Book Review - The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

ISBN 978-0-06-202306-3

“In Mongolia when a dog dies, he is buried high in the hills so people cannot walk on his grave. The dog’s master whispers into the dog’s ear that the dog will return as a man in his next life. “

“. . . before he is reincarnated, the dog’s soul is freed to travel the land, to run across the high desert plains for as long as it would like”

“Not all dogs return as men, they say; only those who are ready. I am ready”

This is the tale of one dog’s journey, Enzo, a Labrador terrier mix who as a puppy is bought by an up and coming semi-professional racing driver called Denny. Early on in his life Enzo watches a television program about Mongolia and reincarnation and realises that he is different from most dogs who act only on instinct . He is able to understand human behaviour and in his own way communicate some of his feelings to his master through body language and gestures. He knows that his life as a dog is just a prelude to something better.

Denny, with the ever faithful Enzo at his side, finds love and happiness with Eve, they start a family and Enzo learns to love them all. Then tragedy strikes and Denny’s life starts falling apart

As things spiral ever downwards it is Enzo that is the glue that holds Denny together. That and their shared love of racing, as despite being a dog Enzo too is captivated by the skill and awareness of one’s body needed to be a top racing car driver. He sees racing as a metaphor for life and realises that the skills needed to be a top race car driver can be applied to everyday living . Anyone can drive fast in the dry but not everyone is able to race when it starts to rain.
I’m the first to admit that this wouldn’t normally be the type of book I’d buy but for some reason the description of the dog’s burial high up in the Mongolian hills captivated me. I’ll also admit that I was initially disappointed as this mystical description was not repeated and the book seemed to be just a description of Enzo and his owner’s life which actually became quite depressing. Now I’m not sure at what point everything clicked but soon the racing metaphors and Enzo’s firm belief that he was more than just a dog but a dog that was ready to return someday as a man made sense and I was actually hooked.

The story is told from Enzo’s point of view and Garth Stein has captured the doggy perspective of everyday life perfectly. This is a bittersweet book which tugs at the heartstrings and will certainly appeal to dog owners everywhere. The detailed descriptions of Denny’s experiences as a race car driver interspersed throughout the book are just enough to make this book readable by male and female alike and I feel without them it would be just a little too sickly sweet to appeal to the more masculine audience.

The Art of racing in the rain is soon to be made into a feature film starring Patrick Dempsey who as well as being an actor is also an up and coming race car driver himself. If you haven’t already read the book (after all it has been in print since 2008) I suggest you grab a copy and read it before the film comes out.
In conclusion I would have to say that this still isn’t my type of book but if you give it a chance it won’t disappoint.