Arthur and George

I just finished reading Arthur & George by Julian Barnes. Or, to be more accurate, I just finished listening to it. Does that count? I figure knitting + audiobooks = a more literate Jasie + more fun socks. At any rate...

It is a novelization of the true story of Arthur Conan Doyle's involvement in the case of George Edalji in England at the turn of the century. George, a 'half-breed' son of a Parsi father and Scottish mother, finds himself in the center of a community scandal, unjustly accused of mutilating livestock in the area. At once exceedingly intelligent and exceedingly naive he is convinced that the inevitable outcome of the case will be his declared innocence. Not so.

 As time progresses and George is released from his imprisonment, he appeals to Arthur, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, for aid in his vindication. (Random yet interesting fact: he was an eye doctor first - but perhaps not a very good one. The empty waiting room in his office was what gave him time to write.) The two characters couldn't be more different; George is shy, bookish, and reserved while Arthur is garrulous, passionate, and somewhat ostentatious. George simply wants to return to practicing law, while Arthur is out to make a splash and garner headlines. Happily, Arthur's tactics offer an effective means to George's end. They rarely interact directly with each other, but prove to be well matched as they pursue justice in George's case. Justice that is never completely found for him, but may hopefully found to a greater degree for others because of him. (Trying not to give anything away, here)

The mystery of the case keeps you interested, but it is the characters that really draw you in. I was particularly intrigued by the portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle as he journeyed through key changes personally, vocationally, romantically and spiritually. Spiritually he moved from Christianity to agnosticism, and then finally embraced Spiritualism, a religion I don't know much about, but from what I could gather seemed like a religious extension of Darwinian thought, and is practiced primarily with seances and mediums and table talk from beyond the grave. The account of his funeral was really interesting. Mostly because he attended.

A good read. If you like historical fiction, and novels more about characters than lots of action, this is one to add to your list.