Review: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The hype about The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski, has been huge. Many celebrities have come forward to gush about the novel, from Oprah to Stephen King. It's gotten great reviews. That having been said, as I finished the book, I had to wonder if perhaps some of these people were more in love with the hype than the book itself. Any novel that stands firmly on the back of another great story (Hamlet) is bound to stir admiring memories and expectations in a reader, and in particular I think that people enjoy picking out the similarities between the two, matching characters and plot lines.

Certainly it's prose is beautiful, and the detail is engrossing. I liked how Wroblewski wove in little threads continually throughout the book, pulling tidbits across the pages. The dogs' perspectives are beautifully written in particular. However, for such a lengthy book, there are things that aren't really pulled all the way into the story, such as why the entire beginning of the story exists at all (the death of the baby and puppy, in particular - really, why were they necessary?), the introduction of the secrecy about how Edgar's parents met as a seemingly important plot line (which is then subsequently dropped), and characters that really aren't developed enough, such as Claude's villian character. I would have much prefered to read a few additional chapters that portrayed events through his eyes. Also, given his past, why was he basically welcomed back into the community? A small discussion on that would have been good. Edgar's trip could have more impact, as well. His portion with Henry is interesting, but the rest is oddly distanced from the rest of the story.

Also, the end. What a horrible, apocalyptic, devastating ending. There is no redeeming anything, no resurrection of awareness by those left behind. I think the story could have benefitted greatly from an epilogue. What happens to Edgar's mother? Where are the dogs going? I'm not saying that it isn't well-written, or that it is misdirected, because it is very well-written, and not inappropriate in some sense, but as a reader, I wanted more.

There are parts of the story that shine through the darkness of the tale, such as Edgar's training of the dogs to perform the hypodermic needle actions, which is described in parts but only comes together for the reader as being the indictment that it is at the last minute, as he is having the dogs perform for a potential buyer. That was slick, shivering genius.

Depressing though it is, I still found myself returning to the story repeatedly once I had started it. Every time I had to walk away and take a break, within hours I would return. The basic story was engrossing, and in the end I was drawn in deeply by the descriptions of the family, the unfolding drama, and the dogs.

Review: four out of five stars: a darkly engrossing story, depressing but at times beautiful