Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

I enjoyed the aesthetic qualities of the author's quintessentially British name, and selected this book partially on that basis. Julian. Very nice.

The book itself was definitively British, often endeavouring to establish the nature of a "true Englishman" and then differentiate the main characters from such a definition. Arthur, of course, is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, painted as I am sure he truly was- worlds away from his ubiquitous protagonist. It is such situations that make me wonder whether genius is actually an autonomous, lightning-strikes-once sort of individual entity that manifests itself in all kinds of forms.

But that is a separate consideration. George is the Indian-Scotsman whom Arthur really did exculpate from a wrongful conviction. The book deals with the trial and the events surrounding the ordeal. The plot was well-paced, and the narrative was absorbing. Barnes examines Doyle's increasing fascination with spiritism, and he treats such a silly belief as respectfully as possible. Of all the belief systems out there, why Doyle would alight on such a ridiculous one is baffling.

George was a very sad character, but as the author was certainly bound by history's outcome, the character must have been very close to the real man. The book is rather melancholy and inconclusive, but it provides an insightful analysis of the man behind Holmes. Barnes is a talented narrator and he has crafted a contemporary book that features a superb use of language, a complex plot, and a thoughtful composition.