An interesting story with characters and scenes resembling Hamlet, but with a unique twist that involves a family-run business and a special new breed of dogs.
donnamr's Full Review: David Wroblewski - The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Pay close attention and you will see the story of Shakespeare’s Hamlet hidden in the pages of David Wroblewski’s wonderful novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Though the setting is Midwest US and the family in question is a well-respected dog breeding and training business (“royalty” in their own right), the main plot from the Shakespeare play is present. Added to those are Wroblewski's own subplots that make this a many-layered interesting read.
Edgar’s Story Fourteen year-old Edgar was born mute. That’s an interesting touch in itself, because the major problem with the main character in Shakespeare’s play is his inability to speak up about his suspicions. In Wroblewski’s work, Edgar is physically incapable of doing so, though he does use his own brand of sign language to communicate effectively with family and townspeople.
Edgar’s grandfather had developed an admired breed of dog, simply called “Sawtelles.” Edgar’s father, Gar, continues the breeding of the dogs with loving care, and his mother, Trudy, handles the training of the animals in preparation for placement in desirable homes. Edgar’s job has been to name each litter, but at 14, he is given his first litter to train.
Edgar’s Uncle Claude (the most obviously named character, the personification of King Claudius in Hamlet), disrupts the peaceful existence of the Sawtelle farm because of long-standing disagreements and bitter arguments. When Gar’s father dies mysteriously, Edgar suspects Claude. A short time later, Claude is practically running the business, and has proposed to Edgar’s mother. An angry Edgar seeks a way to expose his uncle. In a clever maneuver, Edgar uses his well-trained litter of yearling dogs to show exactly how Claude killed his father. This entire “revelation of the murderer” scene is reminiscent of the staging of the play in Hamlet, wherein King Claudius displays his obvious guilt.
Edgar’s efforts result in complications that work against him, thrusting the story to an expected (if you know the original story) tragic end. Though Edgar is basically non-assertive, his grief and anger ultimately drive him to a necessary final confrontation.
The Major Characters
Through all of the complications, an endearing part of the story is the strong bond that Edgar feels with his dogs. Edgar is a most interesting character. He is introspective, sensitive, and not prone to action. Only when he knows the truth of his father’s death does he erupt in anger, accidentally killing a veterinarian (the figure of Polonius from Hamlet). In scenes resembling Shaekespeare’s “get thee to a nunnery” sequence in which Hamlet rejects poor innocent Ophelia, Edgar rebukes Almondine, the dog he adores most, because he is angered by her seemingly complacent acceptance of Claude. Later, he is sorely sorry for his actions against the dog who had been his loyal companion and protector for 14 years.
Edgar’s relationship with his mother is the best drawn in the book. She is a strong character and Edgar deeply loves and respects her. When she seems oblivious to the obvious, his fury is unrestrained. The scene in which he turns on her is gut-wrenching.
Claude is a ne’er do well who knows much about dogs. Early in the novel, he exhibits an underlying cruel nature that makes his ultimate actions seem quite natural, if despicable. Edgar’s anger at his uncle is intensified by his own guilt. While alone on the farm one day, he found his dying father, but was unable to call for help because of his inability to speak.
One cannot overlook the importance of the dogs as characters in the book. They are so important that, in a few chapters, the author reverts to telling the story from their points of view. This might seem silly, but it certainly didn’t come off that way. I found it added depth to the story. I was especially touched by an early chapter in which Almondine senses a change is about to occur. Then Edgar is born. But something is still different, she thinks. Ultimately, it is the discovery that Edgar is mute, and the dog begins her long vigilant care of the boy.
The Author
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is an intelligent and engrossing accomplishment as Wroblewski’s first novel. I fell instantly in love with his storytelling technique. He has the ability to create intricate layers of action and emotions. Unrelated details eventually have significant impact.
The author’s use of the language is engaging. His descriptions are lush and beautiful. At one point, Edgar is a fugitive hiding in woods with three of his dogs. The descriptions of the forest and the landscape are exacting and memorable.
The author obviously knows a lot about dogs or did an incredible amount of research. There are many sequences devoted to the attempts to create the Sawtelle breed and the training methods. These technicalities are woven into the plot in a seamless manner that never slow down the pace. Of particular interest is the manner in which the author describes Edgar’s manner of communicating with the dogs through hand signals and touch.
Memorable for Me I enjoyed this slightly offbeat retelling of the Hamlet saga. The use of the dog breeding and training business as a background offered a lot of unique opportunities to work the plot. In the long run, Edgar is a far more sympathetic character than Hamlet. He is a multi-layered character. Wroblewski weaves a more complex tale than the original, with some unexpected twists and turns.
I never lost interest in the story. When I had to put it down, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. I highly recommend this book. If you don’t know the original Hamlet story, it doesn’t matter. This book stands on its own with wonderfully drawn characters and a captivating plot. It’s one of the most memorable books I read during 2008.
A riveting family saga, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle explores the deep and ancient alliance between humans and dogs, and the power of fate through one ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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