Helpful Score: 9
Yikes! I am shocked by the negative reviews of this book. To each their own; personally, I am not usually a fan of Oprah's book club picks, but this one came recommended to me by many different people so I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. Shakespeare adaptations are often hit-or-miss, but this re-imagining of Hamlet set in Northern Wisconsin was very moving. The landscape and setting are huge draws for this book, and I found all the characters, even the villains, to be well-rounded and meaningful. Warning: If you do not own a dog before reading this book, you will probably want to by the end of it! I'm a huge Stephen King fan, and his recommendation of this book sealed the deal for me in terms of reading it; I echo his sentiment that "I closed the book with that regret readers feel only after experiencing the best stories: It's over, you think, and I won't read another one this good for a long, long time." Negative reviews aside, please give this one a try; for me it was an awesome, moving experience.
Helpful Score: 5
This seems to be a book that either people absolutely love or absolutely hate. I loved every minute of it!! I understand why some are upset by the ending, but if you know that this story parallels "Hamlet", then the ending is not a shock. I just really enjoyed everything--the characters, the descriptions, the writing style and pacing of the book. It's a book I really found myself immersed in while I was reading it, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for several days after I was done.
Although I did enjoy the portion of the story where Edgar runs away, by and large this book was tediously long. Had I not been on vacation when I read it, I doubt I would have finished it. It was very repetitive in regards to the dog training (yes, I get it, the dogs were well trained!). If you are looking for a way to kill a lot of time, then this book is for you. If you want to sit and relax while you enjoy a story, I don't recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 4
One of the best books I've ever read. I'll certainly go back and read it again one day. I hated the end, but it really was the only ending there could be.
Great book.
Great book.
Helpful Score: 3
OMG!! I finally finished this freakin' book! A first novel for the author. Overall the story is enjoyable, well-written, but contains a bit too much detail about dogs, their training and breeding for me. The characters are well developed, including the dogs. The main character is a boy with no vocal ability to speak. He has enriching relationships with his family and the family dogs. He endures his own coming of age journey. A great book for dog lovers who enjoy reading long stories. Not my favorite book, but Stephen King loved it, so what do I know? P.S. I would rather actually read the real Hamlet.
