Book Review: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Well I finally persevered and got to the end. I wanted to read this book to see what sort of work would get the only 2008 Oprah book club recommendation. If it was a truly great piece of writing I wanted to know why.

I’m not much for huge thick works of fiction, but I really did try to `get this one’.

I had read Marlie and Me and hated it. It should have been called "About a Dog". Dogs are not that great, puhlease. I feared that this book would unfold to be a huge hardcover version of About a Dog. It rose above that, but not enough so.

The author writes beautiful words and I did enjoy that images that he evoked of an innocent time and life in the country.

Too many details about dogs, dog care, dog training, dog relationships, dog obedience, dog personalities, dog breeding etc. etc. etc. though.

I deliberately didn’t read the jacket as I had heard that it gave too much of the plot away – and indeed it does. A built in spoiler 😦

So I was hoping for an ending that would satisfy. Alas it left me disappointed. The ending is tragic and unsatisfying. So much so that I feel a bit ripped off and having invested all that time to get to the end.

I want to read a modern classic and love it, but this won’t be it.

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Book Review: Forgiving the Dead Man Walking

Forgiving the Dead Man Walking: Only One Woman Can Tell the Entire Story by Debbie Morris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a true story that everyone should read. Written simply and clearly Debbie Morris details her horrible trauma at the hands of a pair of rapists and killers.

The book describes her path since the abduction, leading to being able to forgive her captors. It was a long and difficult path, but one that I think we can all learn from. It was only after she was able to come to the position of being able to forgive that she could recover and move on from the ordeal. The refusal to forgive and desire to hang on to the hate will only eat you up.

I like that her forgiveness didn’t make her seem weak and glib. What she endured was awful but not unforgivable. Not unforgettable or un-punishable, but possible to forgive.

The main perpetrator was executed and wasn’t believed to ever show any remorse, so the act of forgiveness was for herself, for her own recovery and sanity.

Well done for sharing with us the journey I say !

This book will be an encouragement for anyone struggling with unforgiveness.

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