Books, tv, etc.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

cover blurb:

On the eve of his death, Enzo, a philosopher dog with a nearly human soul and an obsession with opposable thumbs, takes stock of his life. He recalls all that he and the Swift family have been through: the sacrifices his master Denny has made to succeed as an up-and-coming race car driver; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny’s wife; and the subsequent custody battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

I really enjoyed this book. I had fairly low expectations going in, as this was my third attempt at reading a book with an animal narrator in the past couple of years (previous attempts were Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, with mystery-solving sheep that I did not finish, and A Dog About Town by JF Englert, which at best, I skimmed through.)

While Enzo may think like a person, he retains his dog characteristics as he cannot speak; in his words, all he has is gestures. I was immediately sucked into the world of Enzo and the Swift family right from the beginning. I laughed, several times, and I cried (you may need tissues handy). I also enjoyed the racing bits, shown through quotes, Enzo and Denny’s tv watching, and as philosophy and metaphor, despite not really knowing anything about the sport. I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining read.

4/5

Here’s a couple of the other cover versions. I really like the turquoise one as well – the angle and the dog facing forwards makes me want to reach out and give Enzo a pat on the head.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Harper Collins, 2008
isbn: 1554681723 or 978-1554681723