The Story of Edgar Sawtelle | 
pickWell, this was certainly a reset from all those holiday HEAs. It‘s beautifully written and nearly 20 years later it could be written with exactly the same verbiage and have the same impact today. Now I get why there‘s a prequel vs a sequel to this story😳 Even though this book has been on my shelf since Oprah selected it for her Bookclub in 2008, I finished it with no regrets for finally reading it in 2026.
Jan #DoubleSin Cat:450+ pages
Two books, going backwards. I just finished the prequel to The Book of Edgar Sawtelle, which I first read in 2008. After waiting 16 years for this, it was everything I needed, excessive at times. I need to ponder Familiaris a bit before I can really review it - meanwhile I want to take another run at the original.
pickThis book caught me by surprise. At times, the writing was so good I found myself slowing down to enjoy it and take it all in. Edgar was an amazing character, as was Almondine. A couple spots I wondered why the scene was included, but only like two short scenes. The ending… well, I am still thinking of it a couple days later. Read it for Edgar…
pickMy #doublespin of January. @TheAromaofBooks
Very sad story and I wish there was a different ending, but this was probably the only ending possible. Everything unraveled.
TBR since december 2010; 562 pages.
Fun fact: both my bookspin and doublespin were 562 pages, were from the same publisher, one was in Wisconsin and the other in Minnesota and both stories took place close to or in St. Paul.
I have been trying to finish this book for about 3 years... 😬 I'm hoping to at least make some progress this new year!
pickEvery page was perfect!!! The first book I have read in years that I simply wanted to savor all the way through. That said, the ending simply ripped my heart. Damn it.
1. Due to covid waaaayyyy ahead.
2. Not to my goals but to my reading. I'm being much more of a mood reader.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
pickAmazing book. Filled with wonderful characters and lots of intriguing plots. Also if you love dogs you must read this book. Highly recommended 👍
pickI am not crying your crying. This was good but broke my heart.
Has anyone read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski? I picked the hardback up at my local used bookstore because it looked interesting. It was only twenty-five cents, so it was either a great deal or a book no one wanted! 😜 No spoilers, please!
I‘m starting this book again for the third time this summer—ironically because, Ruby, my puppy won‘t let me read. Ironic because the book is set in a world of a fictional breed of dog. She‘s not content to be on the floor beside me, or even in my lap. She has to be in my face, kissing me. Now she‘s barking at me through a glass door. Third time‘s the charm. Here we go!
A retelling if Hamlet which I wish I knew going in. I didn‘t like the ending and I invested about a month of my life in this book. But it‘s A version of a classic tale.
so-soConflict. Drama. Love. History. Adversity.
It‘s a bit slow and the timeline is a bit jumbled, at times but overall a good read.
bailedI was excited to read this, and then disappointed it was so boring & slow.
pickOh this book was full of dogs! ❤️ My second favourite thing in life besides my son. Also if you enjoyed Hamlet by Shakespeare, this book will definitely offer the same outcome
❤️🐶🐕🐩❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Found this today....imagine it will be good since it was an Oprah Book Club Selection. Anyone read this?
What's that you say? Your book is an #homage to a Shakespearean classic? Sign me up!
#Aprella @Cinfhen @Mdargusch @Reviewsbylola @emilyhaldi
pickI literally read this while I was on a silent retreat at a Jesuit retreat house on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. I finished the Book and the retreat before heading on a solo road trip that took me through the very area the author writes about in this book. This is a wonderful book. I will read again someday because I miss dear Edgar. ❤️📖
pickThis the best Hamlet since..... Hamlet. Read this book.
This hardcover is swoonworthily heavy; before I lug it back to Japan I'm going to leave it for my mom to read.
#Riotgrams Day 16 #SetNearWhereYouLive
I grew up between the settings of Edgar Sawtelle and Anatomy of a Murder. So here's an old picture of our main street. Looks the same but more pickup trucks and in color.
I really can't recommend this book enough, I just loved it when I read it. It's a Hamlet retelling in a Midwestern setting with dogs.
Also, I'm intrigued by the book above this listing, Meet Me In Paris.
First thing to pack - my kindle! Checked out four more books from the library - just in case. Now I need to remember to charge this tonight! Check out that battery - makes me nervous. #listyproblems
pick#PuppyLove #BookLove17 in my group of reader friends not many liked Edgar Sawtelle, but I did! A retelling of Hamlet if I recall correctly. Art of Taging in the Rain is an amazing novel even for someone who isn't a pet person. And the other three are all fond memories from childhood 🐶
pickI can understand why so many people can't decide whether they love or hate this book. I found it utterly enchanting at first - funny, moving, beautifully written. Even the fact that you often don't understand what's going on in the main character's head was interesting, different. And then towards the end it just all went to hell and I the ending is completely nonsensical to me. Certainly a unique book.
#LitsyQuiz, Round 2, Title 2. "Do You Know This Book" selection deux. Have you read/bought/seen/heard of this book before? A bit older, having been published 8 years ago. A nice thick tome for you. ???
#ILikeBigBooks and I cannot lie! I'm real original, right? 😜 I'm tagging Edward Sawtelle because it's so so good and everyone should read it! Hint, it uses the Hamlet plot which happens to one of my very favorite Shakespeare plays.
pickA special boy, his remarkable dogs, a terrible secret... this book was utterly engrossing. I LOVED it. Come for the dogs, stay for the Hamlet allegory.
(And say hello to my greyhound, Otis! I think he'd make a great Sawtelle Dog 😀)
Today will be a day of belated challenge posts; fitting on a #tbt, right? So #OctPhotoChallenge #CatVSDog I don't have pets. But I did have a yellow lab growing up and 3 cats. I think it's more about each animal's personality as opposed to actual species when it comes to liking them but I've read more dog-oriented books than anything with cats. #Day8DaysLate p.s. @LibrarianRyan I'm impressed with your skills at hosting mid-move! Hang in there :)
Well, I'm a couple days late for this one! Nonetheless, while I adore #catsoflitsy and cat emojis are better than the lame one we have for dogs, I am whole-heartedly a dog person. Hence my choice lies with Edgar Sawtelle and the dogs he cares for. #catsvsdogs #octphotochallenge
Power is still out from Hurricane Matthew (Charleston, SC). Guess I'll just have to put on my PJs and read my book by candlelight! Oh, darn. 😉
Struggled to find my groove with this one... UNTIL I met Almondine. And now I'm so deep in the groove, I can't wait to get home from work to keep reading. I know this one is going to break my heart. I just know it.
Has anyone read this? People on Goodreads seem to either love it or hate it, The King apparently recommends it, so...Ebook on sale until 7/27.
so-soLove the main character and the depth of description of dog training. I really expected to go further with narrator's journey and didn't really feel satisfied with the ending. And I know it's an allegory, but it didn't feel like the complete story of the character.
pickI loved this book and I'll admit I was a bit hesitant after seeing it as an Oprah pick bc some of her recommendations I did not care for however this was amazing. I loved this take on Hamlet in a rural Wisconsin with a mute child. It has everything sex, revenge, dog breeding, family, murder.
pickFor @Liberty s Fun Photo Friday, the book with my favorite ending - because I love sobbing like a fool, and because dogs can be more human than humans. Almondine's final chapter in this book may be the finest chapter I've ever read.
What?! This story just got really interesting 😱
I realize this is a book that's supposed to make you feel something, but so far all I feel is bored. Even when tragedy strikes, I don't feel it on a deep level.
pickHamlet and dogs. You'd think it'd be an odd mix and it is, but I've read this book twice through and listened to it once. There's something haunting beyond the ghost of the past in the pages.
I think my dislike of dog breeding as a practice is interfering with my enjoyment of this novel.
