#24 The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

#24 The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

What first drew me to this book was the cover. How adorable is this dog with his racing goggles and jaunty red scarf blowing in the breeze? 

As soon as I opened the novel and was introduced to an aging Enzo the dog acting as narrator, I knew this was going to be a different sort of book. Looking back on his life, Enzo wants to imprint on his soul everything he’s learned about life through his copious hours of TV viewing and his interactions with his people so that when he is reincarnated as a man, he’ll know how to live a good life (something he learned on a show about dogs in Mongolia which makes me ask: how much television does your dog watch and are you making sure he’s watching quality programming?). 

Enzo shares his life as a puppy on a beautiful farm run by terrible people and how Denny, his human rescues him. Denny introduces Enzo to his passion; car racing and together the two watch many races tucked away in their bachelor pad discussing turns and techniques, with Enzo soaking up as much information as he can.  Things take a drastic turn when Denny meets Eve and the family dynamic changes. Plenty of laughs are to be had as Enzo describes nighttime activities among other things. Our dogs really do see everything! 

Denny’s life changes dramatically when Eve dies and her awful parents sue Denny for custody of his daughter. I was not expecting this development and what follows captured my attention and my heart.  Through his love for his daughter and his trusty friend, Enzo, Denny must wade through his grief over losing not only his wife but his daughter and somehow find a way to fight for what he knows to be right. In the end, it is Enzo that saves the day and I balled like a baby when he finally succumbs to old-age. 

This book is truly a delight, filled with many unexpected insights often made by Enzo as he watches his people and I find myself looking at my own furry friend with fresh eyes. What I didn’t expect and was delighted by were the parallels drawn between driving and living life. Most notably this: the visible becomes the inevitable or in Denny’s driver-speak ~ the car goes where the eyes go. Such deep truths! 

From driving lessons to life lessons, this book is a wonderfully story told with heart and emotion, and all through the eyes of a dog! Until next time…have you read book today?

Julie