This was a relatively strange little book. It is something of a history about a young man named George who is wrongly accused, convicted, and imprisoned for various crimes committed within his community. His plight comes to the attention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who takes it upon himself to see that true justice is served for this unfortunate young man.
In the end, I'm not exactly sure what to think about this book. The stories of the crimes and their investigation are interesting because they are so odd. Doyle's contributions to George's plight (something that actually happened) and the eventual development of an appeals process in England's judicial system (something that needed to happen) are worthwhile contributions on a socially historical level, but none of that can justify the length and detail contained within this book.
The story moved forward but I cannot say that it went quickly. In fact, it trudged. The ending was rather mundane and anti-climactic. The plot was always on the verge of getting completely bogged down in tedium. While it was interesting to read in full an event that is normally just a brief footnote in the chronology of Doyle's life, I cannot say that the length and detail of this book was necessary.
This would have been far better as a shorter novel. In conclusion, I cannot say it was worth the time that I spent reading it. My opinion: let this one pass you by.
In the end, I'm not exactly sure what to think about this book. The stories of the crimes and their investigation are interesting because they are so odd. Doyle's contributions to George's plight (something that actually happened) and the eventual development of an appeals process in England's judicial system (something that needed to happen) are worthwhile contributions on a socially historical level, but none of that can justify the length and detail contained within this book.
The story moved forward but I cannot say that it went quickly. In fact, it trudged. The ending was rather mundane and anti-climactic. The plot was always on the verge of getting completely bogged down in tedium. While it was interesting to read in full an event that is normally just a brief footnote in the chronology of Doyle's life, I cannot say that the length and detail of this book was necessary.
This would have been far better as a shorter novel. In conclusion, I cannot say it was worth the time that I spent reading it. My opinion: let this one pass you by.
