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    The Art of Racing in the Rain
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    The Art of Racing in the Rain
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    The Art of Racing in the Rain
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Art of Racing in the Rain

    Written by Garth Stein

    Narrated by Christopher Evan Welch

    4/5

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    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Soon to be a major motion picture, this heart-warming and inspirational tale follows Enzo, a loyal family dog, tells the story of his human family, how they nearly fell apart, and what he did to bring them back together.

    Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: he thinks and feels in nearly human ways. He has educated himself by watching extensive television, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo realizes that racing is a metaphor: that by applying the techniques a driver would apply on the race track, one can successfully navigate the ordeals and travails one encounters in life.

    Enzo relates the story of his human family, sharing their tragedies and triumphs. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations as a dog, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family.

    The Art of Racing in the Rain is a testament to a man's life, given by his dog. But it is also a testament to the dog, himself. Though Enzo cannot speak, he understands everything that happens around him as he bears witness to his master's problems. His enforced muteness only refines his listening ability, and allows him to understand many of life's nuances that are lost on most humans. With humour, sharp observation, and a courageous heart, Enzo guides the reader to the bittersweet yet ultimately satisfying conclusion: there are no limitations to what we can achieve, if we truly know where we want to be.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 7, 2019
    ISBN9780008330651
    Unavailable
    The Art of Racing in the Rain
    Author

    Garth Stein

    Garth Stein is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels, A Sudden Light and The Art of Racing in the Rain, and two previous novels, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets and Raven Stole the Moon. He is the cofounder of Seattle7Writers, a nonprofit collective of Northwest authors working to foster a passion for the written word. He lives in Seattle with his family. Visit him online at GarthStein.com.

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    Reviews for The Art of Racing in the Rain

    4/5

    3,715 ratings361 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Nice insights. Let’s hope all dogs have this.
    • 4/5
      My goodness, what a tear jerker this book is!! I find myself sobbing every few chapters. Stein makes the narrator a dog to give us a unique perspective on what happens to the members of his family. Improbable at times, but also very true at times - the truth part earns it four stars.
    • 3/5
      I was rather sceptical about The Art of Racing in the Rain. I continued to be so as I read, even when I was more than halfway through. It bothered me: the description of Eve's illness, the situation with Annika. And I wasn't sure I was getting much out of it in return for getting so unsettled. I didn't think that much of the narration -- the conceit of a dog narrating the story. Parts just didn't go together: you can't have a really smart dog with ideas on philosophy who then gets confused about really simple things. Neither rang true.

      But somewhere, around three quarters of the way through, I really began to care. And the emotional punches began to hit, until somewhere in the last fifty pages I found that I was tearing up that little bit (and I needed to blow my nose: gross, but true).

      It's still, honestly, a bit thin. The central conceit, Enzo's narration, it really didn't work for me. The story itself is believable, but the choice of narrator nearly killed it for me, before I even picked it up. It's also totally unsurprising, in everything that happens, but the end borders on painfully cliché. I still liked it, in the moment, but it's a flaw.

      It's not something I'll reread, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but I'm glad I read through to the end.
    • 5/5
      I almost passed up this book because I have absolutely no interest in auto racing or cars in general, although I am a hands-down dog lover,. Never laughed and cried so much while listening to an audiobook :)
    • 3/5
      Just couldn't get into this book. Much too melodramatic for me. Great premise though.
    • 4/5
      really enjoeyed this more than I had expected to. I didnt understand the references to racing very much but I do like how they compared it to his philosophhy of life
    • 5/5
      A captivating novel that captures the mind, the heart, and soul of daily living and loving. It is beautifully told by the dog, Enzo. It was perhaps all the more poignant for me as throughout all of my childhood days we had dogs that shared the daily lives of our family and I enjoyed watching the speed and control of Indy and Formula One racing on television with my father each weekend racing was available.With tears streaming down my face, I finished the novel and am deeply grateful to the friend on GoodReads who suggested that I might enjoy reading this title. I doubt I would have made the discovery on my own as since sharing my adult life with cats it is rare for me to read a novel with a dog unless there are a myriad of fur faces. I will continue to recommend this novel as my friend did for me. The quantity and types of emotions are vast as life is lived and the author shares them in unique and descriptive ways through evocative layers of describing competitive auto racing and the comparisons to daily living and loving as well as the unconditional love and devotion of the family pet that is steadfast and always speaks the truth of the heart. It is rare for me to think of reading a novel ever again as there are so many novels on the TBR pile and authors yet to be discovered by this reader but without a moment's hesitation I know that this novel could be enjoyed many times over the course of a lifetime and there will always be something fresh and new that one had not paused to grasp during an earlier read and reflection.
    • 3/5
      A "philosophy of life" book told from the view point of a dog and couched in the example of car racing. It reminded me of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Pirsig, but not done as well.
    • 5/5
      Just Beautiful. I really loved it from beginning to end.
    • 3/5
      Enzo, a dog belonging to a race car driver is a philosopher. He relates life with the skills needed to race, especially for racing in the rain. He witnesses marriage, birth, death, misfortune, spite, overwhelming sadness. With the high ratings this book gets, I thought I'd enjoy it more. Having the dog tell the story is clever, but in the end, just makes a harrowing story cute.
    • 5/5
      A good friend of mine gave me this book years ago. I read it and liked it. But since I have this wonderful app I looked it up and found it. I read some but ultimately listened to it more. I loved it and I miss it.
    • 5/5
      Seattle Washington - Enzo is different from other dogs. He has acquired a nearly human soul by listening to the words of his master, Denny Swift, a race car driver. He helps Denny through the death of his wife, Eve, & custody battle over his daughter, Zoe. While dying, Enzo, knows he will return as a man. This is a heart-wrenching, funny & uplifting story of family, love, loyalty & hope. I really enjoyed listening to the audio & recommend it.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book! There's so many lessons it tells, all the time through the viewpoint of a delightful character.
    • 3/5
      Narrated by Christopher Evan Welch. Enzo is a lab mix through whose eyes we witness the ups and downs of his master Denny's personal life, including Denny's marriage, the birth and growth of his daughter, the death of his wife from cancer, and his goals to succeed in race-car driving. Enzo is observant and devoted and perhaps a little too knowledgeable about car racing and the Seattle lifestyle than any dog could be. A minor quibble, though. The audio narration puts you right into Enzo's head in a believable way. Yes, of course, that's how a dog would feel or say.
    • 5/5
      First of all, the initial description of the book that I read said NOTHING about this being heart-wrenching or a tear-jerker. If it had, I would have better prepared myself for this book.

      It was a beautiful story that made me happy, sad, angry. I laughed at a few parts, but mostly, this was a very melancholy tale. Enzo was an amazingly smart dog and living life through his eyes made me wonder (even more than I previously did) what goes through my dog's head most days.

      I loved and hated Enzo's family. It was so sweet and very believable how much Denny loved his dog, because I love my dog that much and I'm not even a 'dog' person! And the things Denny went through... Ugh there were a few times when I wanted to punch Denny, but mostly I wanted to do bodily harm to his wife and in-laws. And somehow, even though he was only a dog, Enzo usually ended up saving the day.

      As mad as I was to read the opening paragraphs and find out that this was not a whimsical tale of life through a dog's eyes, but the flash back of his life during his last days (which they warn you about in the description on the back of the book so this is NOT technically a spoiler) I could not put this book down. I ended up taking it to the beach and sitting under an umbrella next to my hubby, I finished it. I was bawling. If you read this, keep tissues or a hanky with you! But you should read this.
    • 2/5
      In purchasing this book I broke my #1 rule of book buying: Never buy a book with a dog on the cover, because the dog always dies. Sure enough within a couple of pages, it's obvious that the dog in going to die.

      However, that's not why I didn't like this book. The author tries way too hard to be 'deep' and 'meaningful'. I'm sure there's hundreds of high school English teachers having orgasms over the thought of all the symbolism and metaphors in this book. Racing as a metaphor for life, etc. Yeah, well, it just doesn't work. The book is not meaningful in any significant way, and is not cause for deep introspection. It's just a crappy story with every tear-jerking hook possible piled into it. Every twist and turn, every surprise, is obvious from the start. It's a formulaic tear-jerker, and not a very good one at that.
    • 3/5
      Denny Swift is an aspiring racecar driver working as a mechanic. He brings home a puppy, Enzo, and they form a close connection. Denny falls in love with Eve. They marry and have a child. The plot revolves around Denny’s many struggles, his wife’s illness, and a clash with his in-laws over his daughter. Along the way, Denny experiences the ups and downs of racing.

      This is a melancholy story told from the dog’s perspective, from puppyhood to old age, describing interactions with his family members, and relating philosophical observations about life. Enzo believes his next step after death will be to return as human. This device works well for the most part but breaks down when Enzo must infer what happened in places where dogs are not allowed.

      I enjoyed the first half of this book the most, where the dog-human relationship is the focus. The second half felt like a soap opera. Be aware that the story opens with Enzo near the end of his life. It contains a little too much sentimentality for my personal taste, but I liked the racing analogies and descriptions of the close bonds formed between people and their pets.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book. I laughed and cried through the whole thing.
    • 5/5
      And unexpected gem of a book! It's funny here, serious there, intriguing in another place, and a downright tear-buster in another. This book will grab your emotions as well as your mind and you enter, unbeknownst to you, into a philosophical experience of the human life through the eyes of a dog.While, as a Christian, I do not share the religious premise the book seems to espouse, nevertheless, I recommend it as a different way of thinking and experiencing what we all go through in one degree or another, at one time or another.
    • 3/5
      Story told from the perspective of a dog, of Denny, a race car driver, and his family as they encounter the trauma of his wife's untimely death. The dog is of course a racing fan, and heaps on the metaphors between racing a car and life. Quick read, with some good insights. I didn't love the story itself, culminating in a nasty and depressing custody battle that was hard to read when things were going bad for the hero. Maybe if I myself were a car racing fan I would have liked it more. It was a bit long for me- I think there could have been less padding of the story.But I am a dog fan, and the "dog saves the day with his love" trope is OK with me, and was very poignant. Not a book that will stick with me much, but a decent read.
    • 4/5
      Heart warming and philosophical.. loved it!
    • 2/5
      Hi! My name Enzo. Enzo like man that buy him from mean alpha man when Enzo little puppy. Enzo like that man is race-car driver. Ezno no like man's girlfriend. Enzo accept girlfriend when man marries her. Enzo like daughter they make. Enzo no like wife's parents - calls them 'Evil Twins'. Enzo no like that wife dies. Enzo no like that Evil Twins take daughter from man. Enzo help man get daughter back. Enzo die before man gets super-duper-great job racing cars in Italy. Enzo reincarnates as human Italian boy and meets great race-car driver champ at end. Enzo happy, happy, happy!Meh.
    • 3/5
      A Book That Made You CryThe Art of Racing in the Rain lived up to the reason I included it on my list, although not to the degree other books not picked for their ability to elicit tears have done. That lesser emotional impact results partially because you know it’s coming and have steeled yourself against it, as well as from knowing it was designed to provoke that response and so to a degree feels contrived. Not annoyingly so, although you will look at Eve’s parents as caricatures more than characters and the incident with Annika is more plot device than plot.I liked Garth Stein’s writing style and the structure of the book. His narrative - told from Enzo the dog’s point-of-view - is interspersed with analyses of racing strategy and technique that foreshadow coming events. Very little in the book is surprising or deeply insightful, but as it progresses you find yourself overlooking its flaws and simply letting it flow over you to its predictable but satisfying conclusion.A redeeming story of good guys winning - how can any story told by a dog not be - that doesn’t require more time to finish than it should.
    • 3/5
      This a tear jerker.
    • 4/5
      On the first page I was wary, as I would typically avoid a book where an animal is a narrator. But my friend recommended this book highly, and I thought I would give it a chance. I am glad I did.
    • 5/5
      At barely halfway through the story, I thought surely it's finished making me cry. Get your tissue box out and keep reading. I could picture my old retriever doing and thinking what Enzo does. I've never read such perfect descriptions of a dog's personality before. But the reasons I cried went beyond my experience with dogs to relating to family dynamics, love, loss, living. And although I'm not much of a race fan, I do live in the Nascar hub and felt the racing analogies to life were genius. A very enjoyable and moving read.
    • 2/5
      I love dogs and thought that the idea of the narrator being a dog was cute. But it ended up distancing me from the human characters. Also, the dog was overly philosophical, excessively discussed auto racing, and focused on details that I wasn't interested in. The majority of the book is just unrelentingly sad and shows life as a nearly insurmountable struggle. The characters were too vague and unconnected and the moments of hope were not enough to redeem the story as a whole.
    • 4/5
      Have the kleenex ready.
    • 5/5
      Have you ever read a book and felt so grateful for having been introduced to the characters? I felt blessed to have met these wonderful people and Enzo. I started crying on page 8 and seldom stopped. It is a beautiful guide to life and a beautiful guide to the end of life.
    • 5/5
      Such a sweet story. If you have a dog, EVER had a dog or just love dogs READ THIS BOOK.