book review of the art of racing in the rain

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Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, the art of racing in the rain.

In Garth Stein’s touching story, the appealing narrator is a dog named Enzo, who (of course) cannot communicate as he'd like to, by talking with his family. Instead, he pours his considerable heart and spirit into this book, sharing his experiences and reflections with readers. Although Enzo is frustrated with his limitations as a canine, he comforts himself with the fact that, according to a documentary he watched about Mongolia (Enzo is a dedicated television viewer), he will be reincarnated as a human. And he knows a lot about being a human after watching his master Denny Swift, who is a hero to him.

At the beginning of the book, Enzo is just barely clinging to life, so he spends time reflecting upon his past. As Denny, who is a race car driver, has told him, drivers cannot contemplate their moves while they make them. Racing is like living; you can only do it and then remember it at a later date. For Enzo, in these last days he immerses himself in memories.

His reminiscences begin with the day Denny chose him out of a heap of puppies, taking him from a country farm to an apartment in Seattle. Although Enzo doesn't enjoy living there, he adores Denny and thus looks on this as a good life. He later develops a fondness for Eve, "the interloper," who Denny falls in love with and marries. He stands in literally for Denny on the day that his daughter, Zoë, is born. Denny is off racing in Daytona, Florida while Enzo is at the new mother's side.

For Denny, the joyous day of Zoë's birth is overshadowed as his racing career takes a beating. After a year of obtaining sponsorships in order to enter the race, he loses this hard-won opportunity to shine when a driver on his team has an accident. Denny returns to his day job as a customer service representative at a luxury auto shop.

Shortly after giving birth, Eve asks Enzo to promise to protect the little girl, and the dog's feelings of commitment to his family are intensified. Enzo's role in the family becomes that of caretaker and watchdog. He takes his role of protecting his loved humans seriously --- and faithfully not only watches over them, but also manipulates their lives, often in humorous ways, to ensure that they are taken care of. This loyalty will be needed as their lives are about to unravel.

When the family moves to a small house, Enzo enjoys a cozy backyard and sunny spots to lounge in. Eve chooses to go back to work, so Zoë enters daycare, which leaves Enzo at home, bored, until Denny begins leaving the television set on for him. But his happiness is short-lived, for he is the first one to realize that something is seriously wrong with Eve; his acute sense of smell has detected a decaying odor emanating from within her head. When Denny is away from home at his next race, Eve wakes up with a terrible pain. It's so bad that she gathers Zoë and goes away, leaving Enzo alone for days.

While this is unfolding, Denny's team has won first place, and he's had an offer from a big-time team, but he must turn his back on the racing he loves as he has more urgent matters on his mind. Eve suffers an increasing array of terrible symptoms, such as mood swings, vertigo and nausea. She sometimes screams from pain yet refuses to seek medical care. And when she inevitably receives the worst diagnosis possible, the family is torn apart, beginning an intense emotional rollercoaster ride. Through it all, Enzo supports them in every possible way.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is getting all kinds of buzz, and it deserves every accolade. Readers will be moved by this warm hug of a story (and may find themselves looking searchingly into the eyes of their own canine companions). Enzo is a charming and witty narrator. His tale, while hilarious at times, is quite often heartbreaking, but it is ultimately uplifting and heartwarming. And I found the ending to be oh so very satisfying!

Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon on January 7, 2011

The Art Of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Publication Date: June 9, 2009
Genres: Fiction
Paperback: 321 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial
ISBN-10: 0061537969
ISBN-13: 9780061537967

book review of the art of racing in the rain

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Graphic by Natalie Brink

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” will pull at your heartstrings, both the movie and the book.

‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’

December 12, 2019

A Look at the Book

Natalie Brink , News Editor

When I picked up Garth Stein’s “The Art of Racing in the Rain” in a frenzied rush to read it the night before I had to write an essay about it, I didn’t expect to cry at the first chapter. Since it was a book for school, I thought it would be as dry and boring as all the other required books in English. I was very wrong.

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” is a dramatic novel that follows racecar driver Danny Swift and his family through the eyes of his faithful golden retriever, Enzo. The driver and dog support each other through the trials of life. From Danny’s relationship with a woman Enzo feels he can’t compete with, to babies, the harsh realities of a racing career and a cunning murder of crows that torments Enzo.

The emotional impact this book has had on me is immense. Usually, when a dog narrates a story, it has an overall comical effect. This novel had funny moments (see: a murder of crows that torments Enzo), but the main tone is sensitive and full of humanity. Enzo’s narration offers the readers an innocent lens with which they can witness the heartbreaking story. A human voice would taint the story, add grudges and bitterness. But a dog narrator removes these negative burdens from the storytelling. Enzo still dislikes some characters, but not in a way that distracts from the plot, like what would happen if Danny was the story’s narrator. Using a dog as the narrator was a brilliant twist to the drama genre.

The characters in this book are all wonderfully crafted. They come across as living people, and I do not know how Stein does it. I do know that these rich characters allow for complex relationships to form between them. And even Enzo is a well thought out, fully realized character. His noverbal relationships with Danny and, begrudgingly, Eve (Danny’s love interest) seem realistic, even with one of the characters being a dog. Enzo even becomes the protector of their daughter Zoë, which is truly the most touching relationship in the book.

Every reader knows where the book ends to some extent, because the first chapter takes place when Enzo is old and dying. It also features a dog as its main character, so his death is no real surprise. Still, the ending hit me like a bag of wet cement. To this day, I can’t reread the book (I usually reread books that I love) because of how it ends ー and also because how it starts. It makes narrative sense as to why Stein framed his story this way, but I wish the book ended differently. I should mention the book has an epilogue of sorts to soothe the pain of the ending. So if you end up reading it you won’t be completely devastated, just mostly devastated.

I read this book freshman year, and it is still one of my favorite books. Certain moments are so poignant that they stay with me still. Such as Enzo knowing a terrible truth about Eve but not being able to tell anybody because he is a dog. Or Enzo’s rivalry with the crows that winds up with him tricking them into eating his own waste. This is a book capable of slipping into your thoughts days or years after you have read it, and I think that is something only extraordinary stories can do.

If you love dogs in any way, shape or form this book with be both a really distressing and a really uplifting read. If you love books in any way, shape or form this book has a wealth of literary merit for you to uncover. It will make you cry one moment, but laugh the next. It is a complex family drama that grips you until the very last page. My advice is that anyone looking for a genuinely touching, intimate story about the life of a family should pick up this book. You will most likely cry more than once, but if you are willing to read it, you will uncover the delightful storytelling that Stein has to offer. Just take a deep breath and dive in.

Natalie Brink is a junior at Vandegrift and this is her second year on the newspaper staff. In her free time, she reads as much as she can and crusades...

A Look at the Movie

Claire Lawrence , Opinions Editor

Last night I decided to sit down, test my emotions and finally watch “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” a dramatic and romantic yet comical film that put the incredible story by Garth Stein on the silver screen. Directed by Simon Curtis, this magical adaptation stars both well-known and arising actors, such as Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried and Kevin Costner, who voices the adorable golden retriever, Enzo.

This creative film features a love story like no other. Following not only the relationship of Denny, played by Ventimiglia, and Eve, played by Seyfried, but also the bond between a man and his dog, it’s already a movie bound to captivate audiences of all ages. The story starts will Denny’s spontaneous decision to buy a puppy one afternoon and picking Enzo out from the liter. Named after a Ferrari, this adventurous pup and busy racecar driver begin their journey together in the urban area of Seattle. Once Eve, Denny’s love interest, steps into the picture, the story takes a bit of a turn. The audience relives the life of a family: getting married, buying a house, settling down. All of these experiences are pictured not only in the perspective of Enzo, keeping some shots private and secretive, but also narrated by him.

Diving head first into one of the biggest aspects of this film that caught my attention, I would have to say the cinematography was phenomenal and perfectly captured all angles and moods necessary for telling such a heart-felt story. Most of the shots are done normally, with cameras focusing on family aspect and picturing the dog living alongside them, but some were done from the dogs perspective. The audience gets to see Enzo’s world through his own eyes, with close-up shots on Denny, Eve and their daughter, Zoë , whenever they were eating dinner, playing in the yard or having important conversations in the kitchen. Along with the interesting shots that were taken from the angle, producers also managed to incorporate a coloring scheme that informed the audience on the mood of a scene or to represent the progression in emotion. There was one moment when the shots were montaged together, showing a passing in time. As the montage went on for longer, shots got darker, with cloudy skies or dim house lighting to convey something monumental was about to occur in the plot.

Another thing I applaud the screenwriters for is managing to not stray far from the original meaning behind a story like this, and managing to keep an audience engaged without too many negative emotions involved. I mean come on, it’s a movie where the main character is a dog, and you go in expecting it to NOT make you cry? Ridiculous. “The Art of Racing in the Rain” had the perfect balance of emotion to keep things interesting without drowning the viewers in tears. I feel as if too much emotion would’ve caused the film to lose sight of the overall message that’s told at the end. There were several moments that kept me guessing and just the right amount of scenes to get my eyes watery.

Now, I am not one to cry during movies, so it’s rare for me to write a review where I can say that I was genuinely emotional for at least half of this movie. It’s one of those classic story-lines that hit close to home and manage to top my list of “Top Five Saddest Things Ever Watched.” I’m glad I had my best friend by my side the entire time, because at least then I wouldn’t be an awkward bundle of blankets crying on my couch, alone in the middle of the night. I had someone to share my emotions with. If you are interested in seeing this movie, which you should be, because it’s a cinematic masterpiece, I suggest taking a loved one you (preferably a dog). That way, you can have a fluffy shoulder to cry on when things get crazy and a companion to hug once it ends. After all, you should cherish every bit of time you have, because you never know when the rain will wash them away.

Claire Lawrence is a senior and this is her third year on the newspaper staff. She wants to study journalism in college and eventually become the editor...