imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. About one-third of the book traces the story of Doyle's life and his relationships with his first wife Louisa Hawkins and his platonic lover Jean Leckie. Roughly one-third of the book concerns Doyle's attempt to clear the name of Edalji and uncover the true culprit of the crime. Julian Barnes called it ' a contemporary novel set in the past' and the book does not aim to stick closely to the historical record at every point.
Arthur and George is laden with the unique and complex form of irony, simultaneously comic and tragic, that Barnes is known for. In this novel, however, Edalji's race, and the question as to how large a part it played in his wrongful conviction, represents a new theme for Barnes. Other themes, however, are more familiar Barnes territory: "Britishness" in its frustrating complacence, death and spirituality, and the challenges faced by the human heart. As always, Barnes is interested in how characters are shaped over time; Arthur & George is in many ways a continued exploration of the themes he explored in Metroland, Talking it Over, Love, Etc., and especially The Lemon Table.
Playwright David Edgar has dramatized the work for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with the opening performance scheduled for 19 March 2010.[1][2]
3. Oldfield, Roger 'Outrage: The Edalji Five and the Shadow of Sherlock Holmes', Vanguard Press (ISBN 978 184386 601 5)
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