This is fiction, but the story is so cogently drawn, with such a sense of immediacy and immersion, that the reader feels as if hearing it told by an eyewitness to all of the events. The world of Victorian, then Edwardian, England is beautifully recreated. The mores, the milieu are so elegantly drawn that we understand and appreciate why the central characters acted as they did, whether for good or ill. The contrast between the world of the patrician Sir Arthur and the plebian George, a man of color, is clear. They lived in two different worlds yet George steadfastly refused to attribute his troubles to race hatred and Arthur has no reticence in "making noise" on behalf of George.
Arthur and George share the most basic of traits which keeps society intact regardless of social or financial status. Each is a man of honor. Arthur's sense of honor stems from the stories of chivalry told by his mother. This sense of what is right survived Doyle's break from the Church and his embrace of spiritualism. Edalji's honor sprang clearly from his immersion in the Church and his absolute respect for the laws of England. Clearly, he understood, even without voicing it or knowing that he knew, Rousseau's concept of the social contract, for throughout his ordeal, he had faith the English system of justice would prevail in his favor.
Arthur & George is not to be missed.
Arthur & George is not to be missed.
