Wednesday, May 13, 2009

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wrobelewski (2008)


Based on the structure of Shakespeare's Hamlet, this first novel is a revelation.

Edgar is a mute whose family breeds a special kind of dog that has been refined over generations and bred for temperment and intelligence. Edgar's earliest memory, indeed, is meeting Almondine, his first canine companion, as she licks his hand and does a little dance of joy outside his crib.

When Edgar's father dies unexpectedly when Edgar is approaching adolescence, the appearance of Edgar's Uncle Claude (his father's long lost brother) complicates life on the farm. Edgar receives guidance from his father's ghostly presence in scenes that are both wonderous and terrifying.

David Wrobelewski is not only a storyteller for our time, but like the bard himself, for all time.

1 comment:

jeanne said...

Wow, interesting to read your review. I absolutely hated this book, especially the ending. I read very widely and love all sorts of weird and wonderful books, but this is one that I had to finish to see if it would get better but for me it was just the opposite. Maybe someday I'll try it again and see what I missed the first time around. Agree with you about Annabel and many others and love your tweets. I have a book blog at http://bookdiscovery-jeanne.blogspot.com if you're interested.