A Review Of ‘The Art Of Racing In The Rain’ by Garth Stein

It’s not giving too much away to tell you that the book is narrated by Enzo, the family dog and the story is told from the dog’s point of view. The story is actually kind of simple and I guess told by any other narrator it might be seen as fairly generic. However this is not a criticism as, in fact, it the decision to tell the story from this point of view that transcends the book beyond anything I have read for a long time. It’s risky as under any other writer it may have come off as cheesy but here it never does. I must admit I’d fallen for this book by the end of chapter 1… One of the best opening chapters ever! Simply genius. Several times I had to set the book down and think… just think…With Enzo’s life view bringing real meaning – there is some beautifully written prose. Many times I had to put the book down and have a good cry too… If in the last chapters you are not in tears then you not in the least bit human., or at least you’ve never owned a dog. A beautifully written, beautifully told, experience of a read. I cannot recommend it enough.

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