Arthur & George

This book has been on my To Read List for a couple of years now. And now I wish I'd read it earlier. This is one of my favorite type of novels. It's the story of two lives, essentially from birth to death, and how they came to overlap. And what's more, it's based on real people. Arthur is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame, or infamy he might say. And George, well he's also real, but I'll let you discover his story for yourself. To tell you much would give his part away. Much of the story is based on fact including actual transcripts of various proceedings and correspondence. The setting is pre and post turn of the 20th century England. The pacing is a little slow in the beginning, but then it is wonderfully quick paced. The author does a great job of making you feel for the characters, but all the while making you wonder if there's something you don't know yet that will turn everything on its head. While not at its heart a mystery, the way those elements blend into this story of lives, famous and mundane, add to the enjoyment of reading Arthur & George.