Dawg gone

I am struggling through The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (David Wroblewski, 2008). It is a brick of a book at over 550 pages. The only reason I have persevered is that both my uncle and mother thought it was very good. My mum even encouraged me on the phone today, 'give it another fifty pages,' she said, 'and if you're still not into it, let it go.' Another fifty pages.

And it is not like the writing is bad. Far from it. The writing is quite good but more what old David is writing about. For those who haven't read it, it is about a family who raises dogs. That's it. They raise dogs and train dogs and help dogs be born and watch stray dogs at the edge of the woods and talk about dogs and pat their dogs and go for walks with their dogs and feed their dogs and reminisce about dogs. No kidding. One chapter was devoted to naming some new dogs. And they didn't even get particularly interesting names. Now maybe if I was crazy about dogs I'd really be into this.

I am not crazy about dogs ergo I am struggling with this finely written but infinitely boring book.

I'll give it another fifty pages.