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Book Review of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
paigu avatar reviewed on + 120 more book reviews


Since the book description mentions this is a retelling of Hamlet, then most people should understand the basic plotline of this story. The part I really can't comprehend is where the dogs fit in. I guess I did not fully appreciate the book because I am not a dog owner myself. I felt I wasn't getting the full impact of what the author was trying to say about dogs and people- the emotional bond, the "seen through the eyes of a dog" sort of thing. I admit, I probably started skimming the last hundred pages or so, where Edgar begins his "journey" with his pups. The beginning is interesting with lots of subtle nuances about Edgar's family and the locals. But that last part...ugh...I also suppose people would argue the author is brilliant in the last section where you have no "voice" for the most part and we can only read description after description of the dogs and Edgar. Then the Hamlet-analogy gets too bogged down, like the author was trying to force it into the book. If I recall, Hamlet is trying to prove his uncle poured poison in his dead father's ear (sorry if I'm not 100% correct, I haven't read Hanlet in years) so guess what Edgar keeps searching for? And really, who cares? The author doesn't paint the "bad guys" as 100% bad; Edgar is not the total hero. I guess the real heroes are the dogs, as dog lovers might rejoice but the rest of us are left scratching our heads.