This summer both my mother and I were reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which means even then it was one of those movies that appealed to different age groups and tastes. Then Oprah chose it for her book club, which pretty much guaranteed this spooky, very strange novel would be turned into a movie eventually.

And as Oprah decreed, it was so. Variety is reporting that Universal has optioned David Wroblewski's novel, and the powerful force of Oprah's Harpo Films and Tom Hanks' Playtone will come together to produce it. The story, set in northern rural Wisconsin in the 1960s, is a twist on Hamlet, following a mute teenage boy who has grown up on his parents dog-breeding farm. When his father is killed, and he suspects his uncle of committing the crime, Edgar goes on the run with three of the puppies he has raised, and tries to find a way to uncover the truth and return to his family.

It's a well-written and accessible book, but it's also one in which one of the main characters is a dog who narrates a few chapters. I have absolutely no idea how they'll make a decent movie out of it, especially given that the main character is mute, but narrates the entire story to the audience. But with the power of Oprah behind it, even a movie is potentially odd as this one will attract an audience-- and I suppose that's all Universal needs to have going for it.