The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel
by Garth Stein
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Book Reviews of The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel
Book Review: "The car goes where the eye goes"
Summary: 3 Stars
"The car goes where the eye goes"
Enzo is nearing the end of his life when he reflects on his past with Denny, Eve, and Zoe. Oh, and he happens to be a canine too.
I Liked:
If I had to choose one word to describe this book, it would probably be "engaging". This book, even in the sections I didn't like, really kept me interested and wanting to read it. And that is very hard for an author to do period, but to be able to keep my interest when A) I am pretty sure I know what is going to happen next and B) I am upset at the characters/plot/whatever? That is impressive.
I know that previous compliment probably sounds more like a two-edged sword. This book actually has a lot going for it: good characters, engaging story (as I mentioned above), and fluid writing.
Our main character is Enzo. What makes him particularly noteworthy is that he is a dog. I must admit I was afraid that he might come off as too doggy, too foreign to be able to associate with. Huh, I was sure wrong! Enzo is a perfect blend of foreign dogginess (his escapade with the crows, his revenge on the Evil Twins) and humanity (his empathy to Denny, barking twice to "Go faster!"). I really liked the thought that our pets (animals in general?) may have this sort of knowledge of their surroundings. I have a cat, and sometimes, she sure acts like she knows EXACTLY what is going on.
The other character I really bonded with was Denny. Denny went through hell and back in this book, and his journey was cathartic in a way (Even if at times, he was incredibly stupid...see below). Seeing him persevere when it would be easier to give up, to continue his dream to be a race car driver, even in his thirties was encouraging to say the least.
I won't go too much into the engaging story, because I kinda detailed it above. However, I want to add, I actually liked the inclusion of race car driving into the story. It made nice symbolism, and I actually liked learning more about race car driving (and I am not a big racing fan).
As for writing...it was easy on the eyes and good on the soul. I breezed through this book. The narrative was very effortless, and even the more introspective passages didn't get so belabored in their pedagogy that I grew frustrated and had to skim/skip the sections. Plus, I felt I actually learned something new!
I Didn't Like:
I liked a lot about this novel; one thing I didn't care for was its gimmick. This book would be no different than hundreds of other literature novels about families that go through crap and come out victorious in the end were it not for the fact of the canine narrator. And in many cases, the canine narrator wasn't used to the fullest. It would have been wonderful to have more scenes where Enzo got to play in the park; one of the greatest scenes was where a significant character dies and Enzo runs off and kills a squirrel to unleash his emotions. That was great because we compared his way of mourning to the other human characters around him. But most of the time, Enzo is almost too humanized and the story just becomes yet another family trial story.
I could almost forgive the book that. Enzo wasn't a bad narrator. And a story has to have conflicts.
But this is where my greatest complaint(s?) lies: the ever increasing amount of conflicts and the stupidity of the characters involved in said conflicts. It was bad enough that we learned about a character's illness by page 50 (50! In a 321 page book, that is a mere 15% of the way through the book), but must we endure said character (who is probably barely in his/her twenties) then REFUSING any medical help whatsoever just because he/she "doesn't want to deal with it"? Why must the conflict be introduced so quickly, before we have ANY time to enjoy being alive and a family? Why does this young character insist on not going to a doctor and possibly getting a treatment? This is never explained! And now, we as the readers must endure all these "happy" scenes, which get tainted by the fact that we can guess that this ailing character will die by the end of the book. Thank you for forcing me to refill my Prozac prescription.
But worse than this was the rape accusation. The moment the teenaged girl tried to force herself on Denny, I knew something bad was going to happen. Several pages later...BINGO! Denny is arrested for rape. I nearly wanted to quit reading this book, it frustrated me so badly! Not only does Denny have to suffer with the earlier crap (and I'm not even getting into a quarter of it, for fear of spoilers!), but now a molestation lawsuit?
And the problem is, Denny being a race car driver, not being wealthy, and being away from his family is enough of a challenge without adding 101 billion more conflicts. To tie back into my first complaint, this smarts of a gimmicky "intellectual" novel. I can see the checklist right now:
Character has cancer? Check.
Character is going to die? Check.
Molestation lawsuit? Check.
SPOILER SPOILER? Check.
Creative gimmick to make people think this is a different book than all the others? Check.
Ah, with that out of the way, we can get this off to press!
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
A few f-bombs, da**, sh**, he**.
Denny and Eve are intimate with each other. A significant portion of the plot is dedicated to the (false) claim of rape.
Someone is hit by a car. Someone dies from a terminal illness.
Overall:
I must admit, I've reached the end of my review, and I'm not 100% sure what to rate it. The book angered me in places, so I considered a two star, such as I rated the pretentious "Time Traveler's Wife". However, unlike the "Time Traveler's Wife", we don't have pages upon pages detailing all the punk bands of the 1970's or the exact moves in a pool game or how many times the main couple have sex. As I said before, Enzo is pretty good narrator, he often has some very interesting perspective, the story was very engaging, even when it angered me, the theme of this novel comes out really loud and clear, and the ending is most assuredly not God-awful depressing. So, I think three stars is a good rating. It's a decent book, but be prepared for some teary-eyed moments.
Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*
Book Review: A beautiful work of literary genius
Summary: 5 Stars
At first I was hesitant to read this, simply because of the title. I'm not really into racing or race cars, and I figured it would be boring for me.
Boy was I wrong.
This is quite possibly the best story I have ever read. And I love to read; I've read hundreds of books. Many of them have been well-written, moving stories, but nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to The Art of Racing in the Rain.
The story is narrated by Enzo, an old dog who is at the end of his life. He has a lot of wisdom about both dogs and humans which he often shares with the reader. He begins by telling us about his desires to become human. After all, he explains, dogs supposedly come back as humans in their second life. This is why Enzo is more prepared to end his life than he is scared. He is ready to become a human, after years of being unable to speak and express significant feelings as he has witnessed his owner and best pal Denny do.
Here is where the racing comes in; Denny is a racecar driver. As I don't want to spoil the story, I will just mention that Enzo goes on to recount his life with Denny and the family they form together. He tells us of all their good times and their woes and as he tells us about his life with Denny the story unfolds into a very deep, involved narrative. It is a story that is at once touching, belly-aching funny, moving, and witty. Using Enzo as the narrator opens up a whole new perspective for us readers and makes for a great reading experience. Because Enzo can't directly speak, he feels restricted, in terms of not being fully involved in his life with Denny. There are certain things he just can't take part in.
One of the things that makes this such a great piece of literature is how well-written it is. It is so well-written, in fact, that I actually reread sentences several times because they were just so well-crafted. Kudos to Garth Stein for writing such a wonderful story. He uses humor very well. Sometimes I cried of laughter. Other times, I cried of happiness or because I could feel Enzo and Denny's pain and hopelessness. Either way, I highly enjoyed it. Clearly Stein knows how to write. He cleverly uses racing as a metaphor throughout the story to convey messages that apply to Enzo and Denny's life (for example how to race in the rain, hence the title). These metaphors are very deep and subtly inserted into the storyline. For example, there will be the story going along and then Stein will have a page or so of this racing metaphor. It may sound strange, but it is neatly folded into the story. It is like an "aha" moment, where you are reading and you think, wow that's so true, or that makes sense. I really liked this aspect. And here I thought I wouldn't like the racing part. I loved it!
But racing is not the only metaphor used. Stein also uses some other cool metaphors that he weaves throughout the story so that we as the reader feel some consistency. We will see the metaphor pop up once in a while as it relates to the story and its awesome because you're like, oh cool, he did it again! And I couldn't help thinking every time, there's the metaphor again! It worked so well.
But besides being crafty with wording and metaphors, Stein has simply put together a wonderful story. It is one I will always remember and love because I felt like I was going along for the ride. I rooted for Enzo and Denny every time they were down. I wanted them to succeed, and when they did it felt great! Both protagonists were very well-developed to the point where you felt you really knew them.
For me the ending was lovely and a wonderful surprise. Like I said, Stein's ability for writing is amazing. His creativity in the whole story (especially the end) was masterful! He has really written a lovely story full of heart and freshness. This story is so unique; nothing like I have ever read. (Some critics have compared it to Marley and Me and the like. It is a similar premise, but taking Steins talents into consideration, this is much deeper, and I have to say a better story especially since it is fiction you will notice the different tones and feelings in it. Whether or not you liked Marley, give this a go; it's got its own thing going for it).
I highly recommend this story to everyone who appreciates a great piece of literature (and of course if you enjoy racing and/or are a dog-lover you gotta read it!). This is a beautiful story that is not overbearingly heartbreaking. In fact, most of it is a mix of funny and heartwarming, with some subtle family drama (nothing overdone). The only part I cried of sadness was the end (its not what you expect entirely) but the rest were tears of joy, because it really was a happy ending; it really hit home for me. You will just have to pick this up and find out for yourself! Enjoy the ride, it is a great one! And Garth Stein's talent for writing is a huge plus! I promise you will love Enzo and Denny, and their story, just as much as I did.
Good luck trying to put this one down!!
Book Review: A Dog Narrator! A Must for Dog Lovers ... I Didn't LOVE It But I Didn't HATE It Either
Summary: 3 Stars
2 words that describe the book: Dog's perspective
3 settings where it took place or characters you met:
* Setting: Seattle, Washington, modern times
* Enzo is a human soul trapped in a dog's body ... or so he likes to believe. The entire book is narrated by Enzo, who worships his master Denny. Enzo tells his life story from the day Denny got him at the puppy farm until the day his soul is released to run until he is reborn. As Enzo tells his story, we also learn the story of Denny.
* Denny is Enzo's owner. He is also a race car driver, who imparts his love of racing to Enzo. (Just a heads-up: There is a lot of racing information in the book. I thought it was handled well and it didn't bother me, but I could see that it might be a turnoff to some readers.) At first, it is only Denny and Enzo. Then, one day, Denny brings home a woman named Eve. Enzo is initially very jealous of Eve, and it takes them some time to become friends. However, Enzo and Eve's friendship deepens with the arrival of Zoe, Denny and Eve's daughter. However, long before anyone else knows, Enzo's keen sense of smell tells him that something is very wrong with Eve. As Eve's health worsens, things take a tragic turn for the little family, and Denny faces one tragedy after another. Yet Denny never gives up fighting, and Enzo is with him every step of the way--a favor that Denny repays when Enzo nears the end of his life.
4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:
* I liked how Stein made Enzo the dog a sympathetic and charming narrator. It is a tricky thing to write from the point of view of an animal, and I think Stein managed to pull it off for the most part. By making Enzo talk about his feeling like a man trapped in a dog's body, it becomes easier for the reader to accept Enzo's narration and intelligence. Yet the best parts of the book, for me, was when Enzo was purely dog. Enzo himself questions his own disdain of his dog nature as he lies on his deathbed:
And I wonder: Have I squandered my dogness? Have I forsaken my nature for my desires? Have I made a mistake by anticipating my future and shunning my present?
Perhaps I have. An embarrassing deathbed regret. Silly stuff.
* At the same time, I disliked how Stein made Enzo seem "too" human. Stein is really telling the story of what happens to Denny, and Enzo (although a compelling narrator) seems a bit unrealistic as a narrator in many ways. When I first heard about this book, I was curious to see how a book written from a dog's perspective would read. Quite a few years ago, I read a wonderful short story by Dave Eggers called After I Was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned (click on the link for the full story!), which was also written from a dog's perspective. To me, the Eggers's story is much more "true" to how I think I a dog would tell a story. (But what do I know? I'm not a dog.) Yet I could see that Stein would have a difficult time writing an entire NOVEL from the point of view of a dog if he didn't somehow make the dog more human than dog.
* I disliked how much tragedy Stein piles onto Denny. It seemed melodramatic and overdone. It struck me that much of what happens to Denny would probably not hold water from a legal perspective. And I didn't buy into the story line with the young relative Annika either. This seemed more like a ploy to be able to extricate Denny from the legal problems with his in-laws. In some ways, Denny's story seemed overly plotted to me.
* I liked the ending of the book. After a pretty sad last chapter, it was nice to be able to end the book on a high note with the epilogue. Although it is foreshadowed a few times in the book, I rather enjoyed the little twist at the end.
5 Stars or less for your rating?
I'm giving the book 3.5 stars. I know this book was wildly popular with many readers, and I can see the attraction. I'm sure many dog lovers project the personalities of their beloved pets onto Enzo, and I admire Stein for attempting to write an entire novel from a dog's point of view. Although I think he basically succeeds, I did think the book was overly plotted and melodramatic. In some ways, I think having a dog narrator covers up a story that might not have stood well on its own. As you can probably tell, I'm not in love with the book, but I didn't hate it either. I think it is worth reading at some point, and probably a must read for dog lovers (though have your tissues ready).
Book Review: Needs more Enzo, and less Garth Stein
Summary: 2 Stars
The Art of Racing in the Rain was highly recommended to me, and I enjoyed the premise, which quickly drew me in. The conceit as you surely know by now, is that it's the story of a semi-professional racecar driver's struggles with numerous hardships, told from the vantage point of his dog.
At first, the dog/narrator's voice is consistent and plausible. Enzo tells us of his feelings of helplessness as his body ages, his longing to be human, his mostly bad memories of the puppy farm he was raised in, and his undying love for his human family. He is poignant, perceptive, and most importantly, plausible. The dog's-eye-view of the world is a wonderful treat, and it amazed me I had never seen it before in the first person in adult fiction. "The Call of the Wild," and all the others I can remember, are in the third person.
Certainly, there are difficulties with this approach, but Stein handles them well, at least in the beginning. How does Enzo know so much? His master talks to him a lot, and he watches the TV whenever he's not home. We hear Enzo's thoughts in our head and it works. For a little while, at least.
The problem is that Stein isn't content to limit the narration to a dog's-eye view, but constantly interrupts it with a voice that I can only imagine is his own. For example, after Enso shares a thought disparaging how pathetic human claws are, not even able to touch the floor, he shifts gears a chapter later, in talking about the special person who does his mistress' nails. Well, which is it? Does Enzo see them as "human claws" or "nails?" This seesawing between canine and human viewpoints continues through the rest of the book.
Denny, his master, will sometimes take Enzo for spins in a racecar around the track, which Enzo loves. Yes, occasionally we're treated to Enzo's voice describing the thrill of the sensation of speed. But when Enzo shifts to describe becoming one with the car, feeling the vibrations under your hands and feet in the steering wheel and accelerator (as though he knows it firsthand and not through listening to Denny), I can't believe I'm listening to the wise old dog anymore.
It only gets more frustrating when Enzo judges certain humans for wearing untidy clothes, or lists his favorite actors in order, or explains the errors in judgment that various drivers made on the track that cost them their lives. It goes beyond this as Enzo muses philosophically on the skills needed to win the race on the track (the art of driving in the rain, for one) and the skills humans need to succeed with their hardships in life. Thanks, anyway, Mr. Stein, but I want to hear Enzo, not you.
The story itself is only fair and very predictable; Denny is put through the ringer in a series of tragedies. The main conflict that develops has underdeveloped characters and overdeveloped sentimentality; the villains are little more than props to inflict pain and suffering in Denny's life, and lack plausible motives as much as they lack complete personalities. Be that as it may, Enzo knows way too much about the machinations of behind-the-scenes manipulation and plotting, and it weakens the book terribly.
How this could have worked so much better would be to really limit the viewpoint to what Enzo, the devoted and wise servant, could really describe through his experience; his suffering with his master's suffering; not understanding what is going on, but being frustrated by knowing something is terribly amiss in his world; describing the world in smells, tastes, and sounds rather then lofty concepts and philosophical musings.
It seems to me a brilliant idea, short-circuited by the writer's impatience with the POV he choose. Despite its moments, it left me wanting to reread far better efforts in this sub-genre, like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and The Call of the Wild.
Book Review: A Refreshing Tale
Summary: 4 Stars
This book may not be the most sophisticated piece of literature that I have ever read, and it may have been even a little too cheesy at times, but The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was exactly what I was looking for. Before I get any deeper into my review, I really can't see anyone who doesn't like dogs enjoying this book. I found myself laughing at certain parts, such as when Enzo, the dog, talked about watching television or purposely pooping on the floor to get back at people he didn't like. In order to be able to handle a dog being personified this much, one would have to understand and be able to appreciate the four legged friend. I picked up this book as looking for something light over the vacation and although it did satisfy that, I was surprised by how involved I ended up getting with this quick read.
A good way of describing the book is that it is like Marley and Me but from the perspective of the dog. This dog would go through phases of saying simple things that we would expect a dog to say such as, "Oh the joy! Denny and me and our BMW, driving all day and into the evening like a couple of banditos running from the law, like partners in crime. It had to be a crime to lead such a life as we led..." (p. 149). Then Enzo would say things that were very deep such as "Given a facile tongue, I could have warned them. I could have alerted them to her condition long before they discovered it with their machines, their computers and super-vision scopes that can see inside the human head. They may think those machines are sophisticated, but in fact they are clunky and clumsy, totally reactive, based on a philosophy of symptom-driven medicine that is always a step late. My nose--yes, my little black nose that is leathery and cute--could smell the disease in Eve's brain long before even she knew it was there. But I hadn't a facile tongue. So all I could do was watch and feel empty inside." (p. 37). These were my favorite moments, where I would laugh and hope that this could possibly be true. I would enjoy it if dogs were actually just as smart as all of us and the only thing stopping them was their tongues and lack of thumbs. This book did a lot to plant that idea in my head.
Enzo seems to be the anchor of the family as he watches Denny struggle to keep his family and life together. He happens to be the one that saves Denny from a potentially terrible situation that almost ruins everything. The best part of Enzo's character in my opinion was how effectively it captured the thought-process of a dog. Enzo jumps back and forth so easily from carefree fun thoughts and worrisome thoughts about his family and about life in general. I can just picture my dog sleeping in the sun at one point and then running over to see if everyone in the family is okay. It is nice to see the opinion of humans from the unbiased viewpoint of a dog. Dogs can only see in black and white and Enzo brings this to his ideas of the people that he interacts with. Denny is genuine and hard-working so Enzo appreciates him. Enzo knows that Eve doesn't originally take to him but that she later accepts and values his presence because of what he means to Denny. This makes her okay in his book. Annika and The Twins are people that Enzo immediately doesn't like and he turns out to be right in how they affect the household. Enzo boils everyone down to their true intentions and this is a refreshing way of looking at people.
I think that refreshing is a good word to describe this book, I needed a new voice to hear and this worked. Enzo was the perfect blend of being somewhat realistic while still bringing something new to the table that I hadn't read before. Other than the last chapter which was a little too much, I thought that this book did little wrong and would recommend it to anyone I see walking their dog in the nearby park.