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: Beautifully narrated, skillfully crafted.
Summary: 5 Stars
One of my book-club books. That being said I was surprised and impressed by the delivery of the story. Enzo, the dog, talks about his human world from a unique perspective that allows a very visceral understanding of human emotion and impending disaster as well as the frustrations inherent in being mute in a world of complex language. It allows the narrator to both avoid the clichéd scenes and present the human world stripped down to its essential qualities: predator-pray, the insidiousness of evil, the inability to save a loved one, despair, fortitude. Because Enzo is a dog these revelations fall naturally from his mind, without reinterpretation, and the reader is left to worry about the impending disaster that the dog perceives but doesn't fully understand.
Most of the story is told in memory but at the essential point you realize that this did not completely answer the story question. It is, by its nature internal monologue but I do enjoy these types of books. I would compare this to White Oleander in that the narrator has a unique perspective and very little actual control over the event that transpire but without the extensively poetic and languid pace of Janet Fitch's novel. The racing vignettes slowed the pace down a little and if I were writing the novel I would have pulled some of them.
My rating scale -
5 stars: (Top 10%) - Will re-read and recommend it to friends even if it's not their genre.
4 stars: (20%) - Will re-read.
3 stars: (40%) - Worth reading, won't buy in hard cover or re-read.
2 stars: (20%) - Regret buying and reading, will avoid author.
1 star: (10%) - No story and very poor writing.
Book Review: Racing to the Obvious
Summary: 3 Stars
The early part of Racing in the Rain I found to be stilted and amateurish, as though the author (human) was having trouble with dialogue for his dog, Enzo. However, as the book progressed perhaps he improved on Enzo's thoughts or I was just caught up in the tale. I am an animal lover, not a fan of racing, so many parts of this book troubled me when others mistreated or demeaned Enzo. I found it hard to grasp that Eve would not see a doctor and more disturbing that her loving husband didn't force the issue. Where was his head????? So many things in this book bothered me, but I plunged on. It is the selection of my small book club, so that's why I read it. The problems Denny encountered were almost too much. I could buy the selfish actions of his in-laws since newspapers often carry stories of grandparents trying to get custody, but the girl Annika?! The descriptions of her actions I found comical and Enzo's description of her breasts a bit strange. And Denny seemed dense to the dangers of taking Annika to his home. Recognizing he was exhausted and had much on his mind, he still was not the brightest bulb in the package. Normally, I steer away from animal books since they disturb me and bring tears. SPOILER ALERT: I didn't cry at the death of Eve, but I did when Enzo passed. I have never had a dog or cat die a natural death, so that was so much easier on Denny than if it had been otherwise. After all was 'fixed' we have a Hollywood ending that was nice, but hard to swallow. I did not find this easy reading and it took me much longer than a 500 or 600 page book. I think this book has a lot of merit for some and had an interesting plot, but I am glad to be through with it.Book Review: engaging inspirational tale
Summary: 4 Stars
In Seattle Enzo the mixed breed dog believes he is different from most if not all other canines as he knows he has a human soul and looks forward to his reincarnation as a man. He adores his human companion Denny and loves their bachelor existences. Denny works at an auto repair shop trying to obtain the capital needed to become a racing driver. Enzo supports the dream by watching racing on TV especially tapes involving his best friend and has become an expert on the subject, but is frustrated with his inability to communicate with his two legged buddy.
Denny meets and falls in love with Eve. They marry but the woman and the dog mistrust one another. Denny is away racing when Eve goes into labor; she turns to Enzo as her coach. Enzo loves the new baby, Zoe, but also fears for the mom as her "odor" smells rancid. Eve becomes ill and dies. Her parents who loathe Denny sue for custody of Zoe although they know they have no chance of winning. Instead they arrange for their fifteen years old niece to seduce Enzo, but he rejects the teen. Still she screams rape and now his case is weak. With Enzo still riding shotgun, Denny keeps fighting.
Told by Enzo, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is an engaging inspirational tale that encourages people to go after your dreams. The story line is filled with metaphors especially comparing life to race car driving on an oval track. Although the in-laws' shenanigans seem unreal particularly compared with a dog thinking like a human, fans will enjoy this fine uplifting anthropomorphic saga of life as seen through the personification of a thinking person's dog.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Wonderful Story, But Too Much Eastern Mysticism
Summary: 3 Stars
I very much enjoyed this story, and thought the canine narration was well-executed and effective. It's well-written, well-paced, funny, and emotional. I grew to really care about the characters, and about seeing the central conflict resolved satisfactorily. I'm not at all a racing fan, and know next-to-nothing about it, but interpreted the sections devoted to racing as thought-provoking metaphors for "real life" and how to better react to the circumstances that get thrown our way. And as a Seattle native, I enjoyed reading a story set in the Pacific Northwest.
That said, there's too much Eastern mysticism / Zen spirituality / reincarnation in the themes for my taste. I was fine with this up to a point; after all, the narrator is a dog, and at first it seems he simply picked up these notions from watching television. But as the story progresses, the dog seems infused with his own mystical knowledge and speaks with the certainty of a Zen master.
Furthermore, what I found truly offensive is that the slutty 15 year old girl --- whose trampy behavior is key to the central conflict --- is said to attend Holy Names Academy, which is one of the most prestigious Catholic girls high schools in Seattle. Her school affiliation is given in a single throw-away line (p. 137), and is completely irrelevant to the plot. Why name the school at all, unless it's to take a cheap shot at the Catholic Church? And if it's to establish that the girl's parents have money, why not invent a ficticious school with a prestigious-sounding name? The cheap shot at Holy Names struck me as petty, and beneath what I'd expect from an author of Mr. Stein's caliber.
Book Review: Fun Narrator, Boring Writing
Summary: 2 Stars
I was tremendously excited about reading a fresh novel with such glowing words said about it. After reading the first two pages in a bookstore, I committed it to my shortlist & got it from the library the following day. The Art of Racing in the Rain captured my attention from the start.
Enzo is really an intriguing character. As an old dog, he exhibits a very human intelligence with a distinctly un-human perspective... he discovers the weather channel, he learns from his master the intricacies of racing, & he describes the smell of impending cancer. When Enzo is talking about the world from a dog's perspective, I am digesting every word with a smile.
But this novel is not all that much about the dog. Yes, it is told from his perspective, & it comes with its share of narrative gems. Far too frequently however (say, 80%), the book regresses into the standard family soap opera, a barrage of tragedies. Anything unique that could be gleaned from the dog-as-narrator is lost in the melancholy plot. Worst of all, the writing was absolutely unremarkable. Even at its best, when Enzo is sharing his life philosophies & insights about himself & human-dog dynamics, there is no power to Garth Stein's authorship. I was weary of the writing style by page 40.
I see a lot of unrealized potential in Enzo. He's shrewd, smart, & enlightened... self-actualized, really. But I could not connect with the bland story, & the writing was completely lacking in imagination for me. It is, however, an easy read, only three hours or so, so checking it for yourself at your library would not be a huge investment.