Home Wine News Wine Articles Shop for Wine and Wine Accessories About GoodGrape.com Links Downloads Contact Goodgrape.com

Good Grape Wine Company

Left side of the header
Wines and Wine Drinking Accessories
Search Advanced SearchView Cart   Checkout   
 Location:  Home > Books > The Art of Racing in the Rain  
Categories
Books
Accessories
Food
Magazines
Subcategories
Sports
Audiobooks
Baseball
Basketball
Biographies
Coaching
Extreme Sports
Football (American)
General
General AAS
Golf
Hiking & Camping
Hockey
Hunting & Fishing
Individual Sports
Miscellaneous
Mountaineering
Other Team Sports
Racket Sports
Rodeos
Soccer
Softball
Training
Water Sports
Winter Sports
New Releases
The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever
Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
How Football Explains America
Champions: A Look Back at the Phillies Triumphant 2008 Season
War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest
Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive
Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back
American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon
Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die: Diving Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations
Sports Illustrated: The College Football Book
Bestsellers
The Dangerous Book for Boys
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Daring Book for Girls
Encyclopedia of Immaturity (Klutz)
The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever
Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
How Football Explains America
Champions: A Look Back at the Phillies Triumphant 2008 Season
The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life
War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain

 enlarge 
Author: Garth Stein
Publisher: Harper
Category: Book

List Price: $23.95
Buy New: $14.48
You Save: $9.47 (40%)



New (47) Used (23) Collectible (2) from $13.25

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 274 reviews
Sales Rank: 160

Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.9 x 1.3

ISBN: 0061537934
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780061537936
ASIN: 0061537934

Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoe, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoe at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.




Customer Reviews:   Read 269 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Loved it, bought 5 copies as gifts   December 4, 2008
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Wow!

This is not the genre that I usually read. This book was very moving and I could not put it down. I really did laugh and cry. I have given my copy to 3 others who raved about it and bought 5 other copies as gifts.

I emailed Mr. Stein and he was very appreciative. He even mailed me a book plate to put in the front of the book.

It is nice to have such a talented author take the time to respond to his fans.



5 out of 5 stars You gotta Love Enzo!!!   December 3, 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I passed mine on to 5 different people who all fell in love with Enzo the Dog in the book. You will laugh and you will cry but one thing is for sure....you will never look at your dog the same way again!!!!


5 out of 5 stars One of the best books I have ever read!   December 3, 2008
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I could not put this book down! It captures you from the very first chapter and doesn't let go! The book is written so well that I started to look at my own dog in a different way. It makes you wonder just how much our dogs can understand us. This is an amazing book that any dog lover will enjoy.


5 out of 5 stars Beautiful, sad, poignant, a bit unbelievable   December 2, 2008
The Art of Racing in the Rain is the purported tale of a dog watching his master Denny grow up. Denny marries Eve and they eventually have Zoe. The dog watches this, sad that he cannot communicate his love, trust, and observations of life to those around him. A malformed mouth and lack of opposable thumbs doom him, he supposes. His master is a racecar driver (among other talents), and the dog and master love watching racing movies together. Trust, abandonment, renewal, redemption - life is all about that. It's like racing in the rain - exhilarating, but be careful of the slick curves you encounter.


5 out of 5 stars A fun, engaging novel   November 30, 2008
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I'm a dog lover who is almost always disappointed in "dog books," but all the 5 star ratings got me to give this novel a shot. It did not disappoint. The story of Denny, a struggling race car driver and his wife and young daughter is one that drew me in even without the dog element. That this was comically and touchingly narrated by Enzo, their dog, made this an even better and more original book. This novel does not strive to capture how dogs really see their world (as happens in Edgar Sawtelle), but this is how dog owners like to think of their dogs as perceiving their world. The narration is done with just the right amount of heart and humor. This novel takes a major turn halfway through, suddenly becoming plot driven. At first I was bothered by this, but it ultimately worked and added to the story. Overall, this is a sweet, funny novel. It's not great literature, but I really enjoyed this novel and was sad when it was done.