What readers think of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, plus links to write your own review.

I was ready to recommend this book to my book club until it ended. All that reading to
be so disappointed in the end. I felt the author just wanted to end it, not caring what
the reader would feel.

I am not a dog person but I learned so much about dogs and humans. This book was wonderful in language altho "melange" was used too much but what the heck happened to the plot? I could not believe the ending. HUH? [edited to remove plot spoilers]. I heard this as an audiobook. I grew up in Des Moines IA and the descriptions of rural life were gorgeous. But the ending ruined 5 stars from me.

I love a great novel - the longer the better. I had no trouble getting into the story and finishing this almost 600 pg book in less than a week. One has such high hopes for the characters, especially Edgar and his mother. Maybe it's still the optimist in me that expected more in the ending of this novel. Even without the "shiny happy people" ending, you do expect some resolution to unanswered questions. But the author appears to have left his readers and his characters high and dry. Overall, engaging and riveting, despite the let down at the end.

I loved the book and was completely absorbed by it; just couldn't put it down. I do think it was far too long and should have been edited and pruned. I grew to love Edgar and kept hoping, really expecting, that his travails would lead to some sense of closure. We all know that evil does exist in this world, and even in "Othello" Shakespeare makes sure that Iago is undone. I felt cheated by the ending with no resolution of anything, really. Why was Forte in the book, for example? Then I began to think about it and realized that if we live in a world where God does not exist; the only thing we really have is each other. We all have to do what we can to help the powerless. It that what the author is saying? Or is he simply saying that life just is really awful for some people?

I read this book inside of a week (a tribute to its engrossing nature) and I really liked it, but when I finished it I felt I was cheated. Maybe I mean to say that the author cheated. Instead of finishing the story, it appears he either could not or wished not to resolve the conflicts and answer some questions, so he just wrote an ending that was convenient for him.

Much has already been said here about the characters and the wonderful dogs, so I see no need to add my praise to the others who already spoke theirs. I will recommend this to other readers who like to tackle this sort of thing, and maybe someone else can help me figure out the answers that David Wroblewski didn't give his readers.

As with some of the other reviews here, I just finished this beautifully crafted, wonderful narrative and at the end felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room in the last pages. I was completely entranced by the story and journey of Edgar. It reminded me and engaged me the same way as John Irving's "A Prayer For Owen Meany". But here I am at the end so very very disappointed with the author and the ending. I get the "Hamlet" construct but this story, these characters, including those fully imagined dogs, deserved a far better resolution.

There was so much buzz about The Story of Edgar Sawtelle I had to read it and I am glad I did! The language and imagery in the novel was beautiful but I felt , in places, the story lost it's momentum. I knew it would have a sad ending as it has been compared to Hamlet (and what is sadder than that story?) I really could only recommend this book to the most serious readers

Well, I hated the ending. However, I did enjoy reading this book. It did leave me with many unanswered questions. I suppose that's what a good book is suppose to do. It's a page turner to say the least.