I had a love-hate relationship with this book. Well, maybe that’s a little extreme. It was more of a eager-reluctant relationship. The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of a race car driver, his wife, and his daughter. But here’s the twist – the story is told by their dog. Which brings the reader’s connection with the characters to a whole new level of heart-breaking.
Every time I put down this book, I was reluctant to pick it up again. Sad things were happening. I didn’t want to know what was going to come next. On the other hand, I was eager to pick up the book and continue reading. Sad things were happening. I wanted to push through to the happy part.
Neither of those emotions – eagerness or reluctance – would have been present if these characters weren’t real and their lives realistic. Surely Denny and Zoe still live somewhere. Their story was so raw and emotional and livable. You can’t help but be drawn to them.
The idea of having the story narrated by Enzo, their dog, is brilliant. His perspective on the family is always right-on. He often sees things more clearly than the people do, which shouldn’t surprise us. An old soul of a dog can cut right through the barriers and complications that humans throw in the way.
This is a book that I would like to reread someday. Since Denny, the master, is a race car driver, there are racing metaphors proliferating this book. I honestly did not take a whole lot of time understanding, applying, or even reading these. I just wanted to know what would happen with the characters. But I’m certain that these add a layer of meaning to this book that would greatly increase any reader’s enjoyment of it. Now that I know the ending, I would like to reread and get more out of this book the second time.
You don’t have to be a dog person to like this book. You just have to be a lover of triumph through adversity. And aren’t we all?
Every time I put down this book, I was reluctant to pick it up again. Sad things were happening. I didn’t want to know what was going to come next. On the other hand, I was eager to pick up the book and continue reading. Sad things were happening. I wanted to push through to the happy part.
Neither of those emotions – eagerness or reluctance – would have been present if these characters weren’t real and their lives realistic. Surely Denny and Zoe still live somewhere. Their story was so raw and emotional and livable. You can’t help but be drawn to them.
The idea of having the story narrated by Enzo, their dog, is brilliant. His perspective on the family is always right-on. He often sees things more clearly than the people do, which shouldn’t surprise us. An old soul of a dog can cut right through the barriers and complications that humans throw in the way.
This is a book that I would like to reread someday. Since Denny, the master, is a race car driver, there are racing metaphors proliferating this book. I honestly did not take a whole lot of time understanding, applying, or even reading these. I just wanted to know what would happen with the characters. But I’m certain that these add a layer of meaning to this book that would greatly increase any reader’s enjoyment of it. Now that I know the ending, I would like to reread and get more out of this book the second time.
You don’t have to be a dog person to like this book. You just have to be a lover of triumph through adversity. And aren’t we all?
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