The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
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Book Reviews of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Book Review: For Dog Lovers Everywhere
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is enough to persuade even those who profess not to be dog lovers to soften their stance. Told from the viewpoint of Enzo, a lab/golden mix (if I recall correctly)the story is engrossing and captivating and caught hold of my heart within the first few pages.
At first, the idea of a story told in first person dog would put me off; however, my supervisor at work raved about it and I was impressed by sheer number of rave reviews on this site alone. I was not disappointed. In fact, I'd wanted to savor this book throughout my entire one week vacation last year and found I had a hard time putting it down. I actually preferred reading it to sightseeing, as I felt as if it provided me a window into my own dog's thoughts. Anyone who has felt a closeness such as that between owner and beloved companion is all too well aware of the subtle nuances - gazes, nuzzles - that are shared in this amazing bond. Enzo put into words those human feelings many of us believe our pets possess.
I was swept into the story of Enzo's owner, his involvement with the woman who ultimately became his wife, their child and extended family and friends. I also enjoyed the aspect of the novel that involves car racing, a subject I'm not usually drawn to but the author had an engaging way of piquing my interest.
After reading this book, I lent it to dear friends whose 15 year old Cocker Spaniel was nearing the end of her life. They read it in the weeks prior to her passing and said how much it helped them work past their grief; the book is truly that uplifting and inspiring.
Congratulations to the author for pulling off such a remarkable feat and giving voice to dogs everywhere.
Book Review: Enzo had me at "hello".........
Summary: 5 Stars
I came across this book in my library's new book section. I have never finished a book in less than a day's time..... much less read 321 pages...... but yesterday I did. The story is told through the main character: a dog named Enzo. He had me at "hello" (or woof!)....... it's impossible to walk away from him after the first page.
The physical setting is in Seattle, Washington but the real setting is in Enzo's mind and heart. He attaches himself to the reader immediately and you find yourself needing to see him through to the end of his life and the life of his human family.
Seeing things through his eyes was enlightening.....especially his plea to humans to be more like a dog when someone's telling you a story -- listen and don't say anything...... don't interrupt. I even found myself struggling along with him through what he views as the biggest limitations of his "dogness"..... namely: his too-big tongue that doesn't allow him to form words for communicating his thoughts and feelings and his lack of opposable thumbs, which prevents him from grabbing someone by the collar at times to shake some reality into the person.
I'm not a racing fan but some of the analogies that Enzo makes between racing well and living life well are "spot on"! The story isn't all about racing......... it's all about life....... with racing thrown in here and there, to "drive" a point home (pun intended).
It's about love, family, devotion and staying the course to the end and being willing to fight for what you believe is right.
You will fall in love with Enzo! I know I
Book Review: BEST BOOK 5 Stars
Since I am a young teenager, you might think it doesn't mean much for me to say that this is the best book ever. But I've read a pretty good amount of books for someone my age. When I read this book, I felt a connection with it that I haven't felt with any other book. It made me feel the pain, the happiness, the sadness, and the humor in the characters lives. I cried at two points in the book because of the way the author was able describe it. It wasn't that it was sad, it was just that it was told in such a beautiful and truthful way. Obviously, you might say that a dog could not think like a human, so how could it be truthful. But this book is not about what real dogs think. It's about spiritual and emotional truths. Doesn't anyone remember Charlotte's Web? Enzo says, "My intent, here, is to tell our story in a dramatically truthful way. While the facts may be less than accurate, please understand that the emotion is true. The intent is true. And, dramatically speaking, intention is everything."Because I'm 12, I did have to discuss the book with my parents. I needed to ask questions about the custody battle and Eve's sickness. I recommend this book to anyone who is open to the ideas of creating your own life and not being a victim. Anyone who thinks this book has anything to do with bad luck (I've seen some of the reviews) is really missing the message. There is nothing random. As Enzo says, we are all extensions of everything. Where you focus your energy is what happens in your life. What happens in the end is what has to happen. It is the only true ending that fits the whole buildup of where Denny and Enzo placed their energy.
Book Review: Going to the dogs
Summary: 1 Stars
Occasionally I pick up a book with no expectation of quality one way or the other and without any specific interest other than to see what the hype is about. It's always a great feeling to be surprised when the writing or story itself are innovative or well-executed, or maybe even that I just learn or appreciate something that I wouldn't have before reading the book. After reading The Art of Racing in the Rain, I have a much better appreciation for style, imagination and the care that goes in to producing a great (or even just good) novel, because this book has absolutely none of these qualities. The book feels like nothing more than something thrown together to cash in on the success of Marley & Me. To say that the characterization is one-dimensional is too kind; most of the dialogue and character details seem like filler, and very often like shout-outs to acquaintances of the author. The physical setting and recitation of place names and addresses are gratuitous and would only be of interest to readers who already know the Seattle area where the story mostly takes place. Since I am not the intended audience for this book I can't say that it won't be of interest (fans of the work of Paulo Coelho, such as Eleven Minutes, should love it), but about the only thing to recommend it to anyone interested in literature or good writing is the impressively frequent use of Deus ex Machina, without which there is no plot.
The best feature of the book for this reader was the typography; at 26 lines per page, double-spaced I was able to finish the book in about a third of the time required for a paperback with a comparable page count.
Book Review: Almost Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
What a great book. My wife got it from the library and couldn't put it down and like most others went from laughing to crying while reading it. After getting thru the painful first chapter (it brought back powerful memories of my lab passing away a few years ago) I very quickly grew to love the story and the characters. Beautifully written from a dog's standpoint and it will definitely make you look at your dog(s) differently and wonder how much they really know and what they are thinking. I've often thought my german shepherd dog, and 2 golden retrievers, are more human than dog and perhaps this book explains why.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the part the book that dealt with the malice his in-laws had towards him and the steps they took to get his daughter Zoe from him really bothered my wife and I. It seemed overly harsh and cruel in a book that otherwise dealt with hardships and obstacles in a thoughtful and realistic way. The book shows what a fine person Denny is and how in overcoming those incredible obstacles he showed what a true champion he really is. (Edited to remove spoiler and possible misinterpretations).
Definitely a great read and we highly recommend it. Since reading the book, we are spending even more quality time w/ our beloved canines now, perhaps realizing even more so how short and precious our time w/ them really is.
Definitely 2 barks.
Update: the more I think about it, the more I think this book deserves 5 stars, it is an incredible book, one of the best I've read.