Book #79: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Title: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Author: David Wroblewski

I'm usually highly skeptical that modern reinventions of Shakespeare's stories can be anything other than goofy. Think of Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern are dead, for example-- it's fun, but definitely goofy, right? From the very beginning of David Wroblewski's novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, it's obvious that he's writing a modern reinvention of Hamlet-- Edgar's mother's name is Trudy and his uncle's name is Claude, for example, but it feels like a well-wrought story in its own right. The kingdom the Sawtelles rule is a farm of specially-bred dogs, and Ophelia's character is a dog, though no less loving and loyal than her human counterpart. If you like Leif Enger's novels or have an affinity for the northern Midwest, Edgar Sawtelle will appeal to you, but even if you don't it's worth the 500+ pages and several weeks of investment you'll put into the reading of it. Just remember what happens at the end of Hamlet, and you won't be disappointed like so many of the amazon readers whose reviews I read. I found it hard to push through the last 100 pages since I felt like I'd grown to love Edgar and couldn't stand to watch the inevitable conclusin.