The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel Paperback – May 22, 2018

"I bark twice because I want him to hear, I want him to know."

As a rule I avoid sad dog things. Not because I don't like dogs, but because I love them. For me, a sad situation with a dog is 1000x worse than with a person, and I just don't have the emotional capability to keep it together. But a friend of mine recommended this book multiple times over the past year, so I finally bite the bullet and read it.

And let me tell you, I regret nothing. This book was amazing. I cried in the first chapter and could not stop reading. The voice of this book is crystal clear. It's wonderful to hear a life told from a dog's perspective and Enzo is so much more than just a dog. He is a confident, a shoulder, a protector, and a prisoner. I love him. I love Garth Stein for doing this.

The one disclaimer I have, don't read this in public. I finished this book in an airport and thought TSA was going to have to get involved. So many feels.

[From Wikipedia]: The novel follows the story of Denny Swift, a race car driver and customer representative in a high-end Seattle auto dealership, and his dog Enzo, who believes in the Mongolian legend that a dog who is prepared will be reincarnated in his next life as a human.

Enzo spends most of his days watching and learning from television, gleaning what he can about his owner's greatest passion, race car driving — and relating it to life. Enzo eventually plays a key role in Denny's child-custody battle with his in-laws, and distills his observations of the human condition in the mantra "that which you manifest is before you." Enzo helps Denny throughout his life, through his ups and downs.

Likes:

- Enzo's ability to break down life into a series of good or bad decisions allows the reader a simpler look at life. For Enzo, there doesn't seem to be a gray area in decision making. It's either good, or bad and that will determine the proceeding sequence of events.

- Denny's perseverance (with the help of Enzo) in achieving his goals. Without revealing anything, it's outrageous the amount of crap Denny was put through in this novel and, while he had moments of serious doubt and surrender, he worked tirelessly to keep his head above water.

- Many of Enzo's observations of people are on par with today's realities. Two of my favorites are:

1.) People aren't always interested in the conversation unless it can be about them. Enzo commented on the realization that people will listen to a conversation until a specific comment is made that they can then use to gain control of the conversation and talk about themselves. This has happened to me quite often, although the person trying to overhaul the conversation always seems conveniently oblivious to their rudeness.

2.) People aren't strongly capable of dealing with, or talking about, serious situations as they occur to others. Some examples could be when deaths happen or when family members become dangerously ill. Others don't often know how to approach or interact the individual directly dealing with the issue, leaving the conversation uncomfortable and quiet and not offering much support to the person that needs it.

- Throughout the novel, the mantra "The car goes where the eyes go!" occurs as a positive way of reminding Denny, and Enzo that to achieve what you want you have to keep your eyes on the prize. Also, it serves as a good reminder that if you eyes stray towards the negative outcome of something that you are likely to venture that way.

- Enzo is a very aware and intuitive pup in this novel, definitely deserving of becoming a human in his next life. Also, he was pretty funny and sought revenge in the best of ways.

Dislikes:

- At certain times throughout the book I would get tired of the race car analogies that Enzo used.

- "The Evil Twins" aka Denny's in-laws. I would be surprised to meet a reader that didn't finish this novel absolutely hating these two characters after all of the hardships that they had Denny endure, just to achieve their own ends. Absolutely deplorable characters, which is a credit to the author for creating characters that a reader can come to hate.

Overall, I would recommend this novel to any, and all readers. The amount of drama that occurs in this novel is entertaining and horrific at the same time, with plenty of positive morals that are littered throughout. PLUS, there's a dog in it!

l am in love with this book, personally my favorite from Garth Stein, have read it 2x. When my oldest was 16 I handed the book to her to read, she's a avid reader and was hesitant to ready a book 'her mom recommended', however, she decided to give it a try. She finished in a week and said, "best book I've ever read...I actually want a copy for myself because I know I'll want to read it again". When my youngest was 12 she asked to read it, based on how much her sister and I talked about this book. She read and I got the SAME reaction, 'best book I've read thus far and I want my own copy!". I would only recommend to a 12-15 year old IF you are okay with some, what society considers, 'bad language' and some adult content, otherwise it's a great story and love by very single person I've lent the book too. I have 4 copies in my home, one for each of us and one used as a 'loaner'. I highly recommend this book to anyone that hasn't read it yet.

I enjoyed how this was told from the dog's point of view. Enzo, the dog, held on to the belief he would be reborn into life as a human after he died. His frustration at the limitations he had to deal with as a dog were endearing. More than this though, the story itself, about the trials and tribulations of his owner and his family, kept me intrigued and unable to put the book down. I give this book two thumbs (or dewclaws) up, five stars, and a hearty tail wagging recommendation!

I don't think I've ever written a review for a book before but I felt the need to write one for this book because it is now one of my favorite of all time. I got this book as a Christmas gift and I finished reading it in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. It was emotionally gripping, insightful and written completely from the point of view of a dog as he described his life with his best friend, Denny. I cried, I laughed, and I learned a lot from Denny and Enzo. It also made me appreciate and cherish my relationship with my best friend more than ever. I think the review from Ms. Jodi Picoult describes the book very well:
"The Art of Racing in the Rain is the perfect book for anyone who knows that some of our best friends walk beside us on four legs; that compassion isn't only for humans; and that the relationship between two souls who are meant for each other never really comes to an end."