The Poison got meNovember 29, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book captured me. I enjoyed reading about the dog breeding and training. The hardships that Edgar went through made a great story. I really enjoyed this book until the Poison section. Then the author got sloppy and rushed along. The ending although unpredictable was horrid. Why lead the reader to such hope for Edgar and then end it in such a sad depressing state? I would read this author again. I hope he considers his readers in his endings for any subsequent books. I would read this book again just for the first 3/4 of the book. This story has kept with me, so it is definately a good story.
Sometimes intriguing, ultimately frustratingNovember 28, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I listened to Edgar Sawtelle as an audiobook. It's a 21-hour and 45-minute listen, which took me several weeks to finish simply because it was just not compelling enough to reach for. I did enjoy parts of the novel. The relationship with the dogs and the development of a dog with the characteristics envisioned is intriguing. The parallels with Hamlet provided the potential for additional depth, but also allowed the characters to become predictable and flat. There were many characters that just weren't developed enough (despite the length). For me, the ending was a disappointment because it felt like a cop out. After spending so much time listening to the book, I expected more resolution.
excellent writing, originality, and great parts are not enoughNovember 28, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book grabbed me from the start. I loved the writing and the sense of place, and the role of dogs in this novel. But by the mid-200 page point, those good things didn't seem to be enough. Not much was happening. And then with the first big death, it was as if I were reading a completely different novel. Between mysticism and far-fetched plot turns, things happened, but I wasn't sure it was an improvement. And the end was bizarre, a little confusing, and not satisfying. Another issue: each chapter was told from the point of view of a different person (or dog). I liked that, but felt manipulated when I found that they hid key facts from the reader. I liked Edgar, the protagonist, as well as the dogs. And I enjoyed the writing throughout. There's a lot to like here, and a lot not to like. I liked it more than I didn't.
Don't waste your timeNovember 28, 2008 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The most boring 562 pages in recent literature. I should have stopped after the first few pages but I kept expecting it to get better...it didn't. If it had been only 200 pages (and it should have been) my response would be the same. The writer can write but where is his story (same tired, Biblical theme), his sense of drama and most all, abilty to develop characters. 150 pages in the woods with 3 puppies stealing food from cabins...come on...yawn!!! The story should have been about Lucy, the Mum, NOT about Edgar. Her motives would make a much more interesting study.
The ending left me sad and depressed and with several unanswered questions.November 27, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
STORY BRIEF: The story takes place on a farm in Wisconsin in the 1950s through 1970s. Trudy and Gar have a son Edgar. The family breeds and trains dogs who are extremely smart. Edgar can hear but he cannot speak, so he communicates with his parents and the dogs using sign language.
REVIEWER'S OPINION: Since Oprah liked this book, I thought I'd give it a try. I enjoyed much of it. I think the author is a wonderful writer with his descriptions and characters. But, I hated the ending! It was horrible, sad and depressing. I was so upset, I quickly searched for something else to read to put me in a better mood and try to forget. If the author had chosen a different ending to be heartwarming, fulfilling or happy, I likely would have given it 5 stars. I wish the author would do a rewrite. Evil can exist and do damage within a book which includes a happy ending. Most of the books I read are romance novels because they guarantee a happy ending. I need to stay in that genre, but once in a while I will try something else.
DATA: Story length: 562 pages. Setting: 1950s and later in Wisconsin. Copyright: 2008. Genre: human relationships fiction and mainstream fiction.
