The Art of Racing in the Rain Book Review

The Art of Racing in the Rain Book Review

Garth Stein’s novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, introduces readers to the narrator Enzo, who is a rather special character. Enzo is a dog. Enzo, however, is unlike other dogs. Enzo believes himself to be more of a human than a dog, and he goes about his everyday life, alongside his owner Denny. Denny, an aspiring race car driver, is married to his wife Eve, and together they share a daughter, named Zoe. Enzo, because of his perspective as a dog, is able to see all sides of the family, no matter how good, or bad. In this novel, Enzo is just an observer to the pain that is constantly riddling this family’s life. Although he can not do much, Enzo works to the best of his ability fulfill his duty as a dog, as he often points out in the novel. This novel tells the story of a struggling family, led by aspiring racecar Denny Swift, and together he and Enzo go on a race that will shape their life as they know it.
One thing that I really enjoyed about this novel was the characters, especially the point of view from which it was told. Enzo, being a dog, was able to view everything in the novel, completely uncensored. Unlike a human character, Enzo was able to hear everything, and he was never excluded from a conversation, because he was assumed to be just a dog. Enzo’s character was also treated differently, and always saw the truth behind what each character was saying. One scene in particular stands out, which was the night Eve was scared, while she was staying with Maxwell and Trish while she was sick. In the middle of the night, she called Enzo over, telling him “I need you with me. I’m so afraid. I’m so afraid.” (126). Enzo’s point of view allowed readers to see what Eve was really going through, and this couldn’t be achieved through any other character in the novel. Because Enzo’s character is a dog, he is able to experience the raw reality of every situation, unlike any other character in the book.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about this novel was the character development. One character in particular that was very interesting to follow, was Denny. In this novel, readers were able to see Denny at his absolute best, and his absolute worst. Throughout the novel, Denny was stricken with tragedy after tragedy. Readers were able to see him during his best moments, but also during his lowest moments. One moment in particular really stood out to me, where Enzo was able to observe one of Denny’s lowest moments in the novel. After Denny is accused of rape, he turns to drinking to ease his pain. This is unlike him, and Enzo notices right away, saying “This wasn’t my Denny. This was a pathetic character from a hackneyed television drama. And I didn’t like him at all.” (204). Readers were able to see how deeply impacted Denny was, and how each event shaped his character. This novel did a great job at showing his character development, and it took those who read the book on a journey, never knowing what would come next.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I remember attempting to read this novel when I was younger, but now that I have had some experience in life, I really enjoyed this novel, and could even relate to it at some points. I would recommend this novel to anyone who would like to experience a story from a different point of view. The point of view and perspective were some of things that appealed to me most in the novel, and anyone who is looking for an interesting one should read this novel. Again, I really enjoyed this novel, and would recommend it for anyone looking for a good reading experience.