Gateway City Book Lovers Club Goes to the Dogs
Written by Post Public Information Representative, May 6, 2009, 0 Comments
This month’s book up for discussion at the Gateway City Book Lovers Club at the Laredo Public Library is “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski. The author is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes–the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain–create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.
“I flat-out loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and spent twelve happy evenings immersed in the world David Wroblewski has created,” said famed author Stephen King. “As I neared the end, I kept finding excuses to put the book aside for a little, not because I didn’t like it, but because I liked it too much; I didn’t want it to end. Dog-lovers in particular will find themselves riveted by this story, because the canine world has never been explored with such imagination and emotional resonance. Yet in the end, this isn’t a novel about dogs or heartland America–although it is a deeply American work of literature. It’s a novel about the human heart, and the mysteries that live there, understood but impossible to articulate. Yet in the person of Edgar Sawtelle, a mute boy who takes three of his dogs on a brave and dangerous odyssey, Wroblewski does articulate them, and splendidly.
King continued: “I closed the book with that regret readers feel only after experiencing the best stories: It’s over, you think, and I won’t read another one this good for a long, long time.
In truth, there’s never been a book quite like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I thought of Hamlet when I was reading it, and Watership Down, and The Night of the Hunter, and The Life of Pi–but halfway through, I put all comparisons aside and let it just be itself,” he concluded.
The group will meet on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in the First Floor Conference Room at the Laredo Public Library, located at 1120 East Calton Road.
The public is encouraged to join the group discussion, even if they haven’t finished, or even started, reading the book.
The book is available for check out at the Laredo Public Library or for purchase at B. Dalton Bookseller.
The Gateway City Book Lovers Club meets every third Wednesday of the month to discuss different books. Everyone is invited to join. There are no fees or requirements – simply a love of books!
