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| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle | 
 enlarge | Author: David Wroblewski
Publisher: Fourth Estate Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £6.49
You Save: £6.50 (50%)
New (24) from £6.17
Avg. Customer Rating:  44 reviews
Sales Rank: 993
Format: Special Edition
Media: Paperback
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.7
ISBN: 0007265026
EAN: 9780007265022
ASIN: 0007265026
Publication Date: July 7, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 39 more reviews...
 Too long and not original enough. November 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What we have here is a book that reworks Halmet as a Mid America small town drama. We already know the story. The Major character names are lifted from the play - Ger Trude anyone? Claude etc...
We get exactly what we expect. The younger brother returns, he kills, steals the kingdom (in this case it is a small dog breeding business which produces especially intelligent dogs) and grabs the widow. His nephew (Edger) goes into morning and then sees the ghost of his father who states that he was killed by poison. A faithful retainer is killed by mistake. Edger's one true love kills themself. Pretty much everything that is in the play is in the book and that is part of what is wrong with the book from my point of view. I want something that is original or brings something new to the story but pretty much this is Hamlet with another name and the dressing of the story doesn't change that.
I also have a major problem with the writing itself. Giving yourself a protagonist who cannot talk does not make for shimmerig dialogue. Especially when Edger goes into exile with a small pack of dogs there wasn't really much to maintain my interest.
The book was also bloated well beyond its ability to maintain a constructive narrative. Whilst the writing is always readable the is so little happening on any page that huge swathes of it could have been cut and nothing would have been lost - nothing of any importance happen until page 123, then it is a similar wait for another important incident, then again and the last 60 pages finally have some impact where the story races along.
It took me several weeks to read, not because it is long but because it never really grabbed my interest to any great extent and I am giving it 3 stars.
Ed makes this tale not too sore to tell :) November 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
You have to wonder about the writers enthusiasm when you see a title the size of this beauty. Clearly plenty to write about. I won't go into the story as this is well covered already but must add that the concept is very strong and intriguing. Def worth a read and quite immersing. It is the kind of book that takes a while as you can be distracted by it but overall worth the cover price if not the novel with the hook of the year. However it is well written and explores the world of Ed in well painted detail..
 WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! October 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
What can I say? When you find a book that truly touches your soul, how can mere words describe its content and meaning?
I am not going to give detail of the story itself in this review, I find that pointless as one can get this information from the synopsis. However, I will tell you that this is a story of life, murder, adventure, ghosts and dogs.
I found the first section of the book quite hard to get into but once into the book, I was captured by the enigmatic and sad character of mute Edgar Sawtelle and the tragedy of his life following the loss of his father.
I particularly liked the way the author involved the feelings of the dogs, in particular Almondine, Edgars canine soul mate. He captured their view of life so magically and just as I would have imagined it.
Wow! This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions from pity, sadness, anger, empathy, fulfillment, happiness, love, frustration to down right grief and saddness.
True, it was a sad ending but unpredicatable to the last page. When I become absorbed by a book, I must admit that I do sneak preview some of the last pages, but this time it was a completely pointless exercise because I found that the story didnt unfold unless you read each and every page.
If you love dogs, if you truly, deeply love dogs, then you will connect with this book.
I loved David Wroblewskis style of writing, I loved this book full stop.
My house is small, not many books are awarded my address label and retained for future reading but this one has.
I must add that although I loved the novel itself, I found the cover beautiful and meaningful. With each stage of the story, I looked at the cover with a different set of eyes. First it was just a beautiful picture, then it was an image of the farm created by Schultz. I then fancied it was Edgar and Almondine looking at their home in soulful contemplation, I later realised that it was Edgar and Essay coming home, and finally I returned to the image of Edgar and Almondine saying their final goodbyes.....
What a treasure of a book.................
Too long, too slow October 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was looking forward to reading this book because I like dogs, I like ghost stories and I also like a 'good long read', and this book promised me all three!
But I found it painfully slow going. It wasn't until about half way through that the story really picked up and by that time I was reading it with a attitude of grim determination ('I WILL finish this...') which isn't really the point of reading. I found the lengthy descriptions too overwhelming - probably because I have a good imagination and prefer not to have everything described to me!
Having said all that, David Wroblewski writes with depth and passion, and for some people this atmospheric, prosey novel will be a dream read (as many of the reviews here will testify). The story itself is intriguing and unusual: there's murder, ghosts, a boy running away with his special breed of dog (which, annoyingly, is the one thing that is never really described fully!) and fantastic characters - by the end of the book, I really felt I had met these people, understood them, and had lived their lives with them.
Reviewing books is always hard - it's so subjective - and I feel a bit mean giving this book only 3 stars. But I must be true to myself and say that, although it is beautifully written, it was too long and endlessly wordy for my tastes. I also felt a bit disappointed by the ending....
A magnificent read, great for dog lovers too :-) October 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The beauty of this book will leave you breathless, 3 Oct 2008
By Kay (The Hague, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
A magnificent read and great for dog lovers too:-)
You read many reviews - some which reiterate a synopsis, others which give away just that little bit too much and still others which have you chomping at the bit to get your hands on the book in question so that you can decide for yourself.
I won't do that here. I will only say that it is beautiful - beautiful prose, beautiful setting, beautiful journey.
Read it and decide for yourself. well worth the money and one to cherish again and again.
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