The story of a mute boy, his special breed of dogs, and the troubles that befall his family. You will be drawn in immediately by the plot, and although the length of the book may be more than some book clubs will want to tackle (over 500 pages), it is so well written and plotted that I will recommend it to my group immediately.

This story is about a boy and his dog. Of course the boy is a mute and the dogs are a special breed that his grandfather created.
The story has many things going on with ramblings through the farm, fields and the forest with a cast of good and bad chacterters.
I was so mesmerized by this book that I had to wake to my present world when I put it down.
Both my book clubs have read it and it was a mixed vote as to its merits. I would say half of us read it and enjoyed it very much the other half did not like the slow descripitive pace of the book.

Our book club had a fine time with this discussion. Agreed the book to be valuable to a book group format.

This was my second attempt at reading this book and surprisingly I couldn't put it down. Loved the history and the characters.

It's been a couple of months since I read this book, and my impressions of it continue to be the same as when I finished it. I enjoyed the dog story. It reminded me of Kontz's dog stories, very much from the point of view of the dog. The coming of age of Edgar himself was well done. The interplay of the relationships of the members of Edgar's family felt real and possible. The were some "supernatural elements" sprinkled throughout, but they could have had rational sources, if thought about. Acturlly, they were just a little spice, not really necessary for the book.
My biggest problem with the story was the ending. It felt too much like an opening for a sequel. Maybe, if it had been separated more, it might have been "And this is what happened to the dogs" kind of thing. As it was, it felt incomplete, like where did the words go?

This is one of the few books that haunted me for months. I just could not shake the image of the characters. And the magic of the dogs was an essential component making this book special. It's a long read, but well worth the time.

SPOILER ALERT !!! I will give away a plot element in this review

The character Henry says it best, "Call it what you will, but this is definitely not ordinary!" Basically this is the story of Hamlet transported to 1972 north woods of Wisconsin, on a farm where they raise a unique breed of dog. Edgar, a mute since birth, must find a way to prove that his uncle killed his father in order to get the farm.

We really enjoyed this book. Being able to compare how dogs are trained to real life was amazing. It was complicated, but kept your interest. There was a sense of magic in the midst of the reality that made it a great escape. Two thumbs up.

When I started this book, I was engrossed and did not want to put it down. However, by the end, all I could think was that the author had been badly misled by his editorial staff. Our book club unanimously hated the book and can not understand Oprah or anyone else recommending it.

Very slow... couldn't even finish it

A fabulous read about human relationships told through via the metaphor of their interactions with dogs. A warm bath of a book; beautifully crafted, descriptive,lexically rich & with an inviting and at times mysterious setting. There are a few debut novel/creative writers' course "rocks" poking through, nevertheless enjoy getting to know a boy who doesn't speak and his dogs who somehow do. Keep the tissues nearby. Recommended. Look out for more books from this author.

This was an interesting book about a mute boy, his family and his dogs. Strange ending but overall a good book.

Shades of Hamlet! What a powerful story... beautifully written. Might be too long for the taste of some readers.

This book started out well. I love dogs so the book really appealed to me. About half way through I started getting bored. The boy's breaking into various cabins was too repetitious. Where was the editing? I started skimming looking for a place to pick back up into the story - never happened. Most of the members of my book group felt the same way.

Great story with complex characters. The author's writing style kept the reader intrigued and engaged.

If was a very good book, but don't expect to feel good after you finish reading it.

I enjoyed the beginning and the adventure. Horrible ending and couldn't figure out why the author felt this was necessary.

This book was a real page turner for me. I only wish it had more happy moments in it. That said, I would recommend it as a well-written, interesting book. Our club is discussing it this week.

A truly sumptuously written ode to dog trainers/lovers in the "heartland" including several clear-eyed sections told from the dogs' point-of-view. Yes, there's the Shakespearean element; whether distracting or enhancing it casts a different light on the story's plot. Subtle yet long, this intimidatingly-sized book may put off readers looking for a lite snack. Take a breath and enjoy this slow feast of rich chewy words and layered characters.

Disappointing. Ending left me unsatisfied and with questions unanswered. At times confusing. Dark story. The highlight for me was Edgar's relationship with Henry. Does make for some interesting discussion.

If you enjoy a long engrossing read ... this will sweep you away.

I owned a copy of this book for almost two years before I finally picked it up and read it. I regret not having done so much sooner and with the book club. People who love animals and the outdoors will enjoy this book but also those who have no interest in either. The storyline is solidly written and will keep you interested. Refrain from reading the jacket because it divulges way too much of the story.

Thought this book was a bit slow, and boring. There were some good parts - like the end (although the final scene wasn't great). It would be a conversation piece, but as a great book read - I wouldn't recommend. Unless you were REALLY into dogs.

I was so sick of reading about dog training, I could scream. Get on with the story already!

If you understand anything about dogs, this book will haunt you. The book does have a lot of inconsistencies in that it brings up a topic and then goes nowhere with it, but the journey in reading the story engulfed me and kept me up at night. He really captured the inner emotions of a dog's view of his master. This irked some people in my book club but I think he hit the nail on the head.

This was a very interesting story, and very reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe, so if you liked his work you will like this. Most of our group enjoyed it, with the exception of those who don't like dogs. I really enjoyed the parts about the Sawtelle dogs, and would love to have a dog like them!
good story, keeps you interested, worth reading!

Last September (2008) I found Oprah's book pick, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, astounding not because it wasn't a good book but because I agreed with her, and I so seldom do. As a matter of fact, I can think of only one other time when I agreed with her, Night by Elie Wiesel. Others I thought were just OK or terrible.

If you haven't read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle yet, I assure you, it's wonderful.

OMG. I finally finished this long and laborious book. Honestly, it's a good story but way too long!!! And very confusing!

Well written. A book that will keep your interest.

Absolutely pointless.

The author's way with words was beautifully descriptive. The darkness of the story was heavy at times but I couldn't let go of the story. Wish the ending wasn't such a downer!

Saying this book is well written is like a surgeon saying that the operations went perfectly but the patient died.

200 fewer pages would've improved the reading experience for me. There were sections of extensive descriptions when I was pondering "what is the point?"