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Books on Wooden House:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62)

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Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm—and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires—spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.

David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes—the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain—create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.

Long & Tedious -
I am not quite finished reading it yet; I keep hoping it will pick up. It is highly detailed-more than is necessary. I am interested in the outcome but I wish it would get to the point quicker. I am reading it for my book club so I have to complete it. Actually it is like watching someone else's home movies.

A Wonderful Story, a different ending -
Drawing from Hamlet, Wroblewski tells of a family who has raised very special dogs for several generations. Edgar provides a unique technique to the highly trainable dogs. Edgar has never spoken despite having no medically proven reason for the condition. He communicates with his family and the dogs through sign language. What is obvious to Edgar is not always obvious to his mother or the reader. I needed to re-read several passages near the end of the book to make sure I understood what happened. I knew who the antagonist was but I was not prepared for the climax of the book. A page turner for sure. Mr. Wroblewski does not rely on trite phrases. He develops his own illustrations through his words. I loved most of this book. The ending confused me for two reasons. One, I had no idea what was going to happen. Two the writing seemed to repeat - there was one $1 word that got used three times in about as many pages. I would still recommend this book, but the ending has me puzzled about how I feel about the book as a whole.

Just read Hamlet instead -
From now on I'm going to read the acknowledgments first before buying--chances are, if the author thanks all his classmates in his MFA program, the book will exhibit all the traits of workshopped-over prose: ambling sentences, attempts at "deep meaning," a contrived borrowing of other literary texts (in this case, Hamlet). That's certainly the case with The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I only finished this book because I hoped that the ending would justify the 600 pages of turgid prose. Wrong! There are better books about dogs, about boys and their dogs, about mute boys, about hatred and revenge...better books emerging from MFA workshops, better books recommended by Oprah, better books...

mixed emotions -
I was eager to read this book; the reviews alone were intriguing. However, I have a tendancy to agree with some of the other comments regarding the mystery surrounding the characters. There was no explanation for Claude's hatred of his brother and I don't recall Edgar hearing the real story of how his parents met. Somewhere in the middle of the book while Edgar was on the run, I found myself running from the book as well in the form of speed reading; I just couldn't get past that section fast enough. The ending left me drained and wondering what happened to Trudy? What about Henry and the two dogs he adopted? Now there would be a story! Maybe these two could come together and rebuild the Sawtelle dog legacy??

Be forewarned.... -
I am obsessed with dogs and am always trying to interpret what they are thinking. I hated this book. Be forwarned that nothing good ever happens. I kept waiting through the entire book and was terribly disappointed.