Saturday, July 5, 2008

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Author: David Wroblewski
Bugs: 5
Review by: wsh

There was a time, whenever I'd recommend a book to someone, the invariable question would be, "What is it about?" and I'd breezily reply, "Oh, about (# of) pages," or, "Life, Death, and everything in between." This book, this wonderful and amazing treasure of a book, is almost impossible to categorize. Themes of family/relationships, self-knowledge, love, rivalry, trust, honor, loyalty, treachery and yes, life and death are all woven into a remarkable tapestry of exquisite writing and superb imagery. Plot summary: The Sawtelle family raises and trains dogs on their farm in northern Wisconsin. Sounds ho-hum, yet told from the perspective of all the central characters (including the dogs), the story expands into a commentary of the natural and other, somewhat mysterious, forces that govern us and inspire our choices. Days after finishing this book, I still cannot stop thinking, dreaming and talking about it. This is THE read of 2008, a stunning first novel.

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