The Art of Racing in the Rain

A book using auto racing as a metaphor for life, narrated by a dog, might not seem too promising. But, I really enjoyed this book, and I hope everyone else did, too. It was a fast read because of its simplicity, but I thought there were some grains of truth that bore thinking about. It seemed a good choice to read during the busy holiday season and then those first dreary days of January.

We know from the beginning that Enzo is old, ill, and at the end of his life. But as this faithful dog looks back over his life, he recalls that it was rich and full. Anyone who knows and loves dogs understands that they are unbelievably loyal and, they always seem to know what you're thinking. Of course, Enzo almost always did understand even the nuances of the lives being lived around him. But, oh, how he longed for opposable thumbs!

Enzo is a great chracter. Somehow, the author managed to capture both his "dogness" and his ability to think and especially feel like a human. Enzo makes the case that the highest form of animal, the animal most like humans, is the dog. As he watched over Denny, then Eve, then Zoe, I believed that to be true. He knew what they needed, and he gave it to them.

I also enjoyed Denny's character. As Enzo was living out his last life as a dog before becoming human, Denny was a wonderful role model for him. Denny went through a long and very dark time, but he didn't give into it. He nearly always took the high road. Although he made mistakes, he never compounded them, which is where the racing metaphors come in, of course.

"That which you manifest is before you." "Your car goes where your eyes go." "You are responsible for where you are and what you are doing there." I can't help but think these are words to live by...or at least to consider. Attitude is all. Denny and Enzo (and apparently all good racers) understand that when we look ahead, we are, in a way, determining what will happen. If we see good things happening, that's more likely to be the case than if we forecast the worst case scenario. Granted, that's a little simplistic. There is always the possibility of the Evil Demon Zebra! However, Enzo eventually concludes that "The zebra is the worst part of us when we are face-t0-face with our worst times. The demon is us."

I don't believe that we always make our own troubles. Some things are truly out of our control. But, like Enzo, I do think that how we react to those troubles -- whether it's taking a turn too fast or an oil-slick on the track -- often determines how things will turn out. There are Evil Twins out there, and we just have to deal with them. I'd like to think that we will all have happy endings, like Denny and Enzo.

Enough philosophy! My favorite chapter was the one in which Enzo gets his ride on the race track. Enzo had a zest for life; he always barked twice. May we all bark twice in our race through the rainy tracks of our lives! - Beckie