The Stroy of Edgar Sawtelle

I bought this book two months ago, long before Oprah chose it for her book club-and I was quite dismayed when she picked it. Nonetheless, I couldn't just let it sit there and not be read because of Oprah, right? And I'm glad I didn't let my prejudices get in the way because this is a great book. Well-written (this is the one with sparkling prose and poetry as well), a wonderful story and great characters-it was amazing.
Edgar Sawtelle can't speak. It doesn't seem to have any physical reason, but he can't speak and he lives in Northern Wisconsin with his mother and father, raising dogs. The dogs are special, in more ways than one and Edgar loves them. His father breeds them checks on them after they've been sold and keeps track of all of them, so he knows which line is good and which bad, who should be bred to who and who not. The dog is an x-ray of the line that develops very slowly, he tells Edgar. You have to keep an eye on it. Into their happy family comes Edgar's' uncle, his father's brother, Claude. Considering his mom is named Trudy and his father Gar, the parallels with Hamlet are hard to miss but are very well-done. Yes, his father dies and Claude starts staying over for the night and when their local vet and family friend dies an accidental death in their barn, Edgar has to leave, and he takes the litter he raised with him.
His adventures on the road and what happens when he returns make for a compelling story. His love for the dogs, their love for him and their relationships are just as strong and real as the human relationships-maybe stronger.
Fine. Oprah picked a really good book. I'll forgive her for it.