The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (2008, Hardcover)

I bought the book because I am an animal lover and thought it woul be interesting to hear how a dog would put his life into words. It was fast and amusing reading.

Let me just start by saying that I loved this book. I literally couldn't put it down. It doesn't hurt that I am a dog lover and that racing references aren't lost on me, but you don't have to be well versed in racing to appreciate the story. It's told from the POV of Enzo, the dog, as he looks back over his family's life. Through times of joy and unspeakable pain, old Enzo has been there observing sights and smells. I don't want to give too much away, but I was practically sobbing by the end.

My best read so far this year...in a year where I've read The Kite Runner, Eat Love Pray, Water for Elephants and several other best sellers of the blockbuster kind. You don't have to be a dog lover to read this book. The book will grab you right from the start. The narrator is ENZO a mixed breed dog. He will tell the story of his life. He will teach you stuff too. You'll laugh...maybe cry and definitely cheer for him when you read his story. I promise you will. If the author, Garth Stein plans to write another book, he'll have to come up with a story that is nothing short of pure perfection to top this read. BUY IT...SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!!!

I loved this book! I first saw it displayed at the Starbuck's in Estes Park, CO while vacationing with my family last May. I didn't buy it then, but did come away with a promotional bookmark. At the Denver Airport while waiting for my flight back to LA, I cruised through Hudson's Books and there it was! So I bought it on the spot. Two days later I picked it up and - unusual for me - read it in a day and a half! It held me completely. It is not just another dog story; it is about life lessons and relationships and so much more. I have since bought two copies of this book and given it as a birthday gift to my daughter-in-law and my hubby's ex. They both fell in love with it after reading the first few pages (as I suspected they would)! This is one of the best books I've ever read. And it's also a book I will re-read, sooner rather than later!

This was a beautifully told story seen through a loyal dog's eyes. He is looking back on his life with his human family. Warning - you will fall in love with this dog and at the end you will cry!

I loved this book--just as winderful as "Marley and Me". You have to love an author who can invision what a dog is thinking and write about it without it being corny or cliche'. I laughed out loud in many parts, I cried in many parts, and I cheered at the ending.

Don't miss this book! A must read!!!

Cute story, Easy reading, not too dramatic. What if my dog comes back in human form? Will he remember the times he had to sleep outside?

This book is a must read if you are a dog lover, love children, are a hopeless romantic, and love car racing! This has it ALL!! You will cry, laugh, cry some more, and may even find yourself "swearing" at some of the characters you don't like.
Make no mistake. Everyone LOVES Enzo. Enzo is the author of this brillant story. Oh,did I mention that Enzo is a dog who wishes he were a human? Then again,who said he wasn't?
You will have to read it and make your own mind up.

I am a life long dog lover and i couldn't put this book down! I'm already re-reading it! I'm not even half of a bookworm by any stretch of the imagination, but seeing life through enzo's eyes makes me look at my dog in a new way. You know how there are alot of books out there that have a great story but just as a bad of an ending? Well not here! The ending is just that much better. This is the book for dog lovers & owners, and for those who should be! I was laughing, crying, and laughing once again! Believe me i'm not an emotional kind of person when it comes to just about anything, especially "mushy" emotions, so this will tell you how great this really is! I just bought it for someone else because i loved it so much! I never do that! I hope Garth Stein writes another such book! I know that "sequels" or similar books don't tend to be as good as the originals, but this one was so good i doubt that this will be the case!

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Great book. At first I was skeptical of a book written from a dog's perspective, but it really is great.

I bought this book for a Book Club discussion. I LOVED this book. I love dogs, and this one provided a unique perspective on humans and their foibles.
A quick read.

I couldn't put this book down, and, now that I've finished reading it, I can't stop thinking about it.

If you're a dog lover, this is a must-read.

If you love car racing, you'll love it tool

This is a fantastic book. This book was recommended by friends.
Any dog lover will love it.
The seller was terrific.
Would do biz again! Thank you.

This is an amazing book that I read from the library. Enjoyed it so much, I had to have it for my personal library. Although it sounds corny, the whole book is from a dog's perspective, and it's anything but corny! i actually did the books on cd version and I would recommend that for maxiumum enjoyment of the story.

i loved this book! i couldnt put it down and ended up reading it in less than a day! perfect fusion of .from the dogs point of view' and great storytelling of little details all around him, made for a perfect read. Beware animal lovers! You WILL cry reading this one! :)

This was a wonderful book!You will fall in love with Enzo and his family right from the beginning. I was skeptical when I bought it, but then I could not put it down.

Great book. Fun & easy to read, read it from cover to cover in a week. My only critique, the author’s descriptions and detailed accounts of the character’s racing experiences were a bit winded. I understand these descriptions were used as metaphors in developing some plots but pages & pages of detailed racing experiences made the book drag in some parts. Eventually I began skipping these winded recollections and I still got the point. The author was also very convincing; I believed the words I was reading were those of Enzo, the dog. The ending of this book was also beautiful. After reading this book I will never look at dogs the same! Great read.

Was looking for a summer read. I always scan at the local bookstore for possible titles, and then come home to puchase them from ebay. It was quite different reading the story from the dog's viewpoint. I found myself looking at my dog and wondering just what he's thinking, and what does he do all day to pass the time while I am at work. I laughed and cried, (as all animal stories have a beloved pet passing away.) The story is an easy read and the chapters fly by. The story has many life lessons in it. It helps to get people to take a second look at their life and put in perspective the things that really matter. Would reccommend this book for both animal lovers and anyone looking to see the really important parts of life!

The ladies at my local used bookstore recommended this book, but didn't have it in stock. So I quickly found it here on ebay. Being a dog lover and a racing fan, it was a double bonus! I can't think of one negative thing about the book. It was simply my best read of the summer!

Building a strong bonds with k-9s in my stint as an Air Force Scout Dog Handler made me question whether the dogs think that they are human or that humans are dogs. There is difintely a wonderful communicatiaon between the two in looks, posture and sound. I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain because it gives the voice of the dog as I believe it would be if he could verablize his feelings

It was a very emotional story for me as I just had to put my yellow lab to sleep. I know that he felt as the dog in the book. He needed relief from his misery.

Teh Art of Racing in the Rain is a must for dog lovers.

quick and good condition. I really enjoyed this book and the expedited mail go there very quickly. I don't know what else to put, but I have to have at least 100 characters. So here you go!

You can't help but love Ezno, the sweet and sometimes snarky (to Zebras) mix with a bit of a terrier in him. It is a quick, great read that any dog-lover would enjoy. HIGHLY recommended.

PS Proof: My husband hates to read yet cannot put this book down. Yup, its that good:)