Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
by Jenners • 07/03/2010 • 3.5 Stars, A Titles, Contemporary, Fiction, S Authors • 20 Comments
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
The Whys and Wheres: I wanted to read this book because I kept hearing so much hype about it so I got it from Quality Paperback Book Club for the very cheap price of 1 cent (part of my rejoining membership offer). No giveaway on this one though; my copy is promised to my blogging buddy Ter at With An Angel On My Shoulder.
I read this book last year and I really enjoyed it. I agree with some of the things that you disliked about the book but as a whole, Enzo still gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. True, the book definitely has some tragic twists that really made me tear up, but as a whole, I thought that the story was well crafted and extremely unique.
Great review Jenners. I'm one of the few firmly in the opposite camp. I didn't like the book for many of the reasons you listed. It felt plotted and a bit ridiculous at times. Enzo's voice didn't feel like a dog's and I had way too many eye-rolling moments. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't a fan.
I have seen this book reviewed many times but can't seem to get interested in it for whatever reason.
I am one of those dog owners that projected my pet's behavior onto Enzo. I totally got what Stein was saying most of the time. However, there are points in the book where the narration doesn't quite work and it is a bit dramatic, but that was ok with me. I still loved the book.
Thanks for the honest perspective.
I have this book sitting on my shelf. Actually, I think it was another review of yours (another Stein book maybe?) that got me to buy it.
Anyway….I hope to get to it before too long. I'm sure I'll need the tissues. I'm not much of a 'cryer', but dogs dying will do it to me every time!!
I'm not crazy about animal narration and your review has not convinced me I'd love this one. And if I need tissues because a dog dies, forget it. I can't even watch the nature channel because I can't take the 'circle of life'.
I have this one in my TBR, I had no idea you get the story from a dogs perspective
It does sound good.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
Unashamedly the animal lover who bawled all the way through, loving every word.
oh for heaven's sake…I thought I could resist this one but after the comments, it looks like this one is going in my stack as well…I still sob at Ole Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. I refused to see the movie Marley and Me until I read the book and I still haven't built up enough courage to read it. I guess I'll get out the tissue box and read this one along with Marley
I'm an animal lover and enjoy reading stuff from the animals' imagined perspective 
Well, you are right – I am one of those readers who absolutely LOVED this book, but it is definitely because I projected the personalities of my beloved labs onto Enzo. I know that made it personal to me.
I will definitely have to check out the short story you mentioned. I am a sucker for any dog book
You've peeked my interest in this one, I love a good cry. I'll have to read it at home. But I might buy it for my sister, she needs to start to read again, and that romance still just makes you want to date, and we all know a dog is a better friend.
Oh damn. I hope you feel good because I'm sitting here freaking CRYING, and it has been six months since I read this book. If I would have known the impact it had on me, I would have never read it. That is why I've never read Marley and Me. My favorite scene is when Enzo rides in the car with Denny. He wants to go faster. It really didn't bother me that the dog seemed too human. I guess I've always imagined animals to be that way anyway. I think I need to walk this off. Amazing how I can instantly find tears when I think about this book. Never mind all that horrible stuff that happens to Denny.
I absolutely love this format! How cool.
I've heard great things about this book, but sorta am anti-animal books. Weird, huh? I won't read Marley & Me either. I think it's because the animals always die and it makes me incredibly sad.
I loved this book, but then my dog is at least as smart as Enzo, so he seemed believable to me.
Great review, Jenners. The racing bits in the story were a bit prolonged as far as I was concerned too and after a bit I just started to skim over it. i agree with you about Anika- that was like a minor distraction. Melodrama? Honestly, I have a friend whose life is worse than Denny's with tragedy upon tragedy happening. I didn't think it was overdone at all.
Have a safe and fun 4th!
Ok, I had to come back after my first cup of coffee to tell you I actually read AND reviewed a "dog story" THIS WEEK. Sheesh! An interesting book too – a memoir about a search-and-rescue dog and her handler. Not as wary as I though I was
I've been wary of dog stories since I read Old Yeller as a child. My feelings for my own dog goes from utter annoyance to unquestionable affection (she's a JRT). A good twist at the end usually makes reading a book worth the time so I'm glad this did. Have a great holiday!
Ahhh, it's set in Seattle — that explains why this book is front and center *everywhere* up here. I've forsaken it thus far and I'm not sure why….probably the title. But I am, it should be noted, much more of a dog person than a cat person. Maybe it's the Marley and Me syndrome. I'm afraid tragedy will strike the dog (to hell with the humans).
great to read of a book narrated from a dog's perspective – I can't help but think what a different book this would be if told from a cats point of view.
Very interesting about how one can judge the characterization based on dogness. Or dognessosity. Actually one thing I loved about the Patrick Ness series (Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and The Answer and Monsters of Men) is the animalosity, so to speak. I think Ness is great at it, but like you, not being of that persuasion, I'm only making a guess…