Overall Rating and Opinion of The Art of Racing in the Rain

[Scott]

Please use this topic to express your overall opinion of the December 2014 book of the month, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

Do you like the book? Do you recommend it to others? Why or why not?

I really enjoyed reading this book. I think it is a great book and a great story. It is not that long of a book.

The most notable feature of the book--the fact that it is narrated by a dog--works really well. I think the author does an amazing job using that technique to tell a story that fits with the narration. I think the author does a great job of leaving much of the story and events up to interpretation of the reader, not out of incomplete storytelling but intentionally in a way that really creates a compelling story that leaves one thoughtful even long after reading the book.

What do you think?

[gali]

I agree with you. I loved this book. As a dog lover, I enjoyed reading a book narrated by a dog. The concept may not be an original, but it was well done. I found the story very moving and impossible to put down. Have I said that I really liked Enzo (the dog)?? I laughed and cried while reading this book and rooted for Enzo. I highly recommend this book and not just for animal lovers.

[HoneyB]

I'm new to the forum but happened to have already read this book. Overall, I remember really enjoying it. Reading from the dogs POV was very different, but I can't really imagine the story would have been better if told from a more traditional POV. Enzo's incident with the destroyed toy was pretty funny, not to mention the um...I'll call it the "potty payback". The family struggles were emotional and I'm a sucker for anything that pulls me in emotionally. You don't need to be a racing fan or dog lover to enjoy this book. I'd recommend it to anyone.

[jsam757]

If you have yet to read this wonderful novel, do yourself a favor and do so. It's original and captivating, and I simply adored Enzo (the narrator ... who also happens to be a dog). It tells the story of a particular family, with twists and turns that keep the pages turning. It's a perfect read for a rainy afternoon or while laying in bed, the kind of novel that you'll remember long after you've finished.

[Artiste8]

This book has been on my TBR list and I am so glad I read it. It was amazing, it will stay with me for a long time.

[Skillian]

I really enjoyed the book, but it didn't like change my life. haha. Great idea, and the author did an excellent job. I feel kind of bad, because it seems most people liked it more than I did. I am the one person who gave it three stars. haha. It was really cool and cute, but I'm kind of already off to the next. Maybe I'll give it another try in a couple of years and see if I feel differently about it.

[bookowlie]

I finished this book 3 days ago and absolutely loved it. It took me a few pages to get used to the dog being the narrator, and then it seemed very natural. There was something magical about this book, almost as if Enzo's soul was jumping off the pages. I liked having the dog's perspective, as it left a little ambiguity regarding certain parts of the story. When I finished the last pages, all I could think of was how lucky I felt to have read this book. Thank you to Scott and everyone else that made this book a Monthly Selection. I rate this book 4 of 4 stars.

[librarydancer]

I've read about half of the book so far, and just wanted to thank everyone who voted for this as a book of the month ( I hadn't joined yet). I never would have found or read this book otherwise, and I find it to be a very enjoyable read. I am going to check my local library system, and certainly recommend this book to others.

[abbey_girl11]

I am new to this forum. I love this book. It is my favorite book of all time! I bought it on a whim. I was looking for a book to read on a weekend getaway with my husband. He pointed it out to me, because it had a dog on the cover, and I am an animal lover. When I read what the book was about, I was hooked! I read the book in that one weekend. Ever since I read it once a year. I always get something new out of it. For years now, my signature on my e mail has been, "That which we manifest is before us." I love all the wonderful quotes from this book! I love that it is from a dog's POV. This book was what got me hooked on reading books from a dog's POV. I also love the philosophy of it, and the life lessons it can teach. It is just an awesome book all together. And my overall rating of it is excellent! I would highly recommend it to anyone!

[Skillian]

Welcome Abbey!

[pretzelsnow]

This book has been on my TBR list and I am so glad I read it. It was amazing, it will stay with me for a long time.

I agree.

[Anacoana]

I loved this book, it was absolutely incredible and something I would recommend to many people. Truly the only part I didn't like about it was that Denny was arrested for rape, because there is no way to the best of my knowledge that that would happen in real life. I was in a Criminal Justice class at that time and had just gone over what you need to arrest people for certain things so it was still fresh in my head, and to see inaccuracy in an otherwise lovely book was difficult for me.

[Dando]

I enjoyed this book. It was very far from something I would normally read, but I am glad that I branched out. The book is a great example of why I don't stop reading after when I don't like a book. It really took a while for me to get into it, but I eventually came around. I would recommend it!

[Aspen_Reads]

I am planning on reading this book, it sounds like a really good read!

-- 17 Dec 2014, 11:19 --

I am planning on reading this book, it sounds like a really good read!

[sahmoun2778]

I really enjoyed this book even though there is a lot of sadness in the story. I thought the author's choice to tell the story from the perspective of the dog was great and really made the story feel fresh. One of my favorite parts was when Enzo got to ride in the race car. The descriptions were fantastic and made me feel like I was right there in the car with them. I give this book 4 stars.