Arthur & George
 First edition | |
| Author | Julian Barnes |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Bill Sanderson |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
Publication date | 7 July 2005 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | 0-224-07703-1 |
| OCLC | 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".
Plot introduction
[edit]Set at the turn of the 20th century, the story follows the separate but intersecting lives of two very different British men: 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.
Characters in Arthur & George
[edit]- George Edalji, solicitor in Birmingham
- Charlotte Edalji née Stoneham, George's mother
- Shapurji Edalji, George's father, vicar of Great Wyrley
- Maud Edalji, George's sister
- Mr. Meek, George's lawyer
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author
- Jean Leckie, Conan Doyle's second wife
- Louisa Doyle née Hawkins, Doyle's wife
- The Mam, Arthur's mother
- Connie Doyle Hornung, Arthur's sister
- Willie Hornung (E. W. Hornung), Connie's husband
- Mary Doyle, Arthur and Louisa's daughter
Dramatisation
[edit]Playwright David Edgar has dramatized the work for Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse with the opening performance scheduled for 19 March 2010.[1][2]
In 2014, for broadcast in 2015, ITV commissioned a three-part television series Arthur & George based on Arthur & George, starring Martin Clunes as Arthur Conan Doyle.
Reception
[edit]On Metacritic, the book received a 79 out of 100 based on thirty-three critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3] On Bookmarks March/April 2006 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a 
(4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "Though this opinion is not stated directly, the general tone of most of the reviews confirms Arthur & George as Barnes’s best work yet".[4] Globally, Complete Review saying on the consensus "Impressed, if generally not bowled over".[5]
Awards and nominations
[edit]- 2005 Booker Prize shortlist[citation needed]
- 2007 International Dublin Literary Award shortlist[citation needed]
Release details
[edit]- 2005, UK, Jonathan Cape ISBN 0-224-07703-1, Pub date 7 July 2005, hardback
- 2005, Canada, Random House ISBN 0-679-31417-2, Pub date 9 September 2005, hardback
- 2006, USA, Alfred A. Knopf ISBN 0-307-26310-X, Pub date 3 January 2006, hardback
References
[edit]- ^ "The George Edalji Case". Birmingham City Council. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ Edgar, David (2010). Arthur and George (Stage Version). Barnes, Julian. London: Nick Hern Books. ISBN 978-1-84842-096-0. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Arthur & George". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Arthur & George By Julian Barnes". Bookmarks. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Arthur & George". Complete Review. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- 3. Oldfield, Roger Outrage: The Edalji Five and the Shadow of Sherlock Holmes, Vanguard Press (ISBN 978 184386 601 5)
External links
[edit]- Arthur & George site
- Risinger, D. Michael. (2006). Boxes in Boxes: Julian Barnes, Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and the Edalji Case. International Commentary on Evidence, 4 (2), Article 3, pp. 1–90 [1]