The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Sure, I’m stuffed into a dog’s body, but that’s just the shell. It’s what’s inside that’s important. The soul. And my soul is very human.”
EVERYONE NEEDS TO DROP WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND READ THIS BOOK! Grab some tissues and read it. Now.
I’m in love with this book. I love the idea of viewing the world through a dog’s eyes. I love the attachment that is portrayed not only from owner to pet, but pet to owner. I LOVE Enzo.
“It’s so hard to communicate because there are so many moving parts. There’s presentation and there’s interpretation and they’re so dependent on each other it makes things very difficult.”
Enzo is a dog. But Enzo has a human soul. He has educated himself by observing humans, watching TV, and listening carefully to his master, Denny. Denny is a race car driver, and Enzo loves nothing more than watching old racing videos with him. But Enzo still can’t talk. If he could, he would tell you:
“The car goes where the eyes go.”
The Art of Racing in the Rain is truly an amazing book. In his final days, Enzo relives his life from when he was a little pup on a farm to when he was wary of the new woman his master was always spending time with to the amazing little human they created and who Enzo vowed to protect. We may not know what dog’s really want to say to us, but anyone who has had a dog in their family knows: they understand us and love us more than we deserve.
“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 none other than ourselves.”
Denny’s struggles become Enzo’s struggles as they navigate through life together. When Denny meets Eve, Enzo is jealous of all the attention she receives from Denny. He learns to love her though, and when they have a daughter, Enzo knows he will protect her for the rest of his life. And then tragedy strikes. Enzo knew it was coming, and he curses his dog tongue for not being able to form the words to warn his family. Instead, he is there for them in the only way he can be – through gestures of support and love. Again, anyone that has had a dog knows that can be enough sometimes.
This book will have you feeling ALL the feels. From page 1 right through to page 321, I was tearing up then laughing then in shock then feeling pure happiness. It’s a roller coaster! But such is life, no?
“There is no dishonor in losing the race… There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.”
I guarantee, no matter what stage in life you are at, you will find some connection or some life lesson in this book. At the very least, Enzo makes you want to be a better person. If animals so pure and loving such as dogs can be in our lives, should we not be better so as to be worthy of them? If they can learn to forgive us when we are cruel, should we not learn to forgive each other? And if they can live a full and happy life in such a short time, should we not strive to live each day to the fullest?
“That’s right… If we’re going to be a cliche, let’s be a positive cliche.”
Our dog was Murphy. A pure-bred Dalmatian who we rescued when she was about 3, and who we loved until she passed at the age of 16. If you have a dog, or any pet, give them a hug right this second! Our pets may only be in our lives for a short time, but often we are their whole lives. Let’s be worthy of them ♥️
Murphy ♥️
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