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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel
Ecco by David Wroblewski Search David Wroblewski
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Released: 2008-06-10 Rating:  More Details: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel @Amazon The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel @aStore |
Product Description
Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life on his family's farm in remote northern Wisconsin where they raise and train an extraordinary breed of dog. But when tragedy strikes, Edgar is forced to flee into the vast neighboring wilderness, accompanied by only three yearling pups. Struggling for survival, Edgar comes of age in the wild, and must face the choice of leaving forever or revealing the terrible truth behind what has happened. A riveting family saga as well as a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is destined to become a modern classic.
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 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." I liked it but couldn;t finish it... A Good Read One of the most depressing books I've ever read. Awesome! 
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.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book, wrong ending 
What a wonderful read and a group of characters that tie you in to a story with the most unfortunate and ill-perceived ending. I, as other reviewers, do not mind a tragic ending, but too much of the novel's mystique that carries you through is left unanswered and unfinished. I am truly unsatisfied after a starting a book that seemed to be off to a great start.
Beautifully written - but I am an animal lover and it was very, very hard for me to always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. As much as I felt the author's intent to show Edgar and his father and mother's love for their dogs, I also knew (from the first foreshadowing/preface page of the book) that any minute a dog could or would die, be harmed, mistreated or neglected. This won't be a problem for most people, but as someone who anthropomorphises - I felt the dogs were strong characters in the book and deserved better. I literally could not finish this book once I saw the writing on the wall (which was soon after Gar left...), This was my first "kindle-book" and I was sad not to be able to finish the experience. I have NEVER not finished a good book. This is a first.
This book has the potential to become a modern classic; it was extremely well-written and drew me in like few books can. It reminds me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Especially good were the events and impressions from both Almondine's and Edgar's points of view.
The last pages of the book, however, left nothing but questions and cognitive dissonance. How could the protagonists Edgar and Trudy deserve such an ending? Where was Essay leading the pack of dogs? Why did people really want Sawtelle dogs and what were the Sawtelles truly selling? And what about all the characters who took so much time to develop--the creepy old lady; Henry; Trudy; Forte II? How could the author allow the plot to simply extinguish, without bringing any resolution?
Having asked all these questions, though, I still recommend this book. If you need your book to have a happy ending, don't buy this book. If you're comfortable with leaving a few loose ends, read away. Perhaps in the future the author may publish some alternative endings. While we're waiting for that, though, it would be a good college freshman literature assignment: rewrite the ending to The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
I'm looking forward to more books by David Wroblewski.
When I first heard the author interviewed on Diane Rehm, I thought it sounded like a great book, but I chose not to read it at the time since it was about dogs and I convinced myself that at least one dog would die and I'm extremely emotional in when it comes to non-human animials.
Like Oprah frequently warns, one should always listen to their gut instinct.
Unfortunately, I was later told by someone I know that I simply must read this book (although admittedly, not someone I trusted even before the recommendation) and then Oprah put in on her list (I don't hold it against her). So, I finally decided that if Wroblewski spent 10 years writing the story, I should give it a go. After suffering through the few days it took to get through this, I wonder how he could have spent that much time creating such an abysmal tale.
The story was nothing but tragedy from start to finish. I agree that the passages devoted to Almondine's thoughts were poignant and beautifully written, albeit absolutely gut-wrenching. I cried from the beginning to the end of this book. I wish that I had not finished it, but I felt at the time that I just had to see Edgar through to the end. Big mistake.
I was also very taken in by, and hoped that the history of "The Sawtelle Dogs", and in particular the letters between the senior Sawtelle and the biologist/breeder, would lead to something interesting, but it went absolutely nowhere.
The only reason I'm writing this review and the only reason I would tell anyone I know about it, is to ward them off of it. If I could prevent one person from reading this book, it is worth the time it took to write this. Sorry Wroblewski.
BTW this is my first book review.
I couldn't put this book down- I read it in 2 days! It is a great story, you know the story line, but the unique setting and twists make this a great read!
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現代版ハムレット
isbn: 0061374229 フィクション部門 9位（ニューヨーク・タイムズ紙 7月6日付ベストセラーリスト） 本書はデイヴィッド・ロブルースキーの長編デビュー作。 生まれつき口がきけないエドガーは、ウィスコンシン州北部の田舎で両親と暮らしていた。 ...
http://eigo777bbb.jugem.jp/?eid=227
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
0061374229 Check Our Catalog. An Oprah Book Club Selection. This riveting saga of an American family captures the deep and ancient alliance between humans and dogs, and the power of fate through one boy’s epic journey into the wild. ...
http://menomoniepubliclibrary.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/the-story-of-edgar-sawtelle/
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62 ...
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel0061374229... A New Earth (Oprahs Book Club)B000PC0S5K... Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 3)B000O76OOK... O, The Oprah Magazine (2-year)B000LXS9QS... Tags: Book, Club, Edgar, Novel, Oprah, ...
http://rikle.com/The-Story-of-Edgar-Sawtelle-A-Novel-Oprah-Book-Club-62.html
Oprah Picks ‘The Story of Edgar Sawtelle’
Hardcover: $25.95; Publisher: Ecco (June 10, 2008); ISBN-10: 0061374229; ISBN-13: 9780061374227. Audio CD: Unabridged, 18 CDs, 21.5 hrs., $39.95; Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC; Narrator: Richard Poe; ISBN-10: 1436160308 ...
http://www.earlyword.com/2008/09/19/oprah-picks-the-story-of-edgar-sawtelle/
rip iii: the story of edgar sawtelle
... the easy route this year; reading two books (peril the second, as it’s called). my first book is: the story of edgar sawtelle by david wroblewski (published 2008, fiction, 576 pages, isbn-10: 0061374229 & isbn-13: 978-0061374227) ...
http://fondofsnape.com/?p=1862
the story of edgar sawtelle
isbn-10: 0061374229 # isbn-13: 978-0061374227. as a critic stated on the book’s jacket, i was so disappointed when the book ended, and do not think i will find another book that will capture my attention as this story did. ...
http://www.blogandsoul.com/bookaholic/?p=1862
david wroblewski - "the story of edgar sawtelle"
it is a rare writing debut that inspires the sort of adulation that david wroblewski has received for his first novel "the story of edgar sawtelle." the title character is a mute wisconsin farm boy, whose unique coming of age takes ...
http://www.eyeonbooks.com/ibp.php?ISBN=0061374229
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle : A Novel - aNobii
Hardcover 576 Pages: ISBN-10: 0061374229: ISBN-13: 9780061374227: Publisher: Ecco: Pub date: Jun 01, 2008: Dimensions: 23 cm x 16 cm x 5 cm Just how big is that? Improve data of this book. Suggest different versions or languages of the ...
http://www.anobii.com/books/The_Story_of_Edgar_Sawtelle/9780061374227/016e26571c81df0806/
new blog feature:tazrah's book club: august 2008
http://www.amazon.com/story-edgar-sawtelle-novel/dp/0061374229/ref=cm_cmu_pg_i enjoy, and (this time i mean it) happy reading! taz the book devil ps: more reviews here: http://www.davidwroblewski.com/reviews.html.
http://richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-blog-featuretazrahs-book-club.html
the story of edgar sawtelle: a novel (hardcover)
isbn: 0061374229 number of pages: 576 release date: 2008-06-10. customer reviews. really disappointing i heard about this book even before it was published and was very excited to read it. i love dogs, the plot sounded great, ...
http://thaitourist.biz/?p=159
