The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel

I had my eye on this book before Oprah put it on her radar. I had read a brief synopsis in a magazine and knew I would enjoy it (I am a dog lover). So I will tell my thoughts before I elaborate on the other reviews.

Yes the book is long, no longer than a Harry Potter novel, and the writing can be overly drawn out at times, but I did like most of it. I found myself not able to put the book down, hoping that by the end I would find some closure for Edgar and his dogs. I had to reread the ending two times and I am still not satisfied with it. The reader is definitely left to draw their own conclusions in some areas while others are clearly drawn for you. I will contradict myself here and say that I am happy the author chose not to go down a traditional happy end, kiss and make up and everyone lives happily ever after. It was refreshing to have a different type of ending. I must say again that I am a dog lover so I immediately fell in love with Almondine and the rest of the Sawtelle dogs. The writer described the animals so beautifully, I felt myself wanting a Sawtelle dog after I put the book down. So am I disappointed I read the book? No... Was it one of my favorites? No... This was a nice little read for me and a definite departure from my norm books (mystery).

For the rest of the reviews, I was surprised to see how many people didn't like the book. But that is the beauty of having an opinion! Everyone's is different! So my recommendation would be to at least read the inside cover and if that sounds interesting to you then proceed with the book. And if you read it and don't like it? Oh well, on to the next one.

I thought The Story of Edgar Sawtelle was terrific, but it is obvious from the range of reviews here on amazon that it is not for everyone. So how can you predict whether you will like this book?

If you like short, fast-paced books with lots of brief chapters and no superfluous passages, this is not the book for you. If you like to lose yourself in a long, beautifully written book filled with interesting details and descriptions, you would likely enjoy it.

If you prefer a happy ending with all the loose ends tied up, this is not the book for you. If you like a book that makes you think and stays with you, that has some ambiguity and some scenes and issues that are open to different interpretations, you would likely appreciate this book. It would make for a wonderful book club discussion.

This is in no way a typical Oprah book, so whether you always read or never read Oprah books on principle, it is not a useful guideline here.

This is not a straightforward, heartwarming boy and his dog story, so if you are expecting that, you are likely to be disappointed. It is not a memoir like Marley and Me; it is a complex and multilayered literary work.

If you know nothing about Hamlet, I think it is unlikely that you will really appreciate this book. You don't have to be a Shakespearean scholar, but familiarity with the characters and basic themes of Hamlet will greatly enhance your understanding and enjoyment of this book.

The best litmus test I can think of is how you felt about The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. The two books are not at all similar in content, but both are based on well-known literary works with a modern twist. Both are by first-time authors who labored for many years before publication. Both books are very long and rather slow-paced, contain a lot of detail, and are very skillfully written. Both were critically praised and received a large amount of publicity. Sadly, both books appeared to disappoint a great number of readers who weren't prepared for the type of book they got, creating a backlash that the books were "overhyped". My prediction is that if you loved The Historian (I did), you will love The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. If you couldn't stand The Historian, then The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is probably not your cup of tea.

Got this book because of all the gushing Oprah did on her show, (last time she carried on over a book, Pillars of the Earth, I bought it, and I too ranted and raved and recommended it) and was hoping for it to be a repeat of that experience and a fabolous read. Parts of book were slow and so many elements never tied together. Also ending was a big let down, unfulfilling and left me feeling sad.

The imagery is wonderful, and over all a nice tale, good character development, but not the book I anticipated.

Wonderful detail about dog training, but not enough believable facts to support story line, and ending was disappointing.

I've had a problem finding a good book recently but I have really enjoyed The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I can't seem to put it down. I don't usually like Oprah books but the writing is graceful and not forced and it gets to the heart of familial struggles.