by Garth Stein
Harper 2008
321 pages Fiction
"There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only
dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."
"We are afforded our physical existence so we can learn about
ourselves."
Named after a famous race car driver, Enzo is the philosopher and dog narrator in The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Denny the
father in the novel is a race car driver, the husband of Eve and the father of
Zoe. Enzo was Denny's dog before Eve entered his life, and Enzo is more than a little pissed that Eve took some of Denny's affection, but after Zoe appears,
Enzo resolves his issues and becomes the family protector.
Enzo loves television, car racing, and old movies. He has a
list of favorite actors and favorite movies. He is terribly frustrated that he
can't talk, but he is learning all he can so that in his next life, he can come
back as a human. To his credit, however, early on, he realizes that dogs are
much smarter and more intuitive than humans—dogs just can't talk, so they have
to figure out clever ways to communicate with the adults in their lives.
The first part of the book is quite funny; Enzo has an acerbic
sense of humor. and his observations are truly right on point. He understands a
great deal about car racing, and he applies those insights to life as well as racing. This is a very vulnerable
family, and as tragedy befalls them, Enzo becomes increasingly concerned about
what he can do to help them. He remains faithful and helpful until things
finally settle down, and he can die knowing that he has done his best for the
family.
There are many aspects of the book that dog owners will relate
to because it is very affirming of the place of dogs in the family. Frankly, however,
I felt manipulated by a dog that is too understanding and empathetic and is too
forgiving of his master. As much as I liked the character of Denny, I didn't
like how he handled the family tragedy. Although the narrator kept telling us how
assertive Denny was, he looked too easily manipulated for me.
One reviewer
says, "Denny's passivity in the first half of the novel sets up a chain of
events from which Denny spends the second half of the extricating himself, all
the while affirming his love for his family. But the reader isn't fooled."
I was babysitting my grand dog Trixie while I was finishing
up The
Art of Racing in the Rain As I reached the satisfying
conclusion, tears were rolling down my face. Trixie, who had been sitting on
the couch with me, climbed into my lap and licked my hand. I looked at her
searchingly; did she understand me as well as Enzo, the dog, understood his
family? Trixie is an old dog, but
frankly, I don't think that she quite gets it!
(Oh, and did I mention that for Memorial Day weekend, the
other grandparents got the children, and I got the dog?}
This is an older book, and many of my readers will have read
it. If you haven't, it is worth an afternoon, particularly if you are a dog
lover. It will be interesting to see how the discussion goes at book club this
month.
