Claude-Claudius Gertrude-Trudy He couldn't just call his dad Let and him Ham that would be too obvious. Edgar needed to die in the classical sense he killed the doctor. Trudy doesn't find out all of the details because that is not how life works, at least she got to live in this one and I'm not sure she should have. I thought it was great. I think that Forte is the MISSING LINK so to speak.

And for those that think the end is spoiled think about Romeo and Juliet. The end is revealed in the first few lines. It is the journey.

And dog lady with the butter etc---it is a novel jackass!

There were many loose ends thoughout the book. I did not get the point of the ghost in the shed for example. I wondered if because we are used to reading mystery novels and adding up the clues to discover an ending that maybe we were lulled into thinking that the details would somehow tie into the ending. I finished the book and felt very unsatisfied and unfinished even tho there was noone else to continue the story except maybe Essay and the dogs. My husband who had not read the novel asked me if it left room to be contined as in a sequel or something. If there is one I doubt that I would read it.

Oprah Makes Her Pick Compiled by STEVEN McELROY -- The New York Times

Published: September 19, 2008

On Friday’s edition of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Ms. Winfrey announced her latest book club pick: “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,” the debut novel by David Wroblewski, below, which came out in June and was warmly received by critics. The story, influenced by both “Hamlet” and the works of Stephen King, is about a mute boy with a deep connection to the dogs bred at his family’s Wisconsin kennel. “I think this book is right up there with the greatest American novels ever written, I really do,” Ms. Winfrey said. The book was a popular summer read and was ranked ninth on the most recent New York Times best-seller list, where it has held a place for 13 weeks. “When you read it, you will understand why I had to choose it,” Ms. Winfrey said. The endorsement is likely to make the book even hotter, and throughout the day on Friday it was slowly moving up the top-selling book lists on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Loved the book until the very end and I had hoped that Forte would reappear and introduce a "new " and STRONGER bloodline into the Sawtelle dogs with Essay giving hope to a new beginning after so much sorrow.. It did not leave Trudy know ing the truth about Claude and the things he had done and on top of that she lost her only son Edgar. Truly a bad ending leaving everyone wondering what the point of the story was. We should all have hope and great novels inspire that. P S I have three Labradors and one rescue Golden Retreiver and they give me joy everyday. I loved the book from the dogs point of view.

I just wanted to let you know why I'm telling everyone I know not to read this book. I became so engrossed in the story, involved with the characters, enjoyed the dogs (even though some of your suggestions on diet were weird), and recognized the environment from days of my childhood. I was caught up in the idea of an experiment in breeding unusual dogs. Then came the ending. Dismal, depressing, not a ray of hope anywhere. AWFUL. I felt like I wasted my entire time reading this novel to have everything and everyone and every animal murdered, maimed or burned. AWFUL
Then I realized this was a first novel and you probably couldn't figure out how to end it so you just killed off every single thing that you had created.
I wish I hadn't read it.

Hello,

I read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. As a rescuer of dogs I love dog stories and did enjoy some of this book but was HORRIFIED to read that the author had Edgar feeding his dogs raw bacon, butter and giving Tinder TWO TYLENOL!!!! At the end reading that he had a 'Veterinarian' on his 'staff'???? Any Vet with his any knowledge would NEVER have let any of that be printed!! Giving a dog raw bacon and butter would cause pancreatitis....giving them even ONE TYLENOL WILL KILL THEM BY DESTROYING THEIR KIDNEYS!!!!!!!!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???? WHY would write a STORY...then put in things that anyone reading, not knowing a thing about dogs might try to copy as they will remember as having 'read it somewhere' and it worked!?????/ IT DOES NOT WORK....IT KILLS!!!!!!

WHY WHY WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS???????

You used WAY too many vague words to describe simple things like 'FOG'??? Had to read that passage five times to discover that you only meant FOG!!!!

The end is horrid....each time you read it you could get another opinion of what actually happened!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.....FIGURE OUT HOW to undue the HUGE DAMAGE you have done by telling people to give their dogs raw bacon, butter and tylenol!!!!!!! IF not, you will be sued!!!!!!

Horrified Dog Rescue Person,
Dolores

Gee thanks, Darryl, for ruining the book. As of yet, comments on titlepage have (I've found) never revealed spoilers. There goes my plan to pick up this novel.

very good book that has a most unsatisfactory ending. After 562 pages, David, you couldn't come up with the hero yet alive? Had I only known.

Well, thanks! I guess I could try...I just figured he was swamped by this point, but
I will give it a whirl. Thanks much!

Jody, Summer being what it is, I worry that nobody will come to answer your plight.
May I suggest you try emailing the author himself? http://www.edgarsawtelle.com/contact.html
You never know!

I wrote about the final word of THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE on my blog,
which was "cross." I'd love to hear from someone--anyone!--thoughts about
the ending of the novel. I'm not sure I understand it.

JosephineCarrWrites.blogspot.com