Familiaris (Oprah's Book Club)

I found this book to be a very tedious time-consuming read, even though it is highly touted.I realize that my opinion is in the minority.Being a great fan of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, my expectations for Familiaris were high.I was sorely disappointed and really had to force myself to finish the book, but am glad that I did.I found many of the stories within the book disjointed and excessively lengthy.In addition to a great deal of minutia in the prose, the style of writing seemed inconsistent to me.Perhaps that was purposeful, though.The most redeeming portion of the book was in Part VI-Familiaris which is direct, humorous, loving, and sad.It is in this section that the true nature of the characters shine in their love and respect for each other.It is this section that made the book worth finishing.

This was a wonderfully-written story that would have been spectacular had a lot of unnecessary detail and wordiness been edited out. It was just overly and unnecessarily long in a way that diminished the reading experience. It was at its best when dealing with the human and dog interactions that demonstrated how both were enriched by that interaction.

I felt the essence of this book didn’t need quite so many words. I found myself skimming which is rare for me.I enjoyed the book and loved the diversity of characters, including their interplay. I want a Sawtelle Dog!

I read the companion book to Familiaris first before I discovered there was a prequel. I would rather have read this first; however, it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of both novels. These books are brilliant. So much thought must have been put into the elaborate storylines. Whether or not the reader is a dog lover, one will surely get as wrapped up in the lives of these deeply interesting characters. I couldn’t put the book down, but as I read the last page I was so sad that the story was ending. Definitely recommend this novel.

I only have everything good to say about the novel itself. Wroblewski is a master at description, character development, and excitement. His writing is masterful.The problem is the printing of the actual text. In Part 2, Chapter 4, "Lady of the Lake", and elsewhere in the book, the word "opposite" appears randomly in the middle of words. It seems that this is a print error, and it happens so frequently, that it makes one wonder who did the proofreading. This is an expensive book, long and beautiful, and this printer mistake is inexcusable. While it shouldn't take away from Wroblewski's beautiful writing, it does, just a little. It's annoying and makes the reader think that the product purchased from Amazon is second rate.