The hype behind this novel when it was released in 2008 was incredible--it's been on my list ever since. But, I do not like to pay $26.95 for hardback books, so I wait patiently for the paperbacks or for them to appear at a much reduced price at my favorite used bookstores (McKay's FTW). So when I ran across a hardback copy at Books-A-Million on the clearance shelf, I jumped on it.
Simply put, Edgar Sawtelle is about a mute boy and his dog, Almondine. Edgar's family raises a unique (and unfortunately fictional) breed of dog unimaginatively named Sawtelle Dogs. Tragedy befalls the Sawtelles, and Edgar runs away from home with three of his dogs in tow, though Almondine stays behind.
The book is fairly long (570 pages), so it took me a few days to get through it. I'm certainly glad that I didn't sit down and read it in one day, because it made me want to hurl myself off the roof of our house (and since it's a ranch, that probably would have only earned me a broken leg or something).
Don't get me wrong, the book was wonderful. It was beautifully written, and the Edgar's world was detailed and lovely and fully realized. The book has a few problems--it does not tie up all of the loose ends and does not always give a reason for the actions that the main characters take.
I realize that not all books have to have perfect resolutions, and that often makes for a better story. It gets people talking about the book--and Edgar Sawtelle is worth talking about--but there's so much development in the book, and at 570 pages there should be a little more resolution.
I won't say too much for the fear of ruining the book for anyone who wants to read it. It does rely on the story of Hamlet quite a bit, and I saw shades of the Russians (which I passionately hate) in the writing, but it is an American novel through and through, and it was compelling enough to hold my attention.
I'm going to find a book with a not-so-unhappy ending, and until next time, Happy Reading everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment