Sawtelle Needed Some Sawing

I love dogs. I love Hamlet. I love novels. I love Oprah. And I love writing. Put them all together and we should have my most favoritest book out there in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, 2008's most sold (lots of write-ups are saying most "successful," but we readers know that most sales doesn't necessarily mean most success) debut novel. However, I also love editing, and David Wroblewski's editor completely let him down by allowing the novel to swell well beyond the number of pages it needed to be. This is not me being afraid of long books—give me a meaty Rushdie novel any day—but this book needed some trimming, I would say at least 100 pages' worth. But honestly, Wroblewski's debut novel is better than my non-existent one, and I honor him for giving the Hamlet story a go. The good news is that when he speaks at the Free Library, the clock will edit him, though I have no evidence that he himself in the flesh would run on longer than he should. Let's hope he brings his American style of magic realism and willingness to experiment to the Library. If he does, it will be a reading worth seeing.

David Wroblewski
Tue., 11/17/09
7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Free Library (1901 Vine Street)
Tickets: FREE