The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Despite generating favorable initial reviews, it is unlikely that David Wroblewski’s first novel would ever have become a cultural phenomenon if not for its inclusion in Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club. With its commitment to promoting works of serious literary intent, its massive social media presence, and the celebrity clout of Oprah WInfrey herself, Oprah’s Book Club became a defining cultural context for novels that might otherwise have never found their way to a wide readership.

Initial sales of the novel were slow—the author was unknown, and the book, at nearly 600 pages, was intimidating. After Oprah Winfrey selected the novel as one of her book club reads, several leading forums, most notably The New York Times and USA Today, listed the book among its best books of the year. The novel was also shortlisted for the prestigious Art Seidenbaum Award, presented annually by the critics of the Los Angeles Times to an outstanding first novel. Part family tragedy, part coming of age story, part mystery thriller, and part paean to the intelligence and courage of canines, the novel became an international best seller. It was, in turn, optioned by Winfrey’s own film production company for development into a limited television series.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle’s improbable journey to international best-seller shows the massive cultural impact Oprah’s Book Club had on literature, publishing, and book marketing. Wroblewski was an unknown. He toiled over the manuscript for nearly a decade, and at the time of its publication he was nearing 50. Sales were tepid at first—the book was long, and the several chapters told from a dog’s perspective seemed hokey to many readers.

Begun as a segment on Oprah Winfrey’s long-running daytime talk show, the Book Club’s mission is to introduce works of serious intent to a national audience of readers who might otherwise have never heard of the book or the novelist. Of the 70 book titles Oprah featured, 61 of them went on to make The New York Times best-seller list, and more than 20 of those titles made it to #1. The novels highlighted by the Book Club explore serious and often controversial topics and feature complex characters with contradictory motivations, which made for engaging discussions. In her review, Oprah praised Wroblewski’s book for its daring scope, its psychological insights into sibling rivalry, its lyrical prose style, and its joyful, unabashed celebration of dogs. Within weeks of the Book Club selection, the novel was #6 on the Times best-seller list.