The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
I'm not sure that I possess the words to adequately describe this book. How on earth the author was able to weave such a compelling story, demanding that the reader suspend disbelief that we are actually hearing this tale from a dog's POV, it all defies explanation. And yet, I'm looking at my own dog asleep on the couch and can't help but wonder if she might have stories of her own to tell. If she loves our family and understands the nuances of our relationships like Enzo does with Denny, Eve & Zoe. The writing is easy, never forced, and the insights are so simply stated that it seems impossible that I've never had the same thoughts, and yet they're provocatively fresh and new all at the same time. I cried in chapter one, and I cried as it ended. I was 100% invested in this story line and in its characters. It truly was flawless. The only reason it took me a week to finish it was because there were days I didn't want to "feel" as deeply as I knew it would demand. At the same time, I couldn't abandon Enzo and had to know what happened. My heart is bigger for having read this book. Popular book, but was just not for me. I thought the dog as narrator would offer an interesting and eye-opening point of view, but it seemed to be a highly biased dog who couldn't wait to become a human. Aside from that, I just couldn't warm up to the "racing is like life" metaphors that are the heart of this book. I also didn't understand the motives of the characters. Eve pushed Denny to leave her at home with Zoe to pursue his racing career dreams, but then she seemed to be upset about it because she became lonely and stressed out from her sickness and household duties. Then, she began to feel slightly better and decided she wanted to have another child. The characters just seemed all over the place to me. I know a lot of readers have enjoyed this book and I respect their reasons, but it just wasn't for me.
What do You think about The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2008)?
Fast read. The racing parts get a bit long but are easy to skim past.
—sarangi
