The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

This month's book club selection was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle; the group had mixed emotions about the book but the majority of readers gave it a 5 (I gave it a 2). Following are the questions that I used that created quite a lively discussion:

1. The author had a way of putting you into the characters’ skin; how did you feel about that?

2. Which character’s skin did you feel most comfortable in? Edgar, Gar, Trudy, Claude, Page, Glen, Henry, the dogs?

3. While you were in your character’s skin, how did you feel when Gar died?

4. Do you think it was necessary for the author to make Edgar mute? How did this add to the storyline?

5. Edgar was considered ‘less than perfect’ but his mother didn’t coddle or expect anything less of him. She mentioned that we all have those flaws, just like everyone else, but they aren’t in important places . . . do you think Edgar’s flaw could have been considered a gift?

6. What did you think about the hauntings? Were they necessary to the storyline? For example: the vision of Edgar’s father and the old farmer in the barn? What other types of hauntings did the characters endure?

7. What about the other strange characters like Ida Paine and the woman who mysteriously arrived to teach Trudy to sign?

8. What did you think the problem was between Claude and Gar?

9. Do you think it was Claude in the Prologue?

10. Was it clear to you right away that Claude killed Gar?

11. What did you think of the quick courtship between Trudy and Claude?

12. What was significant about the letters between Edgar’s grandfather and Alvin Brooks? What do you think the grandfather’s experiment was? Complex choices?

13. What lessons did Edgar learn while on the run?

14. The ending was drawn out and then ran out of pages; what do you think happened after Essay sent all the dogs to Forte?

15. What did you think of Wroblewski’s imagery; was he able to transport you to Mellen and the areas near Ashland?

16. What did you learn from reading the book?

17. The book is said to be a retelling of Hamlet – do you agree?

18. Rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5.

19. Would you read another book by this author?

20. Did the book merit the praise that Oprah reaped on it?