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The Art of Racing in the Rain
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The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008) (edit title/settings)

by Garth Stein (Author) (edit contributors)

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This is a book about love and devotion. Enzo, the dog, is the narrator. He watches over his man, Denny, and Denny's wife and daughter. Enzo is true love and loyalty. He believes in reincarnation. He is the truest friend and protector. This is a story of love told through tales of racing... read more

Summary edit see section history

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. ... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man. A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.

Characters/People edit see section history

Show all 24 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Who is Achilles without his tendon? Who is Samson without Delilah? Who is Oedipus without his clubfoot? Mute by design, I have been able to study the art of rhetoric unfettered by ego and self interest, and so I know the answers to these questions.The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles - preferably of his own making - in order to triumph. A hero without flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which, after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object.”
    Enzo
  • “The sun rises every day. What is to love? Lock the sun in a box. Force the sun to overcome adversity in order to rise. Then we will cheer! I will often admire a sunrise, but I will never consider the sun a champion for having risen.”
    Enzo
  • “Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by no one other than ourselves”
    Enzo
  • “That which is around me does not affect my mood; my mood affects that which is around me.”
    Enzo
  • “That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.”
  • “Monkey, I think not.”
    enzo
  • “Your car goes where your eyes go. Simply another way of saying that which you manifest is before you.”
    Enzo
  • “It reminded me of my own mother at mealtime when she sighed and shrugged herself to the ground, lifting her leg to expose her nipples to us. These are the devices i use to feed you. Now eat!”
  • “Those monkey-thumbs were meant for dogs. Give me my thumbs you fucking monkeys!”
    Enzo
  • “They sit in the trees and on the electric wires and on the roofs and they watch everything, the sinister little bastards. They cackle with a dark edge, like they're mocking you, cawing constantly, they know where you are when you're in the house, they know where you are when you're outside, they're always waiting. The smaller cousin of the raven, they are resentful and angry, bitter at being genetically dwarfed by their brothers. The raven, it is said, is the next step up the evolutionary ladder from a man. The raven created man, after all, according to the legends of the Nortwest Coast natives. (It's interesting to note here that the deity that corresponds with the raven in Plains Indian folklore is the coyote, which is a dog. Sot it seems to me we are all smashed together at the top of the spiritual food chain. ) So if the raven created the man, and the crow is the raven's cousin, where does the crow fit in?”
  • “The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles--preferably of his own making--in order to triumph. A hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which, after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object.”
    Enzo
  • “Does a child know his own spiritual background, his own pedigree? I doubt it. But somewhere, a child surprises himself with his endurance, his quick mind, his dexterous hands. Somewhere a child accomplishes with ease that which usually takes great effort. And this child, who has been blind to his past but whose heart still beats for the thrill of the race, this child's soul awakens. And a new champion walks among us.”
  • “They left the next morning. Like the last strong autumn wind that rattles the trees until the remaining leaves fall, brief but powerful was their visit, signaling that the season had changed, and soon, life would begin again.”
  • “'But what if I don't win?' he asked. 'There is no dishonor in losing the race,' Don said. 'There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.'”
    Denny and Don
  • “I liked my stuffed dog better clean than smelly, which was something I never would have imagined, but which gave me something I could hold on to. Some belief that the center of our family could not be fractured by a chance occurrence, an accidental washing, an unexpected illness. Deep in the kernel of our family existed a bond; Denny, Zoe, Eve, me, and even my stuffed dog. However things might change around us, we would always be together.”
    Enzo
  • “Could Denny have possibly appreciated the subjective nature of loneliness, which is something that exists only in the mind, not in the world, and, like a virus, is unable to survive without a willing host?”
    Enzo
  • “That which is around me does not affect my mood; my mood affects that which is around me. Is it true?”
    Enzo
  • “I learn about other cultures and other ways of life, and I start thinking about my own place in the world and what makes sense and what doesn't.”
    Enzo
  • “"Trust me when I tell you that the zebra is real. Somewhere the zebra is dancing."”
    Enzo
  • “So what if man's body evolved from the monkeys? Whether he came from monkeys or fish is unimportant. The important idea is that when the body became "human" enough, the first human soul slipped into it.”
    Enzo
  • “"One bark means slower, two means faster, got it?" I barked twice, and that surprised him...”
    Denny / Enzo
Show all 21 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in New York Times Bestsellers (Current). (authoritative list)
This book is in Amazon Book Club Picks. (authoritative list)
This is book 52 of 145 in Whitcoulls Top 100 (2011). (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Garth Stein (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Harper Collins
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 9780061537936
Page Count: 321

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.L96768Leg 2011
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

Adult themes and language

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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