The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is one of those books that had I not belonged to a book club and read it for the book club I might never have picked it up. I am, however, glad I found the opportunity to read this book because I thought it was a very good read. I like the voice that the writer gives the main character. I also thought the story was good, moved well, and was easy to read. I finished the book in one sitting. I also thought the story was very relatable as we all face tough times in our lives. And I must admit that I found it intriguing to have a dog as a narrator of the book. Normally, I don't read dog books. I am a cat lady through and through and have read many cat stories. But this dog had an interesting story to tell and a good way of telling it.

The story centers around a race car driver, Denny, who is not yet a famous professional but does alright on the circuit. He just hasn't gotten his break yet. One day he decides to get a farm puppy and names him Enzo after a famous race car driver. So begins our journey with Enzo the dog as our narrator. Enzo narrates us through Denny's life as he gets married and has a daughter. Enzo also sees us through the tragedies of Denny's life: of not being able to break into the racing circuit, of his wife's battle with cancer, and of the conflicts with his in-laws. At times it is a tragic story and other times triumphant. But it is all punctuated with the Enzo's insights into life and his desire to return as a human to express his love and respect for his master. It is a good story and one we could know about a friend or family member (without the talking dog of course). What is unique about this book is the racing metaphors used to explain life and the insights of man's best friend.

I thought the author did an excellent job with the character of the dog. He is a dog that strives to be human and control his natural animal impulses but every once in a while his impulses get away from him and the dog becomes well a dog. He has a unique perspective on what is happening with his human family and does a good job of distilling complex human behavior into dog terms. I liked the voice that the dog had and you really felt like Enzo was a complex almost human character rather than a funny, "talking or rather thinking" dog. He was in fact a dog philosopher.

I also liked the authors writing style. It was easy to read and clear. We were given enough background information so that we knew what was going on but not so much that the plot was bogged down by it. It helped to have the dog as a filter because he could only tell us what he had seen which was a limited view. The book moved quickly for me and kept me interested. I read it all in one sitting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It is one you could read on the plane or take to the beach on vacation. But pack a few tissues as you may get emotional towards the end. It was very interesting journey to see the world through the eyes and mind of a dog.