The
Story of Edgar Sawtelle" carries all the hallmark elements of a great
book. There is a boy who cannot
hear. There are dogs that seemingly hold the ability to think.
There are secrets - from the land the boy and his family live upon, to the
truth behind his Uncle Claude, to a grandfather who taught his father and uncle
all they know of dogs – never to be uncovered nor explained - all, of which, are
wrapped together in an allegorical, contemporary interpretation of ‘Hamlet’ by
William Shakespeare.
My knowledge of ‘Hamlet’ extends no further than the
well-used line, ‘To be or not to be; that is the question.’ So whether this story of young Edgar Sawtelle
mirrors ‘Hamlet’s’ theme, I could not say. What is evident to me
though, is David Wroblewski writing skill. He delivers a reader to the
setting of the Sawtelle's small farm in rural Wisconsin. You smell, and feel,
and taste the environment in a truly masterful way that never distracts from
the story. You are that unseen visitor, not just watching the tale
unfold, but also experiencing it. You hear the thoughts of the
characters. You know what stirs within. Wroblewski nearly manages
to cast you one of the characters, as life rolls over them like a storm that
cannot be stopped.
For anyone interested in the art of writing, this
stands as a tremendous text to study. For myself though, as one who
believes story is the foundation to any solid book, I came away wondering what
was the point. All the questions that developed in my mind as I read, all
the answers I anticipated as the story unfolded, none of them appeared.
The setting and the characters are solid – some of the best I have read. But I must ask the question, ‘Where is the
story? What was the point?
2 comments:
I think a lot of the point of this story is to give a modern retelling of Hamlet. I am actually very familiar with Hamlet as I have seen a read it multiple times, and in fact Wroblewski's work follows the plot quite accurately.
Hamlet's father died under mysterious circumstances and he learns from his father's ghost that it was because Claudius poisoned him. Claudius is also now engaged to Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and this causes some tension in their lives.
Throughout Shakespeare's play, Hamlet struggles with confronting his murderous uncle and finding the courage and the voice to accuse him publicly. He tries to do so through a play but no one catches on and Claudius begins to fear his treachery will be unveiled.
Then in a moment of passion he mistakes Polonius for Claudius and kills him through the curtain. Because Hamlet is considered to be mad he is sent back to England to school but he returns to find his revenge.
Meanwhile Leontes (Polonius' son) is distraught over his father's death and with Claudius plots his revenge. They decide on a challenge to duel, but plan to poison the sword tip and a goblet of wine.
In the final scene the scheming goes wrong and Leontes, Claudius, Gertrude and Hamlet all die from poison.
Can you see the Hamlet connections now? Many of the characters also have similar names to Shakespeare's characters!
And of course the plot. Gar dies by Claude's hand. Edgar accidentally kills Papineu and runs off only to return to prove murder. Glen tries to understand his father's death, seeks to confront Edgar and everyone is harmed in some way.
It's really quite fascinating in the parallels and the divergences. I would recommend reading Hamlet for comparison because it really adds to the depth of this beautiful novel.
Thanks Katie for the comments. I appreciate the added insight you provide to better flesh out the intricacies of this story.
I actually listened to an audiobook dramatization of "Hamlet" after I wrote this review; and, quite frankly, I still failed to grasp the point of the story. I saw the parallels - between 'Hamlet' and 'Edgar Sawtelle'. While I was reading it, people did warn me everyone died in the end, which I still fail to grasp. What was the point Shakespeare wished to make? Why did Claudius/Uncle Claude kill his brother? Was it an accident? Was it premeditated? Did he want the family business? Was his goal the wife? For myself, too many unanswered questions remained - in both stories. They are beautifully written. Unquestionably, Shakespeare used the English language unlike any other writer - and David Wroblewski follows in those footsteps, painting beautiful pictures of the settings and the relationships. The story, though? I didn't get it.
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