Book: Arthur & George
Aug. 31st, 2008 11:31 pmAuthor: Julian Barnes
Details: (c) Julian Barnes 2005; Pub Vintage 2006; ISBN 0-099-49273-3
Verdict: Arthur & George is readable and incisive.
Reasons for reading it: I am a big fan of Julian Barnes, and was interested to see what he'd do with a fictional biography of Conan Doyle (one of Barnes' great strengths is mixing literary analysis with fiction, cf Flaubert's parrot).
How it came into my hands: I had a chance to dip in to some of the Cambridge charity shops this visit, though didn't manage a full scale raid. I found a couple of treasures in the British Heart Foundation shop behind the Grafton centre, where I also dropped off some of my great aunt's clothes. Being able to make impulse purchases of books is definitely something I miss about living abroad.
( detailed review )
Details: (c) Julian Barnes 2005; Pub Vintage 2006; ISBN 0-099-49273-3
Verdict: Arthur & George is readable and incisive.
Reasons for reading it: I am a big fan of Julian Barnes, and was interested to see what he'd do with a fictional biography of Conan Doyle (one of Barnes' great strengths is mixing literary analysis with fiction, cf Flaubert's parrot).
How it came into my hands: I had a chance to dip in to some of the Cambridge charity shops this visit, though didn't manage a full scale raid. I found a couple of treasures in the British Heart Foundation shop behind the Grafton centre, where I also dropped off some of my great aunt's clothes. Being able to make impulse purchases of books is definitely something I miss about living abroad.
( detailed review )
