I bet Kleenex stock has risen since The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was published. The best-selling novel follows the journey of a dog named Enzo, a dog that lives up to the ideal of man’s best friend. Enzo’s life goal is based on a Mongolian legend that tells of a dog being reincarnated as a human, because he evolved his nature to be more human-like in his life as a dog. To wit, the keen canine at the center of Racing tries to improve himself by being the best dog he can be to his master, aspiring race car driver Denny; and a loving protector to Denny’s daughter Zoë. Enzo’s overwhelming desire to be more human actually makes him more humane than the people that surround him, highlighting a caring, compassionate nature that seems lost among many of the novel's protagonists. The story unfolds from Enzo’s perspective, providing a unique view that lends itself to riveting passages reflecting on the human condition. The reader sees Denny’s life about to crash up ahead, while Denny races toward it unknowingly.
Stein's matter-of-fact writing meshes seamlessly with the narrative voice of Enzo, the dog's naturally emotive observations intact. The book is tense, supplying the reader insights that suggest grave trouble is brewing, that imminent forces will tear the sweet little family apart – all unbeknownst to them. The reader knows in advance because Enzo does. As a dog, first and foremost, Enzo smells it.
If told from any other perspective than Enzo's, this story would be overly dramatic. However, when told by the dog, who reports the actions and words of the characters leaving the reader to interpret the true intentions behind them, the story is moving, scintillating.
