The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

 

Did I mention this book was 562 pages?

Anyway, I finally got through it. Actually, I shouldn’t make it sound like it was such a burden because in fact, it wasn’t that hard to keep taking it out of my bag and read another chapter or two. While some parts were slow, the overall plot and descriptive writing kept me captivated.

This book captured my attention for many reasons. A small reason: Edgar is mute and uses sign language to communicate with his parents and to train the dogs that his family breeds. A large reason: a large chunk of the story really sheds light on the close and almost humanistic connection that dogs can provide with their owners. Dog lovers galore will love this and relate to this.

Another reason I really got sucked into this book was the writing. After reading The Hunger Games trilogy earlier this summer which is targeted toward a young adult audience, Wroblewski’s writing was a stunning change of pace. Between descriptive narrations and being able to describe emotional depth in different characters in a way I could never come up with on my own, I was extremely impressed. It had been awhile since I had read a book of this kind of stature and it was nice to be able to appreciate good writing again. There were parts of the book when the author would go into deep detail about something, such as how Edgar trains his puppies, and I would wonder why so much detail was necessary. Yet, because I loved his writing so much, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was some strange genius behind the words that I couldn’t quite find. That, to me, is talent.

You should know this story is based loosely on Hamlet. So if you’re wondering whether this is a happy or sad book, there’s your answer.

I’m not sure how I would have felt about the ending had I not known the story was based on Hamlet. That’s always a problem with information – it can alter your take on something for better or for worse. And now I’ve maybe ruined or made better your own experience if you decide to read this book. Hm. 

Anyway, this book is not for the lighthearted - it takes awhile to get through and while the plot is thick and captivating, it still moves slowly as there are so many details. And it's depressing. Nonetheless, I recommend it.