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Loading... The story of Edgar Sawtelle : a novel (original 2008; edition 2008)by David Wroblewski
Work InformationThe Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (2008)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. The Sory of Edgar Sawtelle is an awesome novel. It ranks as one of the best books I have ever read. ( ) Edgar Sawtelle is born able to hear but unable to speak. Consequently he withdraws from human companionship and forms his closest bonds with the family dogs. Unlike the humans in Edgar's life, the loyalty of the dogs is unwavering and in the end the dogs are left standing tall, proud and free while the humans are left dead, blind, or insane. The end may have been a bit too melodramatic, but it was very fitting.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a dutiful procession through the main events of [Hamlet]. The Mousetrap scene, in which Edgar trains his dogs to act out his father’s murder in front of Claude, is marvelous—Wroblewski loves writing about dogs and he’s great at it—but the other pages are still covered by translucent drafter’s blueprints. Here’s Polonius, the meddler, here’s Laertes, the avenging son, and so on. (The Laertes figure isn’t introduced until page 489 and he’s as puzzled as the rest of us about why he’s supposed to kill a fourteen-year-old boy.) Wroblewski is only at pains to apply himself when there’s a chance his characters might become complicated and unsympathetic. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, all 566 pages, is surprising and rewarding. It's worth savoring, both its story and its storytelling. High literary art from a talent that bears watching. This is the best book I've read in a long time. [A] spellbinding first novel . . . Was inspired byAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
A tale reminiscent of "Hamlet" that also celebrates the alliance between humans and dogs follows speech-disabled Wisconsin youth Edgar, who bonds with three yearling canines and struggles to prove that his sinister uncle is responsible for his father's death. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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