15: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Well, I'm done.  I've moved several books beyond my pre-set vacation book limit, I still have several vacation days to go, but I'm out of books (even after a visit to the crappy book chain store) and made a promise.

But what a way to go out.  I enjoyed this book so much I just kept putting it down.  I wanted to SAVOR it -- it was so lovely, so out-of-the-ordinary, so filled with beauty and so reflective of the art form of writing -- that I just didn't want the story to end.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a masterwork by David Wroblewski, shares the tale of Edgar, a child who is born with all of his sense faculties, but who lacks the ability to speak.

As I read it, Wroblewski kept doing this thing that shocked me to the core: he surprised me. Wroblewski is a real literary talent, with beautifully drawn characters and a strong sense of story.  But - more than anything - each chapter was filled with real, thoughtful writing -- and I truly never knew what was going to happen next.  Look, that doesn't seem to be so important, but it really is.  How many times have I been 3/4 of the way through a novel waiting for the author to get to the place I know is waiting in 70 pages.  

That just doesn't happen here.  What does happen is magical and lovely, though.  And I simply didn't want this story to end....

Read it!  It's my #1 piece of fiction for the year 2008.