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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (Oprah's Book Club Selection #62)

by David Wroblewski

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (Oprah's Book Club Selection #62) Cover

Staff Pick

An eloquent exploration of both inner and outer landscapes, this novel will wind about your psyche and not easily let go. The perfect book to curl up with on a fall afternoon, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a not-so-simple tale of a Wisconsin boy and his dogs that will haunt you long after the last page has been turned.
Recommended by Mary Jo, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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.

Review:

"The best novel I've read in a long, long, long, long time...a literary feast of a book." Oprah Winfrey

Review:

"I doubt we'll see a finer literary debut this year than The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. David Wroblewski's got storytelling talent to burn and a big, generous heart to go with it." Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls

Review:

"I flat-out loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.... Wonderful, mysterious, long and satisfying.... I don't re-read many books, because life is too short. I will be re-reading this one." Stephen King

Review:

"A stately, wonderfully written debut novel... [Wroblewski] takes an intense interest in his characters; takes pains to invest emotion and rough understanding in them; and sets them in motion with graceful language... a boon for dog lovers, and for fans of storytelling that eschews flash. Highly recommended." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Review:

"An excruciatingly captivating read... Ultimately liberating, though tragic and heart-wrenching, this book is unforgettable." Library Journal (starred review)

Review:

"Edgar Sawtelle is a boy without a voice, but his world, populated by the dogs his family breeds, is anything but silent. This is a remarkable story about the language of friendship — a language that transcends words." Dalia Sofer, bestselling author of The Septembers of Shiraz

Synopsis:

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.

About the Author

David Wroblewski grew up in rural Wisconsin, not far from the Chequamegon National Forest where The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is set. He earned his master's degree from the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and now lives in Colorado with his partner, the writer Kimberly McClintock, and their dog, Lola. This is his first novel.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 6 comments:
dwndrgn, June 12, 2009 (view all comments by dwndrgn)
Bah. Everyone says this is such a great book. Well I disagree. It could have been a terrific book! But it fell short. Even ignoring the obvious problems such as the author not knowing that Tylenol is poisonous to dogs - while the set up was good, the story arc decent and the characters relatively interesting, there is a great deal of meandering that goes nowhere with a completely unsatisfactory ending that destroys the general arc and many threads just completely left untied. It could have been good, but just missed the mark.
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(8 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
lindarose, April 29, 2009 (view all comments by lindarose)
This story is about a mute boy and his dogs who are his best friends. He loves his family who have taught him to be a handler, as he has grown up with dogs all his life. It's about the loss of life and learning to deal with it.The story is in a rural area where the boy can survive with his dogs after a misunderstanding with his mom. It's about the supernartural, and ghosts who haunt us...This book was so good I could hardly put it down. What a great story, thank you for that....
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(5 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
Chris Horne, February 27, 2009 (view all comments by Chris Horne)
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.
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(16 of 30 readers found this comment helpful)
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780061768064
Author:
Wroblewski, David
Publisher:
Ecco
Author:
by None
Author:
by David Wroblewski
Subject:
General
Subject:
Human-animal relationships
Subject:
Speech disorders
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Coming of age
Subject:
Family life
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Edition Number:
Oprah's Book Club ed
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Series:
Oprah's Book Club
Publication Date:
September 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
566
Dimensions:
9.32x6.49x1.74 in. 1.87 lbs.
Notes:

Oprah Ed -This ISBN is not a true first despite number line!!!

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