I just finished reading The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle. It’s a book I resisted for quite awhile, at least partly because Bookdwarf was so enthusiastic about it, and I just didn’t want to admit that she’s always right about these sorts of things.
Another factor that scared me off was that the book contains dogs. That immediately makes me think it’s one of those dog books – you know, of interest only to dog fanciers. It’s not. I’m pretty sure that people who like anything with dogs in it will like this book. After all, it contains dogs. But it’s not the sort of thing that appeals only to them. It will also appeal to novel-lovers. It’s a tale of family and secrets and betrayal, a northern Wisconsin sort of Hamlet mixed with Lear, a story of almosts, of near-breakthroughs in communication and understanding and perfection.
“The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle” uses the relationships – sometimes beautifully tender and joyful – between people and dogs to reflect more clearly the relationship between humans. Just as even imperfect communication between humans and dogs requires years of training and practice, the mute Edgar is stymied by his own imperfect understanding of the world and by other people’s inability to grasp what he’s saying. And of course, more generally, everyone fails to communicate or hides what should most be unearthed and shared.
No, there’s no happy ending there. Nice dogs, though.
Secretly Ironic 
I read the book and enjoyed it…I am surprised that after reading half the blogs no one ever mentions the woman at the store in town and had the conversation with Edgar…can someone tell what she was all about…????
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I truly enjoyed this book. I have a twelve year old Akita who is coming to the end of his wonderful presents in my life and have been blessed with the gift of a new puppy. In the pages of this book I was able to find a way to deal with my emotions over the impending loss of a true friend, and marvel in the everyday exuberance of a four month old puppy.
Thank you David Wroblewski for this great read.
I look forward to discussing this book with friends who are just starting the fascinating journey that is Edgar Sawtelle.
PS: Crazy walking really works
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I loved this book. I got the ending. Besides all the wonderful parts of the book, I found myself enjoying everything about Henry. Although not a major character, he was such a pleasure to read. Loved, loved, loved this book.
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Two questions were asked with still no answers….perhaps trivial but still, those loose ends needing to be taken care of. 1. What was the significance of the white patch in the grass. It was referenced several times….was it perhaps some poisin spillage? 2. Why did Edgar go after the Vet up in the loft. It was very sketchy as to what they were both doing up there and why Egdar pushed him down the stairs. 3. Why did Glen attack Edgar with such a death grip. I agree all he had to do was sit with the boy to talk. Sheez…. 4. Ida Payne….the little girl, were they related? What was Ida warning Edgar about???
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Someone answer Jan’s questions because I too was extremely dissappointed at so many loose ends. The ghosts, the sheets of rain turning into figures, etc.
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I just finished reading this book and was thoroughly disappointed. A friend gave it to me as a birthday present and warned me not to read the jacket. I realized that it was Hamlet with dogs when the dad’s ghost appeared and then remembered that I had read an interview with the author that also referred to Hamlet. I spoke with my friend and she didn’t know what I was talking about – they must have just warned her in the bookstore. It turns out the jacket barely mentions Hamlet, it just gives away the plot. (I followed her instructions and didn’t check until just now.) I did immediately google Hamlet to help remember the play I last read in high school 40 year ago. It took me awhile to realize that Almondine was Ophelia and just before finishing I realized who Forte was. I feared the worst, i.e., everybody dies, but kept reading thinking maybe the author would tweak Shakespeare’s ending. I too felt a sour feeling when Edgar accidentally kills the vet, but then realized Page was Polonius. I set the book aside then and again when Tinder is injured. On the other hand, I loved the author’s descriptions of the benign presence of nature throughout the book, the meticulous training of the dogs and the secure rhythm of life on the farm before Claude and then briefly with Henry. Edgar didn’t really learn to live off the land, he just became a barely remorseful thief. I cringed when he put his filthy fingers in people’s honey jars and then sort of cleaned up their dishes. I am one of those people who gets lost in books and I also have always related best to dogs, which is why my friend gave me this book. I don’t need a happy ending. I appreciated a few of the readers explanations of the ending in regard to the evolution of the Sawtelle dogs and their relationship to humans. But I do feel empty, cheated and like I wasted the time I spent lying in our screen room reading this book even though I savored the language. Although I was initially very disappointed in Trudy, (while knowing that the scenario of choosing man over child occurs all too frequently in real life) I thought it was plausible because Claude waited until she was particularly vulnerable before making his move. I understood their relationship better at the end and must correct one reader’s comment. Trudy uses Claude to REMEMBER Gar.
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Anyone willing to answer all the unanswered questions?
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Hated the ending. Question…. 1. What was the significance of the white blotch of grass outside the barn. 2. Why did Edgar push the vet down the stairs… what caused that to happen? 3. Did Ida Payne no more than we suspected? Was she the grandma to the little girl talking about Edgar’s muteness due to his having a secret?
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I think the white patch in the grass was caused by Edgar dropping the syringe with the potion that killed Gar. He later found it broken with the contents missing.
Edgar pushed the Vet down the stairs because, in the dark, he thought he was Claude.
I’m not sure about Ida’s relationship to the little girl. But, I think it is fascinating that when Trudy brought Edgar to Ida (when he was a baby) to get her insight into his speech. Ida said he would never talk, but, he would use his hands. Then, Page died & his son was blinded by Edgar’s hands.
I loved the book. It had a significant (and still lingering) impact on me. I have 3 boys (the oldest is 15) and 3 dogs. My oldest reminds me of Edgar which is heartbreaking.
I cried (no…sobbed) several times as I read it. Each day I think about starting it from the beginning because I miss the pure indulgence of reading it.
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Wow reading these comments where dreadful. Everyone who hated this book did not understand it and maybe they should go back to reading young adult novels or watching Hollywood movies where everything is spelled out and tied up with a happy ending. I’ll admit that up until the first 150 pages it was mind numbingly boring and too small town for me. But that’s the beauty of it, the story had to be told slow and gracefully because that’s how life is. Sometimes you don’t understand the significance of what’s happening today until time passes and you see the bigger picture. This author was brilliant at that. He let you know when something important was happening but you didn’t at all know why. And sometimes, just as in life, not everything adds up or falls in to place. When i started reading this book i didn’t know anything about it or it’s connection to hamlet. I just finished reading it a few minutes ago and I’m still in shock. do i wish that Edgar would have found that bottle in the file cabinet first, yes. But from the beginning of that last night, the author made it clear that things were not going to pan out like all the characters were trying to plan. And I know that this story couldn’t have turned out any other way. I wish I would have known the connection to hamlet, it would have softened the blow of the ending. It really was tragic. And to everyone who didn’t understand the dogs or even the one’s who think that training your precious dogs will make them anything like the Sawtelle dogs, you completely missed the point. And Trudy’s question, “what are they selling” Those dogs were, as the author clearly states in the sleeve cover, a fictional breed. You might as well not even call them dogs. They were on a whole other level. I know because I am a dog owner. Edgar couldn’t see that because he grew up with them. By the way, the best part of the book was the chapters with the view from the dogs. And a dog of Almondine’s size usually lives to about 10 maybe 11. Are you really surprised she died at the age of 16? Oh and the person who asked if the little girl was Ida Pain granddaughter, the answer is yes! Overall great novel, never read anything like it.
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I just finished reading the book and I happened across this forum. I hope the author reads these posts. There is much validity to many of them. I will try not to repeat too much of what has been said. I will not read this book again. I will however read Hamlet again soon. I didn’t catch the Hamlet theme until the very end. I disliked the ending, loved Henry and the journey with the dogs but overall found it an unsatisfying read. It leaves an opening for a Watership down of advanced canines.
I love my dog and always have for the way she looks at me. I found myself telling her about Almondine. Good book, a little muscly at the end. Tough to chew.
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Those of you who still have questions might want to check out the review of this book in the Los Angeles Times. By the way, the author gives very clear indication that the little girl was indeed Ida’s granddaughter.
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So many questions asked above are ones I had. Thanks to everyone who has written their thoughts here.
I liked the character of Henry, being somewhat of a recluse myself, and in imagining what happens next regarding Henry, does he learn about his mute visitor and the special dogs he now has from reading about the horrible fire and deaths that surely appeared in the local media? However, more questions … Henry’s TV did not work so was he interested enough in what happens outside his small world to buy a newspaper in town to find out?
If Essay returns to Henry with her pack, what would Henry do? Is this the sequel, as someone has suggested?
And I do have to make a reference (a shout out!) here to my wonderful dog Champ who died several summers ago … a mutt from the Humane Society but healthier than the 2 purebred dogs my sister had during the time I had Champ. The two rescued cats I have now do not begin to equal the powerful companionship Champ gave me.
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Nobody has mentioned that this is an Oprah’s bookclub pick and will be dissected on her show.
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No one has mentioned that this is an Oprah’s bookclub pick and will be dissected on her show.
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I agree with many who say the book does not live up to the hype. I plodded through the first 170 pages and found it more interesting once he left the farm. Edgar is a character I wanted to love but as I saw the end coming, the constant return to the files, I just didn’t care anymore. If Glen was in so much pain, why couldn’t Trudy break away? Her character is just disappointing.
The dogs are so overwritten with human characteristics they morphed into Super- Lassie. And what is with masterminding a superior strain of dog – creepy!
Please answer this if you can. What is the significance of the old man telling (Claude?) the antidote to administer to his “grandson”? For the record I thought the white patch on the lawn was Forte’s “marking” and Edgar filled it in so Claude wouldn’t know that Forte was still around.
Overall – not the classic Oprah predicts.
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Stayed up way too late last night to finish this book, and was very eager to read other’s thoughts as i felt so conflicted about the characters- got the Hamlet references, but like others was hoping for an outcome that was more satisfying than:”they all died.” Not to mention the pages of blinded Glen holding feckless Trudy in a wrestling grip as her son is murdered by the serial killer, Claude! Yuck. That needed some editing. Was particularly hard to read after the relatively light-hearted preceeding chapters with Henry, a character i liked very much. Being a dog-lover, the Almondine chapters were my favorite as they seemed to convey what a dog’s thoughts might be- why we don’t get it when they do the things they do – brought tears to my eyes every time i read her chapters. Completely agree with Chris, Oct 11- dogs deserve better than us- they are so pure of soul. thanks, folks for sharing.
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i think the white patch in the yard was from the poison from the broken syringe that Edgar found the night with the rain.
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From the first page we know that Claude is a sociopath…Edgar is mute…are these mutations, defects in the human breed. The author took us on a journey that pondered the human psyche, the relationships between man and dog. We breed animals, always hoping for some degree of perfection. Is this playing God? Is this a control issue? This is a ponderous book that raises a lot of issues. It has caused us all to question and think..bravo!
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I put this at the topof my list of utter dissapointments. I could never recommend this book, as I feel it was a total waste of time. Great in the beginning, sets you up for all interesting things to happen. And then a weird, freaky, disturbing ending that in my opinion, did not flow well with the previous pages. A real letdown.
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I felt like this was a magic carpet ride and then the rug was yanked out from under me. I bawled at the ending.
Powerful writing to affect me so. I’ll be reading it again.
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I had to struggle to finish book. It was really boring and disconnected. It is very overrated. I didn’t care about dogs Edgar, Trudy, Gar Claude Vet. And really, why did supposedly Edgar kill the Vet, why did Claude kill Gar, why does Trudy sleep with Claude…A complete waste of time.
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I feel like he set us up for what could have been a really good story… but the ending ruined the whole thing… he didn’t stay true to his characters for one thing(especially Trudy.. who was presented as such a smart and strong person in the beginning)..and basically there was no point to the plot… the whole story was about Edgar finding himself and being able to “avenge” his fathers murder… and he just dies in the end? and Claude? The truth never comes out??? What about the random ghost encounters??? or the stray dog?? I feel sad… this could have been a really great story… but mostly I just am confused… he didn’t really explain alot of things…
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Trudy was the ultimate victim from childhood on with only a few years of true happiness with Edgar and Gar. She had an abusive childhood, was involuntarily childless for years, bore a disabled child, lost her husband, became deathly ill, was overwhelmed with the amount of work and became dependent on the sociopath who came into her home, sent her son away after he killed the Vet she needed to maintain her business, and finally lost everything. I read and re-read the ending and thought she died as a result of Glen’s strangle hold, based on “sightless eyes” phrase.
Should she survive, she would endure more victimization, pain, and loss.
Ultime Tragedy!
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I lovd this book so much, I rushed the reading and now must go back so iunderstand more. I did not understand the importance of the picture of Claude with Forte that fell from the yearbook. can simeone please explain that? Why did Claude leave that with the money? I get he wanted edgar to leave. I really did not understand Claude and I have never read Hamlet. What was Edgar looking for when he was with Henry, the poison? Any help would be appreciated.
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After finishing the story, I thought about other books that had a change of pace and unhappy ending, such as Bel Canto, which I thought was great book. the difference, for me, was that the Edgar Sawtelle book raised questions it didn’t answer, planted hints and ideas of things to come, that didn’t, obsessed on the methods with which the dogs were trained, but in the end they reverted to the wild, and at no time was the reader given reason to accept the ending as it seemed arbitrary and, in a way, silly. Within the book was probably buried a good short story, with well written passages, but as it is, too drawn out.
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Please, I have the same feeling as most of you, the last 100 pages seems like it was a totally different author writing it. One of them dies, ok, but all of them? His writing is beautiful, the story was wonderful, but after finishing it last night, I woke up this morning and had to read it again to make sure I didn’t misconstrue anything…I won’t recommend it.
However, I love getting book recommendations, anyone reading anything SATISFYING lately?
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Madeline,
I think Claude with his stories switched his and Gar’s actions. Forte in his arms seems to prove Claude was a liar. He told Edger that Gar’s trick was to have Forte jump up in his arms…Don’t know about Henry other than he was a convenient stop – so many here link the various roles to Hamlet characters and probably have a more literary answer. Wow, interesting book – would I recommend it? I have already, probably because it is unforgetable (and I forget a lot of things…)
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I wanted to add that I read with great interest many of the comments here – many really great comments, and I shared so many of these same thoughts. The story though interesting, did not work well for me and I finished it last night feeling very much let down. Not because it is a tragedy but because it didn’t flow right for me. Having said that – I will never forget it and that says something (for me) very positive about this author. I also meant to add that some literary type compared this book to “To Kill a Mockingbird” which will always be my favorite novel. Personally I don’t believe it should even be mentioned in the same breath as that master piece.
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Just finished the audiobook version and enjoyed Richard Poe’s reading more than the book itself. Maybe tomorrow I’ll change my opinion, but I have to say, on balance, that I think the final 15% of the book was written by someone else. The characters, even though it was a long book, were largely undeveloped, and all through the book there were events that were never adequately explained. The death of Gar and Dr. Papineau were offered and then left alone. Claude’s motives for killing both Gar and Edgar likewise. Wroblewski spent a lot of ink on Henry Lamb and did little with him, other than hum being converted to a dog lover. Both the beginning and end of the book dealt with the elusive, mysterious oriental herbalist’s poison, and that was never put in context in the story. It just WAS.
Personally, I had to develop my own alternate ending where the poison loses it’s potency and acts like a panacea that miraculously repairs Edgar’s vocal cords so he can finally learn to speak. Hell, if Gar can return as an elusive rain man, Edgar should be able to talk. Then,Trudy figures out what Claude has done and rips his nuts off, then surgically removes HIS vocal cords. Trudy, Edgar and the dogs buck up and move on. Claude’s out on his ass.
Nice try, David, but it wasn’t all it could have been.
I’ll decide on the sequel if and when one shows up, but most likely not.
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So,Claude was in the Army and went AWOL.Did he use the poison to escape?
Was he in prison just for being AWOL?
After reading the book jacket, I thought this would be a story of healing – after a tragedy, a boy escapes to the woods with his dogs.Wow!I,too, loved the prose and did not get the Hamlet connection.(Apology to my English 101 & Lit professors).I have been so sad since I finished the book last night. I made up my own happy ending so I can quit thinking about all the loss at the end.I have my 3rd lab and loved the dog-version parts of the book. Dogs can tell you alot by body language and seem to understand much more than most people credit to them. I advised my kids and friends not to read this.
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Started great, but the last few chapters were hugely disappointing. We find out Edgar wasn’t that great after all, if he could turn his back on his lifelong friend, almondine. When almondine died, I skimmed thru he rest, disgusted. And all that confusing murder and chaos at the end–no redeeming value at all. Started out uplifting, turned out to be another sad tale designed to depress you and remind you that no one but the dogs are worth reading about. And then he kills off the dog, Almondine! I’ll avoid his books in the future.
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When a talented writer impales his readers with his own hopelessness, the results are hugely disappointing to those readers who have been swept along with the story. Too bad Wreblewski couldn’t provide his characters with problem solving abilities and moral character. If I had not borrowed this book, I would have thrown it out with the trash this morning.
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I just finished the book and came searching for other interpretations of Essay leading the dogs to…I am glad I did – there are many insights and questions that did not occur to me or occur with the same depth – I am definitely reading it again. I was more taken with Edgar’s coming of age; living an idyllic life that is suddently confronted with tragedy and chaos. DW is very skilled in capturing the true emotional reaction and intellectual turmoil as Edgar’s awareness and experiences progress. As for the Sawtelle dogs, were they the next generaton of dog or are humans just a level down in evolving? I too felt let down by the end, but in my rush to find out what happened I may have missed some things. I think it would be a mistake to not have a teenager read this book because of the tragic ending – there is a good deal of wisdom in Edgar’s insight. Books, like this, are a way of living a life not just your own for a brief moment. A big thanks to the author that spent 10 years on this story!
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Do read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society…you will not be let down by this book. I wasd shocked to read in a book column in the WSJ that that columnist had not read The Tender Bar…this is a great book, passed around and enjoyed by many avid readers.
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What an enchanting story, only to be completely ruined by the most tragic ending imaginable!!!!! Inexcusable.
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A story wasted. As a children’s librarian I read thousands of books a year and rarely take the time to read adult literature. When this book was recommended to me, I hesitated starting it, but once I did, I was hooked. I had to read it to the end because there were so many open-ended story lines that I was sure were going to amount to something. I knew, the minute Edgar’s father died that I was reading Hamlet, so I expected a tragedy and can live with the unhappy ending. It’s the lack of character growth and cohesiveness that truly bothers me. I kept expecting all of those story lines to come together and mean something. If the characters didn’t learn from the story, I wanted to, but didn’t. I felt robbed. At the same time, a literary experience is very personal (what I take from a story is only important to me). It is rare that after reading a book I feel the NEED to discuss it or see what others have to say. Typically when that happens it is a story that stays with me for a long time and I find myself contemplating it often and garnering deeper meaning as I think about it. As a previous post mentioned, I too liken Essay’s departure to that of Jonas in _The Giver_. Whenever someone tells me they hated that book because of the ending, I remind them that the ending is what they choose to make of it and encourage them to reread the book later in life. I suppose I will have to consider my own advice as _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_ is concerned.
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I need to talk to the author before I can get my head around this book.Perhaps the answers to my questions will come with his next book.
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I am a dog lover and this book left me cold. Cry over this boring book? God, endless chapters about dog training and breeding lines. At the end of this book I didn’t care about a single character in it.
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Doesn’t anyone wonder about Claude-why is he so crazy obsessed with poisoning dogs and family?? And I, too was disappointed in Trudy. It’s no wonder Edgar kept everything to himself, not sharing discoveries and thoughts, even with his mother. (Is that what the author thinks happens in coming-of-age–you become so independent that you are spiritually separated from your mother?) The whole thing was just tragic. I enjoyed his journeys as Nat though it seemed long and purposeless, and the talk with the ghostman in the shed gratuitous. I think the author is a very talented writer, but I was left with more sadness and questions than soulful satisfaction. Plus, I miss my dog. Thank God I was there when he died.
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I started out loving the book, but quickly it turned into just another tormented story. I wish some writers can just decide what style of book they would like to write. This would have been a great read for teenagers, then all the death and destruction sets in. Adults are also confused (as I read other replies). I am a dog lover and thought all the dog info. is just too much. Where were the editors? Sorry I will not be recommending it to any one. Plan on donating it with a note inside to warn parents not to think it will be a good “family read”.
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Just finished and bummed by the ending. One thought… Claude poisoned Dr.Papineau. Edgar describes the filmy look of the dr.’s eyes at death …made me feel it was similar to the look he saw in his father’s eyes. It would explain why Claude kept insinuating to Glen that Edgar killed the Dr., to deflect suspicion. I’d hoped these details would have been wrapped up in the end.
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I believe that the author would be amused by all of the childish outcry over his very effective ending. This book reads like a minuet, and the ending was carefully thought out and a logical, beautiful conclusion to this eerie, spiritual story. This book requires more than one read. I know that for me, a second read will afford more clarity. Folks, this story is not supposed to have a “happy ending.” This is a highly cerebral piece of work; it requires a mature, high intellect. Otherwise, you will be disappointed. I’m grateful for finding this discussion group. I’m hoping that Essay was going back to Henry, but I could be off on that one. As one participant pointed out, what’s significant is that she made a choice.
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I did not make the “Hamlet” connection, so I was surprised by the ending. I could not put the book down, especially when I realized that a happy ending was unlikely. I started peeking ahead to read the titles of subsequent chapters, all the while begging unnamed gods to spare Edgar and Trudy. Nonetheless, I knew that a neat resolution would significantly lesson the power of the book. Unanswered questions, unresolved relationships and tragedy are parts of life. What I took away from the book was an ever-deepening love and connection to dogs and the reminder that every day we make choices that have repercussions. Also, I see no reason not to recommend this book to teenagers. It is relevant and could facilitate important discussions.
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I was profoundly disappointed with this book after all of the rave reviews. OK, yes it is beautifully written, but to what end? We know that Claude murders his brother and Edgar but why? What is the significance of the photograph of Forte and Claude? So many lose ends, so many questions left unanswered? And it all takes far too long: judicious editing could have cut this tome to 300 pages max. Perhaps I am just too deficient in the cerebral matter, and lacking the “mature, high intellect” that Vicki (and others) appear to believe are needed to enjoy this book. I much preferred Tim Winton’s “Blueback; A fable for ages” which can be read and enjoyed in a single sitting of 2 hours!
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Spent an entire Sunday reading this book
my heart was racing the last twenty pages
my mind new it would end horribly – but my heart wouldn’t believe it could end like it did – I’ve been tempted to read the last chapter again somehow hoping Edgar made it – as you can tell this book has made it’s mark
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I felt the darkness at the reading of the prologue. I began to dread the ending – way back when Claude ‘seeded’ the sheriff’s mind for the future ‘take down’. Then – the death of Almondine began the wild tumble to a down right nasty ending. The scholar in me understands the greatness of the book as a study of human nature, the evil and the good, but in the end I throughly disliked the dark and tragic ride the author took me on.
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I finished the book this morning, couldn’t get out of bed until I read the last 4 chapters. Disappointed, sad, and trying to understand the tragic ending. Reading everyone’s thoughts has helped. I was especially amused by Hachiko-I know this dog and have waited at this statue many times in my life. Having grown up in Japan, waiting to meet with a friend downtown at the Shibuya Train Station there is only one place to meet up-at Hachiko. Pre-cell phone there was no other way to hook up. So that was a nostalgic trip back in time for me. I’m curious how the author got ahold of that story.
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I’ve been struck by how many people struggled with the book’s sad ending, as I did. Though I knew that the story was based on a Shakesperian tragedy, having the plot lines unfold in a modern day setting made the outcome seem so much more brutal to me than it would have in a story about characters and kingdoms from long ago. Also, it bothered me that he made this incredible journey, both physically through the woods to stay with Henry, and also emotionaly to the point when he realized that he had to go home. And all of that…. for what? for nothing? What did it all mean?
The few things I could pick out that might hold enough meaning not to leave me completely devastated by the book had to do with the glimpses of Gar and Almondine from the afterlife. Although those scenese felt unnatural, they did at least seem to say that some part of Edgar and his family lives on. That love cannot be destroyed, even in death.
The other interesting thing to me was the matter of the dogs “choosing.” Towards the end of the book Edgar believed he no longer had the right to command the dogs. Those days were past. Once you instill in the animals the power to see and to discern; you no longer have the right to command. I think the dogs went to go live in the wild – a sad testament to the potential for evil by men from which they’d had to flee.
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I just finished the book last night. I desperately needed to hear what others felt and gratefully found this blog. This is the first time I have search for a blog after reading a book. I have a terribly empty and disappointed feeling after reading the ending. The many questions left unanswered will keep me awake at night for many weeks. I live in Denver, where the author does, and would like to call him up and have him explain WHY! Obviously, the author wrote a memorable book and is a major talent, but for the life of me I don’t understand the need to end the book in this way. I have been writing the sequel in my mind all day. Essay leads the dogs to “ordinary” Henry’s home where she has Forte’s puppies. Henry retrieves some of the files from Trudy and raises the next level of dog thus becoming truly unordinary. I need some purpose for the life of John and Edgar Sawtell.
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