|
 |
|
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novelx$12.00
  (280 reviews)
Best Price: $25.95 $12.00
Amazon Best of the Month, June 2008: It's gutsy for a debut novelist to offer a modern take on Hamlet set in rural Wisconsin--particularly one in which the young hero, born mute, communicates with people, dogs, and the occasional ghost through his own mix of sign and body language. But David Wroblewski's extraordinary way with language in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle immerses readers in a living, breathing world that is both fantastic and utterly believable. In selecting for temperament and a special intelligence, Edgar's grandfather started a line of unusual dogs--the Sawtelles--and his sons carried on his work. But among human families, undesirable traits aren't so easily predicted, and clashes can erupt with tragic force. Edgar's tale takes you to the extremes of what humans must endure, and when you're finally released, you will come back to yourself feeling wiser, and flush with gratitude. And you will have remembered what magnificent alchemy a finely wrought novel can work. -- Mari Malcolm
Book Description Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm--and into Edgar's mother's affections. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires--spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward. David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes--the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain--create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic. Double Life, with Dogs: An Amazon Exclusive Essay by David Wroblewski  We write the stories we wish we could read. There's no other reason to do it, to spend years pacing around your basement, mumbling, pecking at a keyboard, turning your back on a world that offers such a feast of delicious fruits. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle came about because some time ago I wished I could read a novel about a boy and his dog, one that integrated our contemporary knowledge of canine behavior, cognition, and origins with my experience of living with dogs; if possible, something flavored with the uncynical Midwestern sense of heart and purpose so familiar from my childhood (and something which, in truth, I've spent much my adult life being slightly ashamed of, as if either heart or purpose were embarrassing attributes for a grown-up to display). I'd recently come to know a good dog, maybe the best dog I'd ever met, and the subject of people and dogs and ethics and character suddenly seemed urgent. But when I went looking for such a story, I had to go back almost a hundred years, back to Jack London's Call of the Wild. That was a surprise. A little while after that, an idea for a story came to me--not the whole thing, but enough to start. Continue Reading Double Life, With Dogs Praise from Stephen King "I flat-out loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and spent twelve happy evenings immersed in the world David Wroblewski has created. As I neared the end, I kept finding excuses to put the book aside for a little, not because I didn't like it, but because I liked it too much; I didn't want it to end. Dog-lovers in particular will find themselves riveted by this story, because the canine world has never been explored with such imagination and emotional resonance. Yet in the end, this isn't a novel about dogs or heartland America--although it is a deeply American work of literature. It's a novel about the human heart, and the mysteries that live there, understood but impossible to articulate. Yet in the person of Edgar Sawtelle, a mute boy who takes three of his dogs on a brave and dangerous odyssey, Wroblewski does articulate them, and splendidly. I closed the book with that regret readers feel only after experiencing the best stories: It's over, you think, and I won't read another one this good for a long, long time. In truth, there's never been a book quite like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I thought of Hamlet when I was reading it, and Watership Down, and The Night of the Hunter, and The Life of Pi--but halfway through, I put all comparisons aside and let it just be itself. I'm pretty sure this book is going to be a bestseller, but unlike some, it deserves to be. It's also going to be the subject of a great many reading groups, and when the members take up Edgar, I think they will be apt to stick to the book and forget the neighborhood gossip. Wonderful, mysterious, long and satisfying: readers who pick up this novel are going to enter a richer world. I envy them the trip. I don't re-read many books, because life is too short. I will be re-reading this one."
|
Customer Reviews
|
Its understated elegance shines through
By ASPJ8Z8WTPQEQ on 2008-06-13
This is an astonishing, mysterious, bewildering and profound novel. And even though the story is sad and heart-breaking, it is written so well that it has resulted in a deeply satisfying novel as well. Not since I read Yann Martel's mesmerizing novel, "Life of Pi", have I found myself so deeply absorbed in a novelist's magical creation as I was while reading "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle".
The novel begins with a needless killing of an injured, limping, stray dog with poison by a medicine man or herbalist. This brutal killing fits into the novel later, as the novel progresses.
The protagonist of the novel is a fourteen years old boy named Edgar Sawtelle, who was born mute. His parents - Gar and Trudy Sawtelle are dog-breeders, who live on a farm in a remote part of northern Wisconsin, not far from the Chequamegon National Forest. They breed and train a unique and special breed of canine developed by Edgar's grand father, John Sawtelle; hence the name of the breed: Sawtelle. The dogs earn good reputation not only for their noble temperament, but also for their intuitive ability to anticipate their masters' command, and then interpret and act on the command independently also. The family's peaceful farm life is disrupted when Claude, Edgar's charming, conniving paternal uncle visits them. Gar offers him a job at the farm and a place to stay. Soon Gar dies suddenly and mysteriously. Edgar suspects that Claude murdered Gar. He tries to prove that Claude did indeed murder Gar, but his plan misfires, and so to save himself from Claude he runs away into the Chequamegon woods, accompanied by three young dogs.
The author's vivid descriptions of nature, his ability to describe the terrors of the wilderness and the horrors of living in a jungle, and his decision to narrate a part of the story from a dog's perspective have added distinct charm to the novel. The magic of his pen is such that even the supernatural and paranormal incidents in the story seem to be natural, logical and believable.
David Wroblewski is a masterful narrator. His prose is spare but mellifluous; and even though it lacks the grandeur and splendor of Yann Martel's or Joseph O'Neill's prose, its understated elegance shines through: "Late in the morning he found himself navigating along a heavily washboarded dirt road. The limbs of the trees meshed overhead. Left and right, thick underbrush obscured everything farther than twenty yards into the woods. When the road finally topped out at a clearing, he was presented with a view of the Penokee range rolling out to the west, and an unbroken emerald forest stretching to the north - all the way, it seemed, to the granite rim of Lake Superior. At the bottom of the hill stood a little white farmhouse and a gigantic red barn. A milk house was huddled up near the front of the barn. An untopped stone silo stood behind. By the road, a crudely lettered sign read, "For Sale."
This novel is so extra-ordinary and so exquisitely written that I am sure that I shall be reading it again soon. Reading it was a great joy.
Very Disappointing :-(
By A1I3Y3YXVTHUO8 on 2008-06-23
From all of the hype surrounding this book to the overwhelmingly positive reviews on the back (Stephen King RAVES about it), I couldn't wait to read it. I was certainly surprised (but not in a good way).
The reader must be willing to slog through tons of backstory, some relevant, some irrelevant, before you get to the meat of this book.
I agree with the reviewers that the author is a very "pretty" writer (the scenes and descriptions are at times breathtaking and certainly creative and on point) however the story itself reads like a typical "first novel" in that the author has not yet learned what to keep in and what to leave out. Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) is left in in this book, the necessary and the unnecessary. This causes the story to drag in places and, at times, leaves the reader perplexed: not sure who to follow or who to sympathize with (especially in the first 200 pages).
The author is heavy on "telling" too, as more narration than scenes make up the first part of this book. All of the above combines to distance the reader from both Edgar and his quest. Lovers of Hamlet will certainly recognize the story, but in the end they may wish that they had simply stopped with Hamlet and left this version untouched.
*Here* is a writer...
By A296VPC2WT0JQ5 on 2008-06-10
...and *here* is a novel.
Chock-full of a love of language, a robust narrative style, but moreover, more importantly, here is an actual *story*, something rare on today's literary fiction landscape.
'Edgar Sawtelle' will appeal to those who love a good story, to those who love intriguing characters, and certainly to those who love dogs.
Mr. Wroblewski's accomplishments with this, his début novel, is substantial. Equally so are Stephen King's glowing words, which, I find in reflection, say everything I might lavish on the author, leaving me to simply nod and pass along the book to loved ones, so that they too, might experience the enjoyment I did at reading 'The Story of Edgar Sawtelle'.
Congratulations to the author on this storytelling achievement.
Get ready to lose some sleep!
By A1C9WVCEU72PJB on 2008-06-21
There are at least three ways to introduce this wonderful American novel to you. I could say, in summary, that this novel is like a 20th Century American midwestern Hamlet with dogs. That kind of lead would draw me in, but it might leave you cold. But be assured: you don't have to love dogs or dote on Shakespeare to adore this fine novel.
Or I could say, Here is an extraordinarily well-written novel set in mid-20th Century Wisconsin and built around four beautifully crafted characters: Edgar Sawtelle, the mute but very bright son; Gar Sawtelle, the warm persevering father; Trudy Sawtelle, the disciplined but sweetly loving mother; and Claude Sawtelle, Gar's brother who returns from years in the Navy and on the road to turn the world upside down for the Sawtelles. If you are into relational stories, that lead might grab you.
But I think the best way to prepare you for this book is to tell you that once you reach the incredible scene where Edgar is confronted by the ghost of his dead father, you will not be able to set this book down until you finish it. Since this scene occurs approximately in the middle of the story and the book runs to some 576 pages, be prepared to lose some sleep.
One of the claims of Claude Sawtelle is that you can have anything you want if you are patient. That may or may not be true in your case. But if you are patient with the rich, convincing unfolding of this story, you can certainly have a rewarding reading experience.
P.S.: If you do love dogs, you will love the book even more.
Something is Really Weird
By A3MUXRC8FB6O63 on 2008-06-20
I enjoyed the book very much, though I thought it could have used some more editing. My concern here, however, are the reviews. Here are excerpts from three of the above reviews.
"accompanied by three young dogs named Almondine, Baboo and Tinder."
"Edgar flees accompanied by his best friends Almondine and two other dogs."
"he runs away into the Chequamegon woods, accompanied by three young dogs named Almondine, Baboo and Tinder."
Almondine does not run away with Edgar - Essay does, but the fact that three of the nine above reviewers make the same very obvious mistake (if you read the book) seems more suspicious than coincidental.
- Disappointed - Not worthy of quesionable hype
By A14I6DC10NZD8S on 2008-07-21
I'm having a really hard time believing that all these 5-star reviews are legitimate. Some of them don't even seem to be by someone who READ this book as they are full of factual errors. I cannot recommend this book, but will try to provide some insight into what you'll REALLY be getting if you buy it.
What's good: Author is a gifted wordcrafter, with an ability to pick poetic and unusual phrases to capture an image or feeling. The dog interactions in the wild are inspired and inspiring. The evoking of a time and place (rural Wisconsin in the 50's) is powerful.
What's not: Pacing is virtually unchanged throughout. There are dozens of plotlines that occupy pages and go nowhere and are never resolved or tied in (dog breeding debate, Forte, stray puppy, town fortune teller, role of Dr. Papideau, Henry and the dogs - for just a few). It's sort of like a long poem or a set of song lyrics that makes you sit back and appreciate it's beauty, but scratch your head at the point. Presented as a tragedy, but just disappointing, not cathartic. Evil personified (Claude) is just sort of grey and strange - no convincing explanation for source of his evilness or his motivation for ruining everything. No clear personal flaws presented in Gar, Trudy or Edgar to make them deserving of their fate - in fact quite the contrary. About 90% of the way through, all these threads have been spun and you're waiting for the author to work his magic of pulling them all together into a beautiful and coherent ending, and instead he just quits and literally burns it all down. It's not that I insist on a happy ending, but I insist on one that makes me feel there was a point to my journey.
In short, if you love Russian novels, go ahead. DON'T buy if you think you're getting a "dog story" or a "kid story".
- Dramatic and Compelling
By A37SHV7YJVUNJ0 on 2008-06-10
This is a wonderful read. The story blends an authentic portrayal of the cultural and geographic landscape of the midwest with completely new and unexpected elements. The access the story gives you to the feelings and perceptions of the dogs is a rare experience. It reminded me of reading The Call of the Wild in my teens. The supernatural elements and danger threaded through the story create a momentum and suspense that pull you through the story fast. It's a pleasure that's over too soon.
- Hamlet in modern day Wisconsin
By AFVQZQ8PW0L on 2008-06-15
In a remote part of Wisconsin, Gar Sawtelle, his wife Trudy and their young son, mute
Edgar makes a living breeding and training dogs. Edgar has developed a unique special relationship with Almondine, one of the family dogs; the pair communicates in a way that his parents are unable to do with their son.
The family is contented although the work with the canines is hard. When Gar's brother charming brother Claude comes home the family dynamics change but not in a positive manner. Soon after his arrival Gar dies and the silent Edgar is unable to call for help. He is filled with remorse and guilt making his grief even more difficult. However, he soon believes his father was murdered by his uncle who has spent an exorbitant amount of time with his mom. Fearing he may be next, Edgar flees accompanied by his best friends Almondine and two other dogs.
Hamlet is brought into modern day Wisconsin as readers feel the destiny of tragedy will occur from the moment Claude arrives and after that happens, a sense of a second calamity once Edgar concludes his uncle killed his father to eliminate the sole barrier to his mother. Readers will be spellbound by David Wrobleweski's retelling of the classic as the key cast comes alive especially the mute Edgar who readers get to know by his thoughts and his communication with Almondine (sort of in some ways like the Ghost). This is a fascinating winner, but at 566 pages set aside some time.
Harriet Klausner
- So glad I'm not the only one...
By A1ADZJWH438E8Q on 2008-07-11
I'm sorry, but I couldn't wait for it to end. The Hamlet parallels are as subtle as a sledgehammer (Claude/Claudius, the Vet/Polonius, okay, but the dogs as "players" and Almondine as Ophelia?). The plot is far-fetched (no pun intended), sinister and creepy. The poison, the ether, the dog-fights--these are awful people. I wanted to get away from all of them. And what about Edgar's mother--what did she do to deserve all this sadness? I wanted to like this book--it's obviously touched a lot of people. I shared that feeling briefly in reading the chapter that describes Almondine's grief after Gar's death--it's beautiful. But otherwise, I just tried to plod through, but found it all so depressing. And if I hear the word "mow" one more time, I'm going to scream.
- A Story About .......
By A37F1G84K35FCZ on 2008-06-25
"A story about a boy and his dog for grownups", that is how the author described this book.
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Wroblewski speak last night and found his thoughts very interesting and I believe worth sharing here. If I make an error in memory I apologize. He did not share the plot of his book and believes that novels should be experienced, as intended, by being read, not selectively exposed by others. He very politely declined to even share what type of dog he owns as he did not want readers to have any pre-conceived ideas about how the fictional breed of Sawtelle dogs in the book were imagined. He spoke of creating this story that is haunted by another story in 5 acts. And when he did read from the work he chose to read the chapter entitled "Almondine".
I have been posting my comments on books here for over 10 years. In all that time I cannot place another debut work by a writer above this remarkable work by Mr. Wroblewski. Another debut that comes to mind is Jeffrey Lent's first work "In The Fall", also a novel, and "All Over But The Shoutin" by Rick Bragg. The latter was non-fiction but his writing and story-telling skills were and remain extraordinary.
So the best I can do here is to recommend the book without qualification, to give nothing of the story away. You need only to love a wonderful story by a man who is passionate about what he writes who has given readers a book that I believe will be honored with literary awards in the near term and will be read as a classic American Novel a century from now.
- over-rated
By A24EWZSBX5A59 on 2008-07-03
Man, what a disappointment! Monotone delivery throughout. The author can't hit the high notes so the book lacks oomph. Boy-dog books are notorious tear-jerkers, but not this one, not at all. Ex. (Spoiler Alert) The main character dies and you barely even notice; The best dog dies and it's not even described! Mind-blowing lack of drama.
The "story" rambles. Was the whole Henry experience even necessary? Now he has his grandfather's insight into the nobility of raising/training dogs? Ooooh. Heck, all that time running away was kind of pointless. No real reason given as to why go home either. Could have cut 1/3 of the book right there. The foreshadowing wasn't done well. It's like what the (dead) father told him to do was completely forgotten for 200 pages, and not picked up too well either. Clearly Edgar was supposed to find out about Claude's time in the clink, but it never happened. I think I'll go to Canada and join a cult?! Hachi(sp?)/ambassador angle went nowhere. Terrible ending. The dogs feel the call of the wild? LAME.
Aside from the first Almondine chapter, which was very original and effective, this book basically sucked. Author: find a story, tell the story and stop trying to be so coy and circumspect.
- REALLY Disappointing
By A18EJM1FLHM3E1 on 2008-08-06
I heard about this book even before it was published and was very excited to read it. I love dogs, the plot sounded great, and the early reviews were that it was "An American Masterpiece!" Let me assure you--it is most definitely not.
Here are just a few of the many problems:
1. The characterization. I still have no idea really who any of the main characters are--what drives them, how they think, what they feel. I have vague, general ideas (as one might get from a thriller or mystery where plot is the point rather than the characters) but nothing at all that makes me care about any of them.
2. The plot. The basics--a mute boy, his dogs, running away from home--are promising enough, but Wroblewski just does not know what to do with them. His book reads like a first draft of a first novel of someone who has not yet learned how to hold all the pieces together. And he is in desperate need of an editor. Which brings me to my next point.
3. The Writing. It could easily have been half the length without sacrificing anything at all. There are whole pages that go nowhere and plot points that wander off into the woods never to be heard from again. And I DID read the whole entire book, all the way to the bitter, boring end, hoping that somehow things would all come together and the book would at least somewhat redeem itself. It did not.
4. The dogs. This is the most disappointing and most unforgivable aspect of the book for me. As a long-time dog lover (I grew up with them and have lived with them my whole life) I live for books about dogs--fiction, non-fiction, even kind of badly written books, as long as the dog part is well done. And I can promise you, this is not well done at all. The author must know something about dogs as his bio says he grew up on a breeding farm, but if so, he is clearly not capable of writing about them. The internal world he has created for them simply does not match how dogs are. If you want to read a good dog book, read Merle's Door, Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain, Call of the Wild, Where the Red Fern Grows, Pack of Two, A Dog Year.
5. The ending. After being alternately annoyed and bored out of my mind for 500 pages, I still had hoped for some kind of payoff in the end. It is, after all, being marketed as a literary MYSTERY. Perhaps there was some kind of WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! final scene? Nope. There's not. The ending is stupid, unsatisfying and has all the melodrama of a soap opera. It is not suspenseful, it did not warm my heart, it did not make me believe in redemption or the power of love. It didn't even make me want to go hug my dog. And that's really saying something for a "Boy and His Dog" kind of story.
My heart WAS filled with gratitude however that my copy was from the library so I could simply dump it in the return slot rather than curse the wast of money it would have represented had I purchased it.
- unrewarding even with effort
By AT0B86GMT7IYU on 2008-07-26
I understand the angry responses of many readers. This book received a lot of positive press, creating much anticipation. The author does not lack talent (there is, for example, much beautiful description of the land), but there are decided problems with pacing, character motivation, and especially length. Like a number of others, I found myself wondering if I should give up on the book. I am interested in the human/dog connection, the spiritual bonds people form with animals; however, I found the minutia about dog training quite taxing. Edgar's slog through the forest was also given far too much time. What I found most difficult and unyielding, however, were the frequent metaphorical musings about time. I re-read many of these, hoping to get a clearer sense of the author's overarching theme, but these efforts availed me nothing. Additionally, I fully agree with those readers who have indicated confusion about character motivation. It is not clear what Claude is out to gain or why he should have such resentment towards his brother--whether his acquisition of the poison in Korea was indeed made with his brother in mind. Edgar's trek through the wilderness doesn't seem to serve much of a purpose either. Though we understand he fears being charged with the murder of the vet, the real point of the journey to the north (not to mention its duration) is not clear.
For those considering purchase of the book: you need to be forewarned that this is not a particularly satisfying or fresh story about the bond between dogs and humans. In fact, it's not really clear what the point of the story is... In the end, I felt annoyed and disappointed. I didn't have the sense, as I did with Shakespeare's Hamlet, that a sort of catharsis had come about, that the rot at the heart of the story had been cleared away. Were we readers supposed to think that Essay was taking her canine followers to Henry? Or were the dogs entering the new kingdom of the wild, to be governed by Forte (Fortinbras)? I really didn't get it. I do read literary fiction, but even quite effortful reading did not illuminate some of the stubbornly obscure passages here, nor did it provide me with sufficient pleasure for the time put in. Editors really do have an important role, and I think there's much they (and the author's teachers--Mr. Russo and Ms. Livesay, for example) could've done to help the plainly talented Mr. Wroblewski.
- wonderful book
By A11Z7PWUNAGHPC on 2008-06-19
This is an absolutely beautifully written book with a plot that keeps you page turning until the very last. It's been a long time since I truly fell in love with a work of fiction - The Thorn Birds comes to mind. Like all great stories, it's about love but a very different kind and the author shows an uncanny ability to convey deep emotion from two unlikely sources, a mute child and a dog. The one problem I had [perhaps someone can enlighten me] is the role of Forte - I didn't understand the significance of the photo with Claude. Anyway, read this book!
- I hated this book...
By A3E24YI2D7TTIU on 2008-07-13
It's been years since I've disliked a book as much as this one, and I can't remember ever being as angry at myself for slogging through to the bitter (understatement!) end. Like some other reviewers here, I wanted to like it. I love starting a thick, new novel that is getting great reviews, and almost always find something to love about the story. Honestly, I couldn't wait to finish Edgar Sawtelle, and found myself skimming much of the last 100 pages, just to be done with it. Modern Hamlet it may have tried to be, but I thought it was overwrought, badly edited, full of unsympathetic, shallow characters; and, with the exception of Almondine, even the dogs turned out to be just...dogs.
- A Sprawling Resetting of Hamlet
By A2Z0WCD75PIEM9 on 2008-07-10
Two things to add to other reviews which have largely covered things in this well-crafted debut:
(1) This resetting of Hamlet lacks the occasional use of humor in the original -- there is not a moment of humor or comedy in its 500+ pages, which leaves the somber dynamic less effective since there is little rise and fall of mood; and
(2) It needed tighter editing in my opinion -- many brilliantly-written, well-crafted passages don't contribute to the characters or story and thus drag down the pacing (example: the written correspondence covering the dog breeding debates); similarly, a good bit of Edgar's time after he runs away seems to drag when it should accelerate toward a climax.
These objections don't imply that I didn't enjoy and appreciate the novel. The consistency of tone across such a large work is especially remarkable.
I enjoyed the book and found it well-written, a fitting tribute to Hamlet, but it also read like the first complete effort of a talented writer, meaning I will look forward to subsequent books but can't quite heap the extremely high praise on it that I hear from others (they are *really* marketing this book, eh?).
- Most disappointing
By A31BABUV8X9FL5 on 2008-07-26
I cannot remember being this disappointed in a book. I listened to and read so many rave reviews that the book should have lived up to its hype, but no. The author created some very interesting characters, but it seemed as if he got just so far and then didn't know what to do with them all at the end, so he did the easiest thing possible. Terrible book. Did the reviewers actually read this book all the way through?
- Worth Being Patient For
By AYT4FJYVCHYLE on 2008-07-11
So much has already been said about this novel that it almost feels redundant to talk about the beautiful prose, or core group of wonderful characters. Yes, the book has significant length to it, and perhaps the misconception for many people is they think based on the reviews or subject matter it would be a nice beach read for the summer. It's heavy (both is theme and weight), rich in descriptive detail almost to a fault (dog training minutia Ad nauseam), yet has moments of absolutely fantastic writing that screams, 'classic'. If you can be patient and go along for the ride, it's a rewarding read.
- Eeeeesh,, What a disappointment!!!
By A13OMBJBUTMUOC on 2008-07-26
I was in a state of high anticipation for this book. At first glance it appeared to have all the makings of a very good read. Boy was I wrong.. The story line started off well but as it went along it got weaker by the page. I kept reading and thinking that it would all start to make sense but even after reading the last page, I was scratching my head and saying "Whadup"!! The ending was one of the biggest disappoints that I have EVER experienced in my literary life! So much could have been done with this story. The potential was there. It was like the author just kind of got tired of the whole story somewhere in the middle and decided
to finish it in an evening.. What a shame. There could have been an ongoing story with the Sawtelle family and their dogs. I would have loved to continue the saga with them but not with the way that this book progressed and ended. Please don't waste your time or money on this one. I never write reviews but I wanted to spare someone else the disappointment that I felt in regards to this book.
- Deserves every accolade
By A3U4Z6ZTEZQDOE on 2008-06-17
A truly stunning literary thriller of a novel. Though to call it a thriller marginalizes the content - this is an epic, sprawling novel that reveals the dark side of life, while remaining ultimately above despair. The writing is first-rate.
Definitely one of the books of the year.
- boring!
By A2UUUCYZIZKGY3 on 2008-06-22
I bought this at the airport for company on a long flight, because it got such praise and great reviews. I could not get into it! I didn't find it believable, the ghosts and dogs and so forth, I just could not connect or relate. I thought the prose was overwritten. It did help me get to sleep while traversing the Atlantic.
- Beautiful effort
By AZO13SQ3EOKT9 on 2008-07-06
I want to start this off by saying I loved much about this read--the rich description, the details, the ambition to cover all angles, but I must say, in these times, to write a book that is 600 pages is just too much to ask of a contemporary reader. In Tolstoy's time, this was acceptable. In fact, those great 19th century writers wrote such lengthy tomes because more than likey, one or two of those hefty reads was going to be someone's entertainment for the entire year! That and maybe a sling shot, a nightly game of TiddlyWinks or Scrabble...you get my drift. But the sheer volume of this tale was the problem for me, and in so many cases, a book long in length can become a MASTERPIECE given sharp and decisive editing. THE STORY OF EDGAR... has all the makings of a terrific book and would have been if the editor in charge would have had the temerity to cut out 150- 200 pages. I am serious. It still would have been a long book! But the pace needs quickening and by doing so, the narrative would have worked all the better. Of course, this is my humble opinion.
I say, give it a go, but good luck plowing through it all. For my time and money, give me something like the breathtaking, OUT STEALING HORSES--a short, but substantive read, made all the more powerful for its brevity and condensation of lyrical description. And it's all of about 260 pages!
- A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME
By AYHHH582S0GQ3 on 2008-07-25
I had to force myself to finish this book. This was probably the most painful reading experience of my life. Can I get my money back? One of the reviewers said something about about wasting a few hours...this was more like self-flagellation. The next time I want this kind of abuse, I'll wipe myself down with poison ivy.
- At last, an addition to American literature...
By A23US54A0OILE4 on 2008-06-19
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is one of the best fiction books I've read this year. Well plotted, great story line, with terrific, down to earth characters, David Wroblewski surely has a winner on his hands. Can a movie deal be far off?
Edgar Sawtelle is a young boy who is a mute. He lives on a farm in the northern (and remoter) part of Wisconsin. He, his father, Gar, and his mother, Trudy, raise a breed of dogs that was started by Edgar's grandfather. Edgar has a special relationship with Almondine, one of the family's dogs. Just as you feel that all is well with the world and that nothing could fracture this pastoral existence, Gar's brother, Claude, arrives on the scene. Claude, on the one hand is charming and very considerate of the family, especially Edgar's mother. It is only with the passage of time and the death of Edgar's father that a darker side to Claude becomes apparent.
Edgar, saddened by the loss of his father and perhaps a bit confused heads in to the woods with three of the family dogs. It is during this part of the book that David Wroblewski shines his brightest. A long read, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle may be headed to become an American classic. Paced well with enough suspense to keep the reader coming back for more, Edgar Sawtelle will become a memorable read for anyone who finishes the book.
It may be unfair to compare Wroblewski to Dean Koontz, and perhaps uncalled for. However, Koontz uses dogs and our relationship with them better and more consistently that anyone currently writing and he has done so almost from the beginning of his writing career. I was reminded just a bit of Koontz as I read this story because of the way Wroblewski used the dogs as an integral part of the story. Well done.
The ending....wow.
Peace always.
- not "Where the Red Fern Grows"
By A3O16ME3EXV20C on 2008-06-26
I've read some reviews of this book, saying it's the best dog story ever written-In my opinion, it can't "tie the shoelaces" of "Where the Red Fern Grows". I used to work with my Literature classes with this book, and by the end of the story there were very few dry eyes, including mine."Sawtelle" could have been shortened by about 250 pages and probably would have been better off for it
- slogging away
By A1TDAUS29LHC7O on 2008-07-07
I'm about 1/2 way through and struggling... only because of the good reviews, and hoping it will improve. Actually, I'm beginning to think that life is too short to finish this book. Definitely lacking in editing and sculpting out unnecessary and repetitve descriptions. I have very little connection with any of the characters and wish I'd never bought the book in the first place.
- Major Disappointment
By A184DN0WYZSJAS on 2008-07-08
I enjoyed the first few chapters, but as the book slogged on, I felt manipulated and led on a wild goose chase. Had the book been real and not downloaded into my kindle, I would have thrown the stupid thing across the room when I reached the end. I have read reviews that proclaim this book to be so great, when it is an overwritten, poorly edited gigantic waste of time. DO NOT lead me on this story, try to make me care about these characters and then kill the main character at the end. It leads me to believe the author had no idea how to end the book and just threw together this foolishness in order to finally finish. This is $9.99 and many hours of my life I will never get back again.
- Silly
By A2OTEGUGVA3MG3 on 2008-07-16
A book for those without much reading experience. A silly story dressed up as something important. Read it if thinking is a burden to you.
- Half is good and half is bad
By A347SM0LX07N5Q on 2008-07-20
I have never read a book so amazingly bifurcated. The first half is almost brilliant, a dazzling gateway into a character's idiosyncratic world. Very nicely done. But then you get to the Hamlet part which is about as forced and artificial as a book can be; the `Hamlet' connection is cobbled on to the narrative and drags the story down as if it were tin cans tied to a dog's tail.
- If you love dogs your time is better spent training them than reading this book
By A1N69BF1X8T4DM on 2008-07-25
Let me begin by saying I am an avid dog lover. Most importanly, I'm an avid reader, but don't normally read fiction. I was given a very lovely book called "Lost & Found" about a black lab, AND the first fictional book I've ready in many years...I loved it! When I read the reviews of Edgar Sawtelle, I said, "GREAT, another amazing dog story - maybe I should begin reading fiction more often!" I can simply review the book like this: I spent time away from my family reading this book, hated the ending, and upon completion of the book I looked at my husband and said, "Well there are quite a few wasted hours of my life that I will never get back!" I actually went back to re-read the 1st 2 chapters to see if I missed something from the start. Was Claude planning to kill his brother from the time he bought the poison? And if this is a story about a boy "coming of age", how does he come of age when he dies at the end?! If you are into ready flowing/poetic words that your high school and college English teachers swooned over, than this MIGHT be a book for you. Sometimes I found myself reading through such lengthy adjectives that I couldn't help but think, "get to the point". All in all, I'm sorry that I took time away from my family by reading this story as it left me sad, angry, and once again, questioning the value of fiction.
|
|
You may also be interested in...
|
|
|
|
|
|
