Arthur and George (1) is a fictionalised account of the lives of two men who grew up in totally separate and different environments in the late nineteenth century, but whose lives were destined to come together following a sequence of events that made news headlines as the Great Wyrley Outrages. George was the son of the vicar of the village of Wyrley in Staffordshire, who became a solicitor in Birmingham. Arthur was brought up in Edinburgh in a family that had known better times; he was destined to become one of the most famous men of his time.

George is accused of writing anonymous letters and of mutilating a horse on the flimsiest of circumstantial evidence. He is brought to trial and amazingly is found guilty and serves three years in prison. After his release George is still unable to resume his career as a solicitor until he can clear his name. He enlists the help of Arthur (full name Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes novels), who vehemently pursues George’s case.

 This is less than the bare bones of the book: whilst crime detection is one of the main themes, it is by no means the only one. George’s father was a Parsee and his mother was from Scotland, but George maintains throughout that race was not the reason he was accused of the crimes. Arthur’s family relationships and his second wife also play a large part in the story as well as his enthusiasm for spiritualism – or “spiritism” as he calls it. For most of the book I was riveted – I could also feel the anger build up inside me as I read with disbelief how the Staffordshire Police contrived to prosecute George for the crimes and even accused him of writing the anonymous letters to himself and his family.  I you haven’t yet read it – I wholeheartedly recommend it.

News  - and titles to look out for

I’ve just heard on the news that Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children (2) has been voted Best of Bookers. Rushdie was the early favourite for the winner who was chosen by online voting on both sides of the Atlantic. He also won the Booker of Bookers prize in 1993 when the Booker Prize celebrated its 25th anniversary. I didn’t know that the novel had been adapted for the stage: you can read about how it was done at Online Review London.

Michael Rosen, the current Children’s Laureate has been speaking out again about the government and teachers failing to put emphasis on the importance of reading for pleasure in children’s education. I couldn’t agree more – time and time again it’s been shown that children who are good readers are also higher achievers. Read more about what Mr Rosen had to say here. 

I’ve mentioned “chick lit” before (you know the sort of thing produced by Marian Keyes, Cecelia Ahern, and Sophie Kinsella). It’s not the sort of thing for my taste, you understand, but  a new novel might just be an exception to the rule. Robyn Sisman brings out her fifth novel next month: A Hollywood Ending  (3), available in August,  is about the daughter of a rock idol and an ‘80s soapstar who gets tired of Hollywood and is offered a Shakespearean role on the London stage. Ms Sisman is an American living in London and likes to highlight transatlantic differences in a humourous way in her novels.

Much later on in the year, there’s yet another title out from Alexander McCall Smith:  La's Orchestra Saves the World  – a standalone title,not part of a series – is set in Suffolk in 1939 and is about a widow – La – who forms an orchestra to raise the spirits of the locals. Apparently Mr McCall Smith was a member of an orchestra at one time – the Really Terrible Orchestra in Edinburgh

and finally…name that song!

Which song do these lyrics come from ? :

Baby we can talk all night

But that ain’t getting us nowhere

I can’t give you the answer, but you can find out by taking part in the Name that Song  fun competition now running in Kirkby area libraries. It’s all part of the current theme – music -  in the National Year of Reading.

Next time – Jonathan Dimbleby’s Russia.

1 Arthur and George by Julian Barnes.  Vintage £7.99  9780099492733

2 Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. Vintage £7.99     9780099578512

3 A Hollywood Ending  by Robyn Sisman   Orion £9.99  9780752898889

4  La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith  (1st Nov 2008)  Polygon £12.99  9781846970924

While I enjoyed the book, my lit sisters were less than impressed with it. Generally, they thought the book was well constructed, well researched but tedious to read.

My book club found George's character and his family incredibly boring, though most did feel sorry for him once Arthur became involved in his defense.

However, I was in agreement with the group that George Edalji's father's refusal to defend his son against the terrible accusations made against him, the family's bizarre sleeping arrangements, and their total denial about any racial motivation behind the strange persecution they lived with for years were baffling.

The discussion continues this week . . .

Quizás uno de los escritores más estilista en la literatura inglesa sea Julian Barnes, es uno de los escritores que mejor usa las palabras para plasmar sus novelas como en esta de Arthur & George donde el equilibrio entre los personajes es total y el relato es fluido y avanza de forma febril.

Arthur es Arthur Conan Doyle y George es George Edalji. El primero es el famoso creador de Sherlock  Holmes y, el otro el hijo mestizo de un párroco parsi y una inglesa. George es una persona muy reservada, su infancia no fue agradable en la relación con sus compañeros de estudios y eso le hizo parco en palabras y estas siempre a la defensiva. Arthur es todo lo contrario nunca ha sido reservado. Ya de pequeño da muestras de su personalidad emprendedora, de su talento y de su imaginación. Y el destino los une.

Barnes hace primero hablar a Arthur, luego a George y poco a poco nos va metiendo en la historia. Cuando nos damos cuenta estamos tan metidos en la historia que ya estamos atrapados en ella y es imposible dejarla hasta ver el resultado final.

George se hace abogado pero lo acusan en un extraño caso, Arthur se entera de la historia y emprende una intensa investigación para defender a George. Este caso ocurrido realmente, ha pasado a la historia de la justicia inglesa y gracias a este caso ayudo a la creación del Tribunal de Apelaciones.

Ficha:

Lengua: Castellano

Editorial: Anagrama

Colección: Panorama de narrativas

Encuadernación: Tapa blanda

Edición: 1ª

Año: 2007

ISBN: 9788433971227

Perhaps it’s because both my parents were born during the first decade of the 20th century and I was born after the end of the second world war, that I am interested in the history of the early 20th century. I grew up in a part of Notts. not far from the Derbyshire border, so I’m quite interested in the recent history of that part of the world.

What I’m getting around to saying is that not only am I interested in the local history of the area, but that I’m rather partial to a bit of nostalgia (well, when you get to my age…). I also like reading local history books, so I was very keen to see a recent publication by Derbyshire County Council called Milk, Muck and Memories (1), a collection of reminiscences gathered from people who worked (and some who still work) in agriculture in an area between Chesterfield and Matlock, particularly in the Ashover area.

Over 30 people were interviewed to find out what farming life was like a generation ago, covering everything from children on the farm to ploughing and dairy farming. Over 50 pages are devoted to the farming year and especially interesting are the recollections of harvest time. Perhaps the highlight of the book is a description of haymaking by moonlight – what a different world it was then.

With a liberal scattering of photographs and some drawings and paintings by Ted Hellaby, this is a fascinating record of life on the farm in days gone by.

China…

I’m rather disappointed that I didn’t get chance to see all the editions of the recent BBC series “Wild China”. It was a nature series with a big difference: it looked at the bigger picture to include not just the flora and fauna and the habitats, but the different peoples that populate that vast country and how they interact with nature. The part played by historical events dating back to ancient times also features heavily.

As is the custom with a  major series on the BBC, a book is published to accompany the series. Unusually, this one is just a paperback (2), but it lives up to expectations in all other respects; very well illustrated with, dare I say stunning photography (I know that word is very overused) and a captivating text to go with it. I have only dipped into it, but found myself reading far more than I had intended: the Mongolian festival of Nadam where children as young as five compete in the horse racing; the story of the Wild Yak Brigade which was set up in 1992 to try and protect the Tibetan antelope or chiru from poachers and the coastal village of Chuwang where kelp aquaculture has helped the flocks of whooper swans to survive.

The book comes complete with a gazetteer of the most interesting sites to visit and the best times to go. So if you would like to drink yak-butter tea with nomads, visit a festival of ice sculptures in Northern China or watch fishermen fishing with cormorants, this book tells you how.

and now for dog lovers….

Did you know that ….the first organised dog show was held in England in 1859 ? - or that  foods which should not be given to dogs include grapes, raisins and walnuts? – or that a survey by the American Animal Hospital Association found that 37% of pet owners left messages for their pets on answering machines while they were out? Well if this sort of doggie trivia is right up your street, then Everything Dogs Expect You to Know (3) could be just what you need.  Without going into detail, this book covers just about anything on any aspect of the canine world. In amongst all the trivia, there is some useful information for dog owners, but you’ll need to refer to the (quite good) index to find it, as there seems to be no logical order for all this knowledge – and if you want photos too, forget it. I suppose this type of book comes under the “gift book” category, but it’s a pretty plain looking sort of gift.

finally..

I’m really enjoying Arthur and George by Julian Barnes – more about that next time

1 Milk, Muck and Memories: farming Lives collected by Margaret Wombwell. Derbyshire County Council  £7.99  9780903463843

2 Wild China: natural wonders of the World’s most enigmatic land by Phil Chapman and the BBC Wild China team.  BBC £20. 9781846072338

3 Everything Dogs Expect you to Know by Karen Bush. New Holland £9.99 9781845379544

George no sabe si ahogan el mensaje por deferencia a la intimidad de la familia o si forma parte del guión escénico. No sabe si ha visto verdades o mentiras, o una mezcla de ambas. No sabe si el fervor claro, sorprendente, muy poco inglés, de quienes le rodean esta noche es una prueba de superchería o de creencia. Y si de creencia, si es verdadera o falsa.

La médium ha terminado de comunicar su mensaje y se vuelve hacia Craze. El órgano sigue atronando, aunque ya no haya nada que ensordecer. Los Doyle se miran unos a otros. ¿Cómo concluirá ahora el acto? Ya se han cantado todos los himnos, rendido los homenajes. Ya ha sido realizado el audaz experimento, Sir Arthur ha comparecido entre ellos, han notificado su mensaje.

El órgano sigue sonando. Ahora parece fluctuar hacia los ritmos que despiden a los feligreses después de una boda o un entierro: insistentes e incansables, reincorporan a la gente al mundo cotidiano, sucio, sublunar, sin magia. La familia Doyle abandona el estrado, seguida por los responsables de la Asociación Espiritista de Marylebone, los oradores y la médium Estelle Roberts. El público se levanta, las mujeres buscan los bolsos debajo de los asientos, hombres de gala se acuerdan de las chisteras, hay un arrastrar de pies, murmullos, saludos a amigos y conocidos, y una cola pausada y tranquila en cada pasillo. Los vecinos de George recogen sus pertenencias, se levantan, hacen un gesto con la cabeza y le otorgan una sonrisa plena y confiada. Lo que George les devuelve no es igual a la de ellos, y no se levanta. Cuando casi todo su sector se ha vaciado, baja de nuevo la mano hasta el suelo y sujeta los prismáticos frente a las gafas. Enfoca otra vez el escenario, las hortensias, la fila de sillas vacías y la especial con el letrero de cartón, el espacio donde es posible que haya estado Sir Arthur. Mira a través de las lentes sucesivas. Mira al aire y más allá.

¿Qué ve?

¿Qué vio?

FIN

Nota: 7. Ameno

Arthur&George
Julian Barnes

Traducción de Jaime Zulaika

Compactos Anagrama

Mucha información en Hablando del asunto

In Bucuresti e cald, am ales sa vin cu tramvaiul, iarasi, ca sa imi dau timpul unui capitol sau doua din cartea lui Julian Barnes, Iubire etc, inceputa in tren spre Sinaia, sambata. Cool book, continuare la mai vechiul lui roman Trois, citit acum vreo trei veri sau asa ceva. Povestea e reluata dupa zece ani de unde o lasasem si personajele sunt lejer aceleasi, doar cu mai multe fire albe. Stilul lui Barnes e in continuare amuzant si intrigant, cu probleme serioase despicate dezinvolt, vieti, atitudini si temperamete diferite complementandu-se ca intr-o sceneta, sau poate chiar ca in realitate... de ce nu adica, just look around.

In weekend toate s-au derulat prea repede. Ne-am permis sa ne trezim tarziu si mi-am impachetat doua tricouri, un jeans, baschetii albastrii, laptopul lui Babe, cartea lui Barnes, muzica in iPod, aparatul foto, o bluza polar si hanoracul meu gri din bumbac. Jos la metrou, in Crangasi, ma simteam deja intr-un mood de vacanta. Babe foarte atractiva, eu in pantaloni pana la genunchi din panza si maieu intr-o nuanta apropiata maronie, sandale de trekking, parul prins in esarfa orange de la Zara si ochelarii. In gara ne-am luat un Quesadilla Club, 2 briose cu ciocolata si un mochaccino si am comentat-o strengar pe tipa so obviously gay care ne-am pregatit cafeaua si ne-a adus-o la masa, zambindu-si siesi dupa aceea.

Clasa I-a in IC 531 mi s-a parut doar un vagon decent, cu scaunele rosii si spatiul generos pentru picioare, pe care mi-ar fi fost mai confortabil insa sa le urc pe ceva si as fi vrut o masuta pentru laptop la fiecare dintre grupul de scaune, insa, sa fiu sincera, nu am avut mult timp sa ne lipseasca in cele 96 de minute aproximate pentru cei 121 de kilometrii. Roca si Sheena ne-au asteptat la gara. Aerul era racoros si verde. Vilele pe laturile strazilor in panta pareau sa infloreasca in miros de lemn de brad taiat cu drujba. Am urcat pe sub telecabina pana la hotelul nostru si am fost incantata sa intru intr-o camera confortabila la etajul trei, cu terasa acoperita ce dadea spre foisor si gradina cu brazi mai inalti decat acoperisul tuguiat al cladirii. Mi-a placut, iata ca exista si lucruri bine facute care ma fac sa le apreciez. Cam ca in pozele pe care le-am vazut dinainte, doar cu acel sentiment de libertate pe care ti-l da senzatia tactila si mirosul de rasina. Pe jos o mocheta beige, un king size bed, un dulap generos, totul matching perfectly, cuvertura cu draperiile de la cele doua ferestre largi, o masa cu scaune din acelasi lemn spre terasa si o chicineta sofisticata in celalalt capat al camerei foarte spatioase. Evident respecta desigul unui arhitect cu bun gust. Tavanul cobora pe o parte aducand pana jos o grinda imbracata in lambriuri baitatate brun inchis.

Curentul electric pentru spoturile ascunse in scafa, lumina de la baie, lampile paralelipipedice din sticla alba de pe noptiere si televizor, se activa prin isertia cartelei intr-un lacas micut pe peretele de la intrare, iar usa se deschidea cu acelasi card, pe care ni l-au inmanat intr-un plic alb pe masura lui. M-am simtit familiara cu toate astea, chiar daca eu acasa nu am un asa un sistem securizat.

In rest, prin Sinaia, ne-am plimbat mult. Am urcat spre Peles tarziu, cand programul de vizitare era incheiat, am facut cateva poze cu pajistea de acolo, cu Babe and our friends si mi-am permis sa ma plimb putin singura cu gandurile mele particulare, printre vilele burgheze de langa Pelisor si tunurile mostenite din razboi transformate in monument. Multe flori, fatadele tipice nemtesti si gardieni subtili in uniforme jandarmeresti. Am mancat mai tarziu la o terasa la care ne-am intors si a doua zi si m-am simtit indragostita. De verdeata, de prieteni si de Babe.

Noaptea, inapoi in camera, am facut dus impreuna, cu casca de punga acoperindu-mi parul, ne-am sapunit si ne-am sters cu prosoapele albe de bumbac gros, tipice. Patul confortabil, unit insa din 2 saltele alaturate, fiecare cu pilota lui, lenjerie alba tot din bumbac. Am stranutat si mi-am frecat nasul de la o subita alergie cu care am devenit obisnuita si care ma face, insa, sa ma simt handicapata cand vreau sa imi tin in brate iubita si sa o sarut peste tot, dar ma aplec in schimb dupa servetelele de pe noptiera. Ma simteam bine, totusi. Ne-am imbratisat, ne-am zambit si am povestit putin, apoi... am adormit. La miezul noptii intr-o camera superba, intr-un hotel de 4 stele, in mijlocul ploii care cadea peste brazii dimprejurul nostru, am adormit ca in oricare alta noapte, so tired si pleased to be next to her, ca un cuplu impreuna de prea multi ani. I'm an idiot si mi-e scris in frunte. Nu exista indoiala...

M-am trezit in mijlocul noptii cu galagie deasupra capului, petrecareti de weekend beti la etajul de deasupra, a caror rasete ascutite si imprevizibile, tarsaieli si bocanituri se strecurau necrutator peste perna pe care mi-am infundat-o peste cap si asta timp indelungat pana cand nu am mai suportat, mi-am tras jeansii si, in papucii lui Babe, am coborat scarile pana la receptie ca sa iau atitudine. Pe holul lucios din granit negru in irizatii minerale frumoase, balustrada din aluminiu, oglinzi si leduri urcand pana sus intr-o puzderie de stele care se aprindeau in fata mea si se stingeau in spatele meu imitand ceea ce scriam ultima oara. La receptie, cum ma asteptam, nimeni - era totusi aproape 4 dimineata, doar un carton cu indicatia unui numar la care puteam suna "pentru orice problema ". Inapoi in camera am format 06, lasand telefonul sa sune insistent pana cand o voce somnoroasa mi-a promis ca va rezolva situatia. Am asteptat inutil sa observ vreo potolire in veselia de sus si am adormit asa, cu cateva treziri mormaitoare pana cand cerul a inceput sa se lumineze subtil si bucurestenii petrecareti si-au dat duhul ca vampirii la ivirea zorilor, ingaduindu-mi cateva ore de somn dus in fasaiala ploii pe conifere...

Nu va indoiti ca ar fi fost un weekend superb, insa. Aveam nevoie de ceva out of this city si ce s-a intamplat m-a animat placut for a while. Si ma simt again in love. In ciuda stupiditatii mele ocazionale, sau poate tocmai de aceea... :)

This novel is moving, intelligent and thoughtfully deals with issues of race, class, morality, honor, spirituality, friendship and love. Barnes's elegant prose is compelling, particularly the riveting dialogue, and carefully crafted characterizations.

Arthur's voice is saturated with that of Sherlock Holmes and the contemplations of Alfred Wood (Arthur's assistant) that he is to Arthur as Dr. Watson is to Sherlock Holmes add a light-hearted nature to the miscarriage of justice that George Edalji suffered.

I smiled when Barnes had George read "a tattered cheap edition" of The Hound of the Baskervilles in prison and "judged it excellent."

I felt uncomfortable reading about Mam's developing relationship with Brian Waller, just six years older than Arthur.

I read with mixed feelings about Arthur's affair with the young classically trained mezzo-soprano and accomplished horsewoman Jean Leckie and Mam's subsequent approval of the relationship. The flirtation would be so delightful if not adulterous:

He looks down into her hazel-green eyes. "Are you flirting with me, young lady?"

She looks straight back at him. "I am talking to you about skiing." But those, it feels, are only her nominal words.

"Because if you are, be careful I do not fall in love with you."

He barely knows what he has said. He half means it entirely and half cannot imagine what has got into him.

"Oh, you are already. In love with me. And I with you. There is no doubt about it. No doubt at all."

I was outraged when Mam went so far as to give Jean a small pale cabochon sapphire ring (which had once belonged to her great-aunt) because Arthur chivalrously wished for Jean to wear a ring to symbolize their love.

And I was saddened to read of Jean's introduction to Arthur's dearest sister Lottie and even to his wife's mother with assurances that Touie will "be shielded at all cost from knowledge, pain and dishonour" and it pained me to read of the heated disagreement between Arthur and his sister Connie and brother-in-law Willie regarding Arthur's impropriety.

I laughed out loud at the use of the chess term zugzwang (a player whose turn it is to move whose every possible move would worsen their position is said to be in zugzwang) to describe what Arthur's life feels like and I read with curiosity Arthur's deepening interest in "spiritism" and mysticism:

"If you look at what it actually says in the Bible, if you ignore the way in which the text has been altered and misinterpreted to suit the will of the established churches, it's quite clear that Jesus was a highly trained psychic or medium. The inner circle of the Apostles, especially Peter, James and John, were clearly chosen for their spiritist capabilities. The 'miracles' of the Bible are merely -- well, not merely, wholly -- examples of Jesus's psychic powers."

And as I mentioned before, I was disgusted by the descriptions of animal mutilation and saddened by the racism endured by George Edalji at the hands of policemen and others.

Ultimately I felt joyous reading about the Courts proclaiming George innocent and about Arthur's work in this verdict help lift Arthur out of his depression.

It is because this novel evoked such emotion in me that it was so captivating.

I'm looking forward to my book club's discussion of Arthur & George!

And I must borrow a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles from my local library to re-read.

This wonderful piece of historical fiction is a joy to read; I can see why it was shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize!

I'm 50 pages into Part II, Beginning with an Ending, which is about one quarter of the way through Part II and I am hooked.

I feel quite sad for George Ernest Thompson Edalji, newly educated solicitor-at-law and author of Railway Law for the "Man in the Train," and the racist persecution he endured at the hands of menacing strangers and the police and the graphic descriptions of animal torture disgusts me.

In the meantime, Arthur Conan Doyle's literary career has taken off at the expense of his medical career while his wife, Louisa (Touie) has been diagnosed with tuberculosis (known as consumption at the time).

The contrast and similarities between the lives of these two men makes you wonder how their paths will cross later in the book.

Can't wait to find out!

As I mentioned last month, Barnes spent a year researching the real life stories of George Edalji and Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson) before writing this novel of the relationship between these two men.

When you first start the book, you don't know who George and Arthur are (unless you've read a review or summary of the book as I had) but Barnes stories of Arthur's childhood provides clues that explain how Arthur came to be the creator of Sherlock Holmes. George's childhood is quite different from Arthur's and serves as a good contrast.

I'm looking forward to reading more!

Books say "She did this because."

Life says "She did this."

Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't. I'm not surprised that some people prefer books.

Books make sense.

The only problem is that the lives they make sense of are other people's lives, never your own.

- Julian Barnes

I don't know how I hadn't heard about it until my book club suggested it; Arthur & George was shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize!

It sounds like an inventive and unique novel (click here to read Terrence Rafferty's review titled "The Game's Afoot" posted in the New York Times in January 2006). Barnes spent a year researching the real life stories of George Edalji and Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson) before writing this novel of the relationship between these two men.

Click here to read an excerpt from Random House.

And since I'm reading this for a book club, I looked up some discussion questions published by Random House:

1. One of the first things we learn about George is that “for a start, he lacks imagination” [p. 4]. George is deeply attached to the facts, while Arthur discovers early in life the “essential connection between narrative and reward” [p. 14]. How does this temperamental difference determine their approaches to life? Does Barnes use Arthur & George to explore the very different attractions of truth telling and storytelling?
2. What qualities does the Mam encourage in Arthur? How does Arthur’s upbringing compare with George’s? What qualities are encouraged in George by his parents? What does the novel imply about one’s parents as a determinant in character development?
3. To what degree do George’s parents try to overlook or deny the social difficulties their mixed marriage has produced for themselves and their children? Are they admirable in their determination to ignore the racial prejudice to which they are subjected?
4. Critic Peter Kemp has commented on Julian Barnes’s interest in fiction that “openly colonises actuality—especially the lives of creative prodigies” [The Sunday Times (London), June 26, 2005]. In Arthur & George, the details we read about Arthur’s life are largely true. While the story of George Edalji is an obscure chapter of Doyle’s life, its details as presented here are also based on the historical record. What is the effect, for the reader, when an author blurs the line between fiction and biography or fiction and history?
5. From early on in a life shaped by stories, Arthur has identified with tales of knights: “If life was a chivalric quest, then he had rescued the fair Touie, he had conquered the city, and been rewarded with gold. . . . What did a knight errant do when he came home to a wife and two children in South Norwood?” [p. 69]. Is it common to find characters like Arthur in our own day? How have the ideas of masculinity changed between Edwardian times and the present?
6. George has trouble believing that he was a victim of racial prejudice [p. 264]. Why is this difficult for him to believe? Is it difficult for him to imagine that others don’t see him as he sees himself? Does George’s misfortune seem to be juxtaposed ironically with his family’s firm belief in the Christian faith?
7. The small section on pages 91–92, called “George & Arthur,” describes an unnamed man approaching a horse in a field on a cold night. What is the effect of this section, coming into the novel when it does, and named as it is?
8. Inspector Campbell tells Captain Anson that the man who did the mutilations would be someone who was “accustomed to handling animals” [p. 97]; this assumption would clearly rule out George. Yet George is pursued as the single suspect. Campbell also notes that Sergeant Upton is neither intelligent nor competent at his job [p. 99]. What motivates Campbell as he examines George’s clothing and his knife, and proceeds to have George arrested
   [pp. 117–123]?
9. George’s lawyer, Mr. Meek, is amused at George’s sense of outrage when he reads the factual errors and outright lies in the newspapers’ reports of his case [p. 137; 140–141]. Why is Mr. Meek not more sympathetic?
10. George’s arrest for committing “the Great Wyrley Outrages” [p. 176] causes a stir in England just a few years following the sensational killing spree of Jack the Ripper, which sold millions of newspapers. Are the newspapers, and the public appetite for sensational stories, partly responsible for the crime against George Edalji?
11. 11. How does Barnes convey the feeling of the historical period of which he writes? What details and stylistic effects are noticeable?
12. England was extremely proud of its legal system; Queen Victoria had expressed outrage over the injustice in the dubious case against Alfred Dreyfus, which had occurred a few years earlier in France. Yet the Edalji case seems to present an even greater injustice, and again because of the ethnicity of the accused. Why might the Home Office have refused to pay damages to Edalji?
13. For nine years, Arthur carries on a chaste love affair with Jean Leckie. Yet he feels miserable after the death of his wife, Touie, particularly when he learns from his daughter Mary that Touie assumed Arthur would remarry [pp. 247–49]. Why is Arthur thrown into “the great Grimpen Mire” by his freedom to marry Jean [p. 253]? Why does he believe that “if Touie knew, then he was destroyed” [p. 305]? Has he, as he fears, behaved dishonorably to both women? What does the dilemma do to his sense of personal honor?
14. Why is the real perpetrator of the animal killings never identified? In a Sherlock Holmes story the criminal is always caught and convicted, but Doyle gets no such satisfaction with this real-world case. How disturbing is the fact that George is never truly vindicated and never compensated for the injustice he suffered? Does Barnes’s fictional enlargement of George Edalji’s life act as a kind of compensation?
15. Arthur & George presents a world that seems less evolved than our own in its assumptions about race and human nature, justice and evidence, and its examples of human innocence and idealism. Does this world seem so remote in time as to be, in a sense, unbelievable? Or might American readers recognize a similar situation in a story like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, or more recent news stories about racial injustice?
16. The story ends with George’s attendance at the memorial service for Arthur. What is most moving about this episode?

I love historical fiction so I'm excited to start this book!

We went looking for some garden furniture the other evening, and as I just had to sample a sofa on the way, as an extra, the Resident IT Consultant started musing over where the books come from. I've always assumed they are remaindered books, that didn't find a caring home even in the Swedish annual book sale. For one, there are always several copies of most books. This time I could have had a Julian Barnes in translation, without anyone noticing, as there were so many. Should perhaps invest in a garment with poacher's pockets.

What do you think Ikea staff would say if I explained that I really, really wanted one of the books?

Some years ago the unkind corner of the witch's heart smiled when she found books by someone she was at university with. If he had been slightly less sure of himself and been willing to talk to people other than the "in" people, except for that time when he was lost in Gothenburg and needed help, I might have felt sorry for him when seeing his books displayed in great numbers at Ikea. At least he made it internationally...

Needless to say two of the four chairs we bought were faulty.

La literatura no hace la contención, en todo caso, cuando es mala, o está hastiada, o viene de algún lugar podrido, o de algún viaje intenso, la imposibilita. Las palabras salen con demasiada facilidad. "No deberíamos dejarlas rodando por la casa como si fuesen un tubo de vitamina C", escribe Julian Barnes. "Si las palabras están demasiado a mano, las usaremos sin pensarlo".

Ocurre que vengo de intensos viajes. Ocurre que en esos viajes han sido varios los medios de transportes usados, varios en el mismo día. Ocurre que ya se sabe que esto provoca ausencia de voluntad, y que al poco de un tránsito semejante uno se abandona a lo que sea: cuántas señoras de impecable vestido a juego con el bolso hemos visto babeando minutos después con la cabeza bailando al ritmo del traqueteo del autobús. O cuántos hombres, hermosos o feos, jóvenes o viejos, con la boca abierta y un leve ronquido en suspenso nos han hecho pensar en nosotros en la misma tesitura.

Los diarios de viaje siempre me han resultado enconadamente falsos. Al menos los míos. Por ahí tengo varios cuadernos donde intento afanosamente hacer un rimbombante párrafo de una experiencia casi inmediata. Es en esos momentos donde mejor distingo que tenemos un doble que a veces escribe por nosotros. Y lo suele hacer mal. O se me pone a describir sin contar nada o lo cuenta todo sin pararse en ningún sitio. Nunca quedo satisfecho. A lo sumo reúno fuerzas para pasar la página y pensar que el siguiente hecho será escrito por mí con toda mi destreza e ingenio (y no por ese otro transitorio que sale de repente para ensuciarte el bonito diario que compraste antes de partir).

Esto provoca literalismo. ¿Qué significa? Que solo veo la puerta de salida. Y como sé que no se puede salir rápido de estos lugares (porque uno remoloneará, pero un mínimo de estrategia mantiene) doy vueltas y más vueltas alrededor de la misma imposibilidad de salir, es decir, tangenciando con descaro lo que tendría que haber puesto hace ya tres párrafos en la sartén del texto, esto es, mi trabajo, sus referentes, el proceso y... qué sé yo, un atisbo de lo que me encontré como resultado.

Soy un experto por tanto en la técnica del desvío. Y me hago el miope. (¿En qué película un conductor se aleja con aparente descuido de la carretera central sin que lo advierta el que le acompaña, que lo irá sospechando conforme vayan cambiando las grandes vistas por los pequeños caminos en medio de bosques oscuros?)

Yo en particular tengo un salvoconducto. Puedo justificarme: he dicho que me hago el miope, lo que no es del todo cierto, pues no me lo hago, soy miope. Normalmente llevo lentillas, pero como además de miope soy astigmático (defecto que las lentillas baratas no corrigen) fíense de mis rectas. Las lentillas, además, son auténticos objetos animados, casi como pequeños tamagochis transparentes (van cogiendo opacidad con el tiempo) que, según la hora del día y lo prolongado de su jornada laboral se te manifiestan de una manera u otra. Las he llamado tamagochis a propósito, porque se las debe limpiar y dar de comer. Ahora los líquidos cumplen las dos funciones, pero hasta hace no mucho cada cosa tenía su líquido y, además, era necesario añadirles una pastillita. Todo por el bien de nuestro ojo, claro está, el mejor amigo de la lentilla, según unos, o la pared donde la tamagochi juega al frontón, según la mayoría. Volviendo a las distintas manifestaciones de este animalito mudo con pasmosa facilidad de hacernos llorar de dolor, los usuarios me reconocerán que, desde el LSD, nada había sido tan extraordinariamente capaz de modificar nuestra percepción de la realidad como una lentilla sobreexplotada. Estoy firmemente convencido que poseen un mínimo de memoria, el justo para saberse de pe a pa su convenio laboral. No traten de imponerse a una lentilla cansada, sobre todo si esperan de ella que trabaje en horario nocturno. Saltará, brincará, bailará a la que pueda hacerlo. Y el ojo, que recibe inocente toda la información a través de esta obrera en huelga, lo único que verá son haces de luz que se distorsionan y rostros que de repente se emborronan. Una flipada, vamos.

Así que fíense de mí. Recuerdo hace dos veranos: me dio por ir a todas partes alegremente en bicicleta. Cené una noche en casa de una amiga, que vive en Hospitalet del Llobregat, una ciudad pegada literalmente a Barcelona, en la calle Rafael Campalans. Llevé una botella de vino sin caer en la cuenta de que ni ella ni su novio toman alcohol. Así que, como buen invitado, me la pimplé yo solito. Daba la casualidad que aquel día había sobreexplotado a mi lentilla de entonces. Y de tal forma que la muy sindicalista aprovechó mi vuelta en bici para expresar los puntos de su reclamación. Usó a conciencia el modelo italiano de manifestación, ya se sabe, mucho baile y mucho colorido. Coches, farolas... todo se me mezclaba. Yo abría y cerraba los ojos en vano, intentando fijarla de alguna manera, pero era imposible. Se vive una situación fascinante y terrorífica al mismo tiempo. Decidí volver a pie.

¿Me entienden ahora? Puedo llegar a ser un verdadero cegato, incluso con lentillas. Si esto me ocurre andando o en bici, ¿no sería lógico que afectara a mi literatura?

Así que tomo inocentemente un desvío. Seguro que ya han visto un cartel que anuncia a no sé cuantos kilómetros un pueblo que no se encuentra en la ruta prevista. Me lo irán a decir y yo detendré el coche para frotarme los ojos. ¡Dichosas lentillas!, gritaré. Alguno de ustedes me aconsejará: quítatelas, ponte las gafas. Ocurre que, como se habrán dado cuenta, soy demasiado presumido. Pero esto sí que es un desvío nada aconsejable.

Entonces les aseguro que llegaremos al lugar previsto. Levanto las manos y pido calma, confianza, fe y entusiasmo. Les digo: váyanse a la parte de atrás y hagan como en las películas de teenagers: canten canciones imposibles con los gallos que quieran. (Y, por favor, ¡no miren la hora!, no estamos en una competición de formula uno, disfruten del paisaje)

Hace dos años una de mis lentillas pilló un virus terrorista. Nosotros, los usuarios de estos tamagochis, debemos reconocer cierta falta de cuidado. Sí, admitámoslo: nos automedicamos. Porque cuando el ojo escuece, arde, y amanece con una familia mucosa ocupando diametralmente su espacio, ya está, conjuntivitis. No es menester (y esto no es una excusa) soportar el ambiente macilento del ambulatorio del barrio. Uno se va a la farmacia de la esquina y pide su colirio para la conjuntivitis (y se hace baños de manzanilla, etc, etc).

Pero a veces lo que ataca es un virus terrorista, como me pasó a mí hace dos años. Y entonces el colirio no sólo no te cura sino que termina por pasarse al enemigo y resultar fatal (algo así como un caballo de Troya) para el desdichado ojo.

A mí me causó un boquete. No se me asusten. Imaginen que la córnea es la capa de ozono. Imaginen un agujero en la capa de ozono. Pues así era mi boquete. Uno no lo podía ver pero sentía sus efectos. Me estuve un mes imposibilitado para mantener una mínima compostura. El ojo me lloraba cual espléndido Niágara. Cada poco tiempo un calambre me obligaba a retorcerme de dolor. Y no podía fijar la atención durante mucho rato (¿recuerdan James Stewart, cuando le daba el vértigo?). Veía borroso, como si se me hubiera empañado el cristal de la vista.

El médico que me atendió gozaba de un humor excelente. Cuando me dijo que aquella iba a ser mi última visita, que ya no existía virus alguno en mi ojo, que el boquete estaba cerrado, yo le pregunté por la visión borrosa. ¿Y esto cuando se me irá?. Me miró y me dijo: nunca.

Visión borrosa en el ojo izquierdo.

Lo del humor lo refiero porque a los meses, por suerte, se me fue.

Julian Barnes' new memoir/essay, Nothing To Be Frightened Of, shows that it's life, not extinction, that gives panic its power. That kvetching kid Hamlet got it all wrong. We don't dread the dreams that may come post-mortal coil, but the ones that haunt us now. And if you want to go down to the woods today and give yourself the creeps, pop on a Miu Miu red cape and drop into MOMA Oxford.

In theory, Katie Paterson's installation - a wall-mounted halogen mobile number that connects to an underwater microphone recording the sound of icebergs sheering from the glaciar in Vatnajokull lagoon - sounds wearily concept-heavy, but the experience is actually startlingly, stirringly sad. The plaintive death-gurgle sounds shockingly familiar: bloody, breathy and blue. Give it a ring.

Romanian artist Mercia Cantor's The Need for Uncertainty is similarly, stealthily disturbing. An arching nest of gilded cages, housing two real peacocks, supercilious and shitting, sprouts from a dirt floor. Overhead is a suspended flying carpet, hand-woven with emblems of aeroplanes and angels; on the wall is a large photograph of a tree, a spiky wooden symbol exploding from within its trunk, scattering sawdust blood over a witchy forest floor. These are mysterious, pan-cultural talismans of nature's fairy-tale fantasy and dread, and they are exhilerating and haunting in equal measure.

In the words of fair Bill, the stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, which hurts and is desired. It's life that's the scary bastard.

–-Julian Barnes, A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters

ich lese gerade 3 bücher. eins lese ich schon seit etwa juni letzten jahres. das souvenir des mörders von ian rankin. immer mal wieder ein paar seiten. das ist der langweiligste krimi, den ich je gelesen habe. die sind da nur am labern, dialoge über dialoge. am anfang war eine gute stelle im buch, und jetzt, nach 293 seiten, wird es evtl. wieder etwas spannender. ich hoffe es. das buch hat 600 seiten und ich lese es eigentlich nur weiter, weil ich es halt gekauft habe und wenigstens am ende wirklich sagen kann, dass es schrott ist. im jahre 2010 bin ich dann wohl fertig damit.

absatz bitte!
das zweite buch ist auch eins, dass ich auf dem flohmarkt gekauft habe. england, england von julian barnes. man kann wohl sagen dass der sehr gut schreibt. eine empfehlung von brett anderson von suede, dieser autor. ich bin ja england-fan, und in diesen buch wird das land natürlich thematisiert. allerdings auf eine art und weise, die mich irgendwie nicht richtig in den stoff reinbringt. es geht um unternehmer, geschäfte, karriere. also irgendwie trocken und öde. dank seines schreibstils kann ich dem buch doch etwas abgewinnen, auch wenn es mich nicht wirklich anspricht. ist einfach nicht meine welt.

das dritte und beste buch ist das, was mir vanessa geschenkt hat. roald dahl im doppelband "küsschen, küsschen" und "...und noch ein küsschen". das buch ist herrlich absurd und voller makaberer geschichten. kein bischen langweilig und sehr unterhaltsam. ein wirklich tolles buch von einem grossen autor. mein lieblingsbuch ist ja sowieso "charlie und die schokoladenfabrik", dieser autor ist einfach mein fall.

tja und nun sitze ich hier und weiss nicht, ob ich mich anziehen und mal in den supermarkt latschen soll oder lieber wieder ins bett gehe und weiterlese. ich muss immer an m. denken und kann schlecht abschalten. ich glaube ich hätte ihn nicht bei mir schlafen lassen dürfen. die bilder tauchen immer wieder vor mir auf, bunt und lebendig... man muss selbst in fremden betten schlafen, damit das eigene nicht von solchen erinnerungen verseucht wird. der liegt da immer mit drin, ich kann nichts dran ändern.

'Prose is like hair, it shines with combing'

Thought this was awesome and true for many more things than prose.

Based on true events, this is not a book for a quick read on a Sunday afternoon, but an involving, compelling story that requires time to consider and absorb fully. Julian Barnes has obviously put an amazing amount of research into this book, and it reads as a biography of the two contrasting men, with the investigation into The Great Wryley Outages as the device that brings the two threads of the story together. It is a completely engrossing crime story based around a miscarriage of justice, and it almost seems hard to believe it is based on real events, and although the story is set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the themes are as relevant today as they were then, and include faith, justice and race.

The book itself offers fascinating insights into the lives and societies inhabited by the two title characters, as well as providing an important historical element in the form of the development of the Court of Criminal Appeal.

It is a beautifully crafted story and a wonderful combination of excellent character observation and intriguing crime investigation. Highly recommended.

-- An excerpt from "The Past Conditional" by Julian Barnes. 

"If it is all the same whether to live or not to live, everyone will kill himself and that's perhaps the only change that will come about.

It makes no difference. Deception will be killed. Everyone who desires supreme freedom must dare to kill himself. He who dares to kill himself has learnt the secret of the deception.

God is necessary, and so must exist.
But I know that He doesn't exist and can't exist.
But don't you understand that a man with two such ideas cannot go on living?

Is there no man on this planet who, having finished with God and believing in his own will, will have enough courage to express his self-will in its most important point?  All man did was to invent God so as to live without killing himself. That's the essence of universal history till now. I am the only man in universal history who for the first time refused to invent God.  To realize that there is no god and not to realize at the same instant that you have become god yourself – is an absurdity, for else you would certainly kill yourself. If you do realize it, you are a king and will never kill yourself, but will live in the greatest glory. But he who is first to realize it is bound to kill himself, for otherwise who will begin and prove it?  I am still only a god against my will, and I am unhappy because I am bound to express my self-will.  Fear is the curse of mankind. But I shall proclaim my self-will. I am bound to believe that I do not believe. I shall begin and end, and open the door."

-- Mr. Kirilov, a few weeks before his own suicide some time around 1860.

Perhaps Alex Brilliant read Mr. Kirilov's words?  Perhaps Brilliant had a girlfriend who dumped him for a star quarterback at Cambridge.

"I don't believe in God, but I miss Him." -- Julian Barnes

I can relate.

Το Arthur and George του Julian Barnes αφορά σε μια πραγματική τέτοια συνάντηση ενός κοινού καθημερινού ανθρώπου - του George Edalji που άδικα από ότι φαίνεται είχε καταδικαστεί για σφαγές ζώων το 1906 - με τον Arthur Conan Doyle συγγραφέα και δημιουργό του Sherlοck Holmes ο οποίος τελικά τον αθωώνει. Η συνάντηση όμως αυτή δεν είναι συνάντηση απογοήτευσης. Ο Arthur Conan Doyle σαν πρόσωπο larger than life αναδεικνύεται στα μάτια του Edalji - αλλά και των αναγνωστών - περισσότερο και από ημίθεος, κύριος των καταστάσεων, και λίγο πολύ ο ορισμός αυτού του περίεργου πράγματος που λέγεται english gentleman.

To σκηνικό της συνάντησης του Arthur με τον George είναι η βικτωριανή Αγγλία, η καθημερινότητά της, οι ιδέες της, οι προκαταλήψεις της. Η πλοκή του Arthur and George δεν περιορίζεται μοναχά στην ανάλυση του συγκεκριμένου γεγονότος μα καλύπτει ένα φάσμα από την ζωή και των δύο ηρώων που σε κάνει να κλείνεις το βιβλίο έχοντας στο νου σου ακριβώς τον χαρακτήρα και των δυο. Αν και το βιβλίο δεν λειτουργεί με την λογική της βιογραφίας οι χαρακτήρες και η σχέση του Arthur με τον George είναι οι πιο καλογραμμένοι και ξεκαθαρισμένοι που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ σε οποιοδήποτε βιβλίο.

Γενικά το Arthur and George αποτελεί ίσως το αρτιότερο βιβλίο που έχω διαβάσει χωρίς να είναι υπερβολή αυτός ο χαρακτηρισμός. Η έρευνα, η εποχή, οι χαρακτήρες, η κεντρική ιστορία είναι τόσο άψογες που αυτή - η πρώτη - συνάντησή μου με τον Julian Barnes δεν με απογοητεύει καθόλου μα με ιντριγκάρει για την συνέχεια.

En su visita, el autor de Arthur & George firmará libros, participará en seminarios y viajará por el país.

El británico Julian Barnes, uno de los autores más importantes de una generación integrada por nombres como Ian MacEwan y Martin Amis, se encuentra de visita en nuestro país invitado por la Universidad Católica y La Tercera, donde llevará a cabo tres eventos de carácter público y gratuito.

Porque el autor de El Loro de Flaubert (1984), la novela que lo llevó a la fama mundial, se encontrará con sus lectores el lunes 21 entre las 18 y 19 horas en la librería Feria Chilena del Libro de Isidora Goyenechea, donde firmará ejemplares de sus libros, y el martes 22 en dos charlas gratuitas previa inscripción a prensa@britanico.cl para el encuentro de las 12 horas en la Universidad Chileno Británica de Cultura y a lvillarr@uc.cl para la charla de las 18 horas en el auditorio de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Católica, en el marco del seminario La Ciudad y las Palabras donde será entrevistado por Gonzalo Garcés.

El escritor llega a Chile pocos meses antes que se publique en Gran Bretaña, Nothing to be Frightened Of, su próxima obra, la que según él mismo es una mezcla de memorias y ensayo sobre la muerte, Dios, el arte y la familia.

Además de estas actividades de carácter oficial, el autor tiene contemplado un itinerario más turístico que lo tuvo ayer de visita en el Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino y que lo llevará a conocer hoy el Parque Nacional de las Araucarias en Pucón y la próxima semana San Pedro de Atacama, antes de partir rumbo a Argentina.

(Fuente: La Tercera)

El autor de El loro de Flaubert dictará una charla y firmará ejemplares de sus obras en Feria Chilena del Libro.

Julian Barnes, uno de los novelistas británicos más destacados de la nueva narrativa europea visitará nuestro país en los próximos días y se dará tiempo para reunirse con sus lectores y firmar ejemplares de sus obras.

Lo hará el lunes 21 de enero, entre 18:00 y 19:00 horas en el local de Isidora Goyenechea 3162 de Feria Chilena del Libro.

Barnes tiene una dilatada trayectoria como licenciado en Derecho, lexicógrafo, periodista y novelista.

Participó en la realización y actualización del Oxford English Dictionary, fue redactor del New Stateman y del Sunday Times, y columnista de The Observer y del New Yorker.

Su primera novela, Metrolandia, la publicó en 1980 y le significó el Premio William Somerset Maugham, pero el libro que lo afianzó en el oficio de las letras y lo ubicó entre los mejores escritores contemporáneos fue El loro de Flaubert, que llegó a las librerías en 1984.

En la actualidad, Barnes, está considerado como uno de los más notables exponentes de la generación literaria británica de la década de 1980, junto a nombres de la talla de Kazuo Ishiguro, avecindado en el Reino Unido, Martin Amis y Salman Rushdie.

Barnes es también autor de Antes de conocernos (1985), Mirando al sol, (1987), Una historia del mundo en 10 capítulos y medio (1997), El puercoespín (1994), Al otro lado del Canal (2005), Inglaterra, Inglaterra, (1999), La mesa limón (2005) y Arthur & George (2006), entre otros títulos.

El escritor también ha desarrollado exitosamente una veta como escritor de relatos policiales; lo ha hecho bajo el pseudónimo de Dan Kavanagh. Algunos de sus thrillers son Duffy (1980), Fiddle City (1981), Putting the Boot In (Con las botas puestas, 1993) y Going to the Dogs (1987).

El novelista británico, en su último libro, Arthur & George, traslada la acción a la Inglaterra posvictoriana y rescata un caso de muerte y mutilación de animales ocurrido en Birmingham. En los hechos, en aquella oportunidad, se vieron involucrados el abogado George Edalji y Arthur Conan Doyle, el creador de Sherlock Holmes.

Este libro gira en torno a un caso real en el que Edalji, con pruebas débiles y sobre todo circunstanciales, fue encontrado culpable de la muerte de los animales en Birmingham, hasta que acudió en su Conan Doyle, quien investigó y analizó los hechos, de igual manera como lo habría hecho su personaje de Sherlock Holmes.

(Fuente: El Mostrador)

Como todas las reglas contiene excepción. Una de ellas (de las pocas) es Julian Barnes. Julian Barnes saltó a la palestra con 'El loro de Flaubert', una muy buena novela del todo recomendable y con unas cuantas novelas más ha pasado a conformar parte de la vanguardia de la escritura inglesa (los ingleses tienen una vanguardia literaria digna de esa etiqueta). George Edalji es un oscuro y mediocre abogado inglés de origen hindú que es acusado y condenado por unas misteriosas agresiones a animales, Alfred, en cambio, es Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, su reverso, un popular y aclamado escritor en la cima de su popularidad. Las circunstancias personales de Conan-Doyle hacen que se interese por el caso de Edalji y emplee su tiempo en desfacer el entuerto.

Esta confluencia de personajes está narrado con un estilo acerado, poco propenso a los desmanes narrativos, muy ajustado a la realidad o como menciona el autor a los datos históricos (actas, cartas etc,etc). Defectos: me interesa mucho más el caso de George, que en ultima instancia sirvió de base para la creación de los tribunales de apelación en UK que el biopic de Conan-Doyle excesivamente centrado en su vida afectiva.

Para finalizar diré algo más de Barnes, es un autor que partiendo de unas premisas poco prometedoras es capaz de sacar resultados más que notables, demostrando que no es el punto de partida lo que determina la calidad e una obra.