Great Book
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Great great book Barnes writes really well and the book has many more themes than just those about the discrimination. The actual case is interesting and the book through drawing out the personal narratives makes it even more interesting.
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Injustice undone
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George Edalji grows up as the son of a Parsee church minister and a Scottish mother in rural 19th century England. After school he becomes a solicitor and starts a modest practice of his own in Birmingham. Every morning he takes the train from his parent's house to his work and every evening he walks for a little over an hour, before doing some more work and turning in early. He feels utterly English, but most people see only his brown skin and consider him an outsider. When he starts to receive threatening letters and strange objects (dead birds, an unknown key) he considers it a prank, but when he reports it to the police they turn the whole story upside down and claim that he writes the threats himself. When somebody starts mutilating horses the police even claims that George has done this, arrests him after which he is convicted to 7 years in prison. After 3 years he is released without explanation, but he cannot resume his work as solicitor unless he is rehabilitated.
In parallel to this story there is the story of Arthur Conan Doyle, the "inventor" of Sherlock Holmes: an energetic man, good at sports, with a full social and family life and more or less the opposite of George. When Arthur's first wife dies of TB, he finally has the chance to marry his long-term best friend, but somehow he becomes depressed. Until he learns of the case of George Edalji. He decides to investigate the case himself, kicks some behinds and finally manages to get George at least partially rehabilitated. And in the meantime he regains his sanity and is capable to pick up his life
The amazing thing is that this is actually a true story: George Edalji was the "English Dreyfuss" and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did take an interest in his case. It is amazing to read how prejudice governed all the actions of the police, how a slightly strange, but perfectly harmless individual with a firm belief in English law and justice was completely wronged and ended up spending part of his life in prison on some ridiculous charges. I wondered whether George has Asperger syndrome (a form of autism): his reactions are certainly strangely flat and withdrawn, he does not really seem to understand social interactions and regularity is extremely important for him.
The fact that it never becomes really clear "who did it" is unsatisfying, but life can be unsatisfactory and since this story is based on facts rather than fiction, that's the way it is. All in all a very thorough piece of work and research by Julian Barnes.
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Compelling and provocative
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As the half-caste product of miscegenation, I found the themes and execution of this novel gripping. Barnes builds up the tension in a fascinating way, and his handling of a wide range of characters was interesting and economical. He kept great control of his material and built a rich and intense world around the main characters. He weaves fact and fiction seamlessly and in elegant, detached prose. A real literary achievement.
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Slow to get going
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I enjoyed this book; well written but slow to get going; the story only really starts after the first 50 pages. I found myself flagging a little in the middle section which deals with Arthur's life, which is perhaps a little too long, but it picked up after that.
Well researched and beautifully written.
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beautifully crafted and absorbing
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I was given this book as a present and was initially sceptical as to whether or not I would like it. Now that I have finally gotten round to reading it I found that it was a really delightful and absorbing read.
The plot dealing with the Great Wyrley Outrages, the trial of George Edalji and the appalling miscarriage of justice that ensued was gripping and Barnes keeps the book moving along at a good pace. The details of the police investigation and trial are interspersed with details of the life of Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame, who subsequently becomes embroiled in the drama. The crime behind the Great Wyrley Outrages still has the capacity to shock even at this length of time and the description of the investigation and subsequent trial is compelling as one reads with ever mounting tension and dread of the failure of the legal system and of officialdom.
The imagination of the author is vividly on display throughout this book right from the begining which recounts the lives of two small boys whose paths are not to cross until much later in life.
The writing gives the outward appearance at least of being very thoroughly researched and I really had the feeling that the stories of both men were brought to life on the pages of this book. There are also fascinating insights into old fashioned values, spiritualism and the history behind the establishment of criminal appeals in England (which the case recounted in this book was instrumental in establishing).
All in all this was a thoroughly enjoyable read with the added benefit that I feel I have learned something.
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