Novels Now

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
By David Wroblewski
Completed June 28, 2009

 Suspected murder, family loyalty and tragedy all marked David Wroblewski’s debut book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Loosely based on Hamlet, this doorstop of a book centered on main character, 14-year-old Edgar, and his suspicions of his father’s death.

Edgar was born mute. While going to school, he assisted his parents at their at-home kennel, where they bred and trained “Sawtelle Dogs” – dogs that were highly intuitive, using their sense of vision to interpret their owners’ commands. One afternoon, Edgar’s father, Gar, fell to the barn floor and died. His death marked the beginning of numerous tragedies for the Sawtelle family.

One rainy evening, Edgar believed that he saw Gar’s ghost. The ghost told Edgar that Gar’s brother, Claude, had poisoned him – that Claude would stop at nothing to get what he wanted (presumably the family business and Edgar’s mother, Trudy, who was now in a relationship with her brother-in-law). Edgar became enraged and vengeful, promising his father’s ghost that he would prove Claude’s guilt. However, before he could, Edgar’s rage forced him off the farm and into the wilderness with three of the Sawtelle dogs.

Wandering through the forest, Edgar learned a lot about survival and had time to think about his situation. He missed his home, mother and loyal dog, Almondine. His decision to go back was a hard one to make, and any reader knowing Hamlet could foresee how this story might end.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle was a long, complex story. I felt Wroblewski’s passion for his masterpiece on every page. With the greatest respect to the author, I wondered where his editor was. So many of the descriptions, plot diversions and character stories were unnecessary to the story. In fact, I bet 200 pages could have been skimmed off the book, leaving a succinct but effective story.

Despite the book’s length, I did enjoy Wroblewski’s writing style, plot and character development and his animation of the dogs. You felt invested in each person or dog that Wroblewski included in his book. My favorite characters were the dogs, Almondine and Essay. Through their actions (and eyes), you could see their loyalty toward their human friends. And with this story’s tragic side, I believed that the dogs had the most common sense of all the characters. They outranked the humans in compassion and spirit.

Patient readers, dog lovers and Shakespearean fans should all give The Story of Edgar Sawtelle a try. It’s a book with many flaws, but the overarching story of love, greed and jealousy made it a worthwhile read. ( )