The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel | Date: 13 April 2011, 08:43
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From Publishers Weekly
If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Stein's third novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift as he pursues success on the track and off. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter, Zoe, and risks his savings and his life to make it on the professional racing circuit. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny's old racing videos, coins koanlike aphorisms that apply to both driving and life, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man. When Denny hits an extended rough patch, Enzo remains his most steadfast if silent supporter. Enzo is a reliable companion and a likable enough narrator, though the string of Denny's bad luck stories strains believability. Much like Denny, however, Stein is able to salvage some dignity from the over-the-top drama. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
“One of those stories that may earn its place next to Richard Bach’s ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull,’ Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist,’ and Yann Martel’s ‘Life of Pi.’” (Portland Oregonian )
“I savored Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain for many reasons: a dog who speaks, the thrill of competitive racing, a heart-tugging storyline, and--best of all--the fact that it is a meditation on humility and hope in the face of despair.” (Wally Lamb, Author of She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True )
“The Art of Racing in The Rain has everything: love, tragedy, redemption, danger, and--most especially--the canine narrator Enzo. This old soul of a dog has much to teach us about being human.” (Sara Gruen, Author of Water for Elephants )
“The perfect book for anyone who knows that some of our best friends walk beside us on four legs; that compassion isn’t only for humans; and that the relationship between two souls...meant for each other never really comes to an end.” (Jodi Picoult )
“Fans of Marley & Me, rejoice.” (Entertainment Weekly )
Product Description
A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope—a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it
About the Author
Garth Stein is the author of three novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain and How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, and a play, Brother Jones. He has worked as a documentary filmmaker, and he lives in Seattle with his family.
From AudioFile
Forget taboos about anthropomorphizing???Enzo the dog is the only one who can tell the story of his beloved race-car driver, Denny Swift. One perceptive dog, Enzo combines canine simplicity with trackside wisdom in a story that goes straight to the soul. Christopher Welch maintains Enzo's commonsense "voice" while offering subtle shadings to the voices of the humans in his life. The more any human character strays from honesty of the heart, the more caricature Welch's Enzo projects in his narration. The effect enables the listener to completely suspend disbelief of a storytelling mutt. On the track, as in life, Enzo knows that "to be a champion, you must give yourself over to the race." Stein and Welch have given themselves over to the story in a championship production. R.L.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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