Wednesday, August 06, 2008

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

I just finished reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I read most of it over two air flights. (Maybe I should have waited for the paperback for something lighter to carry.)

This is a fabulous story. I will be thinking about it for a long time. On the surface it's the story of a family that raises very perceptive, meticulously trained dogs in Wisconsin. The plot resembles Hamlet somewhat, including the appearance of at least two ghosts. Deep down it's about who people should relate to each other. How much do we owe each other? How does a person decide which course of actions to take when in doubt?

And it certainly challenges how I think about dogs, including my own dog!