Comments on: A Totally Unauthorized Reading Group Guide to ‘The Story of Edgar Sawtelle’ With a Key to ‘Hamlet’ Characters Represented in the Novel

By: Ilana Salant

Ilana Salant — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:54:06 +0000

I am currently working my way through Edgar Sawtelle…I think that the descriptions of the dogs and of the countryside are stunning….I was just wondering if anyone could hellp me to understand….why are some Hamlet characters dogs (i.e. Almondine /Ophelia….Laertes/Essay…..whereas some are humans? Thank you

By: Nish

Nish — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:58:35 +0000

Saw this post on my list of Related Links section…you have taken a similar line with the book review – especially the section on mapping the characters in Edgar Sawtelle with Hamlet

I also like the questions you have listed as points for discussion. A book club is a great environment for reading and discussing this book

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:15:34 +0000

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments. I gave a talk at a library on The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and found that many people share your views.

By: millerrjjcej

millerrjjcej — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:57:42 +0000

I loved this book and am surprised that all the reviews here are negative. Since my husband died, I’ve found it very hard to concentrate long enough to read novels and so mostly stick with short stories, essays, and crossword puzzles. But this book brought back a pleasure I’d despaired of experiencing again: reading well-written prose with a great plot, caring deeply about the characters and spending much of my time away from the book worrying about them, trying to fit in snatches of reading whenever I could during the day, and staying up late to fit in just one more chapter. In response to the question about the novel’s parallels to Hamlet, I think the author did a wonderful job of using parallels when they made sense (hence the ending that so many readers find distressing) without allowing them to become ponderous. I also loved the chapters told from the dog’s point of view. We had a dog who seemed to have those very thoughts and feelings. I felt these chapters allowed Wroblewski to tell parts of the story that would have taken twice as many words and not been nearly as effective if they’d been told from the human point of view.

By: c livengood

c livengood — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:16:01 +0000

The Sawtelles and their world did not exist before I began the book. They ceased to exist as I completed the book. Generations of genuine human endeavour and arduous self-discovery came to naught. Nihilism is its own hell. I want none of it.

By: Do Readers Want ‘A Tragedy With a Happy Ending’? « One-Minute Book Reviews

Mon, 18 May 2009 06:40:01 +0000

[...] downbeat ending. The reaction surprised me, because the reviews and publicity have made clear that the book has parallels to Hamlet, a tragedy in which corpses litter the stage in the last scene. Have the movies primed us to expect [...]

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:12:51 +0000

Some people have disliked the ending of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle even if they liked the book. I recently gave a talk about the novel at a library, where several people complained about the final chapters.

I appreciate your perspective because critics tend to avoid talking about endings, except in a very general way, to avoid giving away too much. But there are books, like this one, where the ending may be a serious issue for readers.

By: wordtresj

wordtresj — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:35:23 +0000

I would not recommend this book to anyone, ever! My mother gave a copy for Christmas to my two sisters and myself. It was totally fascinating UNTIL THE END! I finished it first and told Mom, who wanted to read it, let me know how she liked the ending. One of my sisters called and said she hated the ending too. We told Mom not to read it, and our other sister, to be careful about reading the ending.

By: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski « ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski « ANZ LitLovers LitBlog — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:39:13 +0000

[...] only good thing about reading this book is that it facilitated my discovery of Harayda’s Totally Unauthorised Reading Group Guides. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoThe Story of [...]