Adorable Canine Redeems Lame, Cheesy Novel: A Few Thoughts on The Art of Racing in the Rain

Shocked! This was the look on the faces of my fellow book club members when I gave Garth Stein’s “The Art of Racing in the Rain” a thumb in the middle during our traditional opening Thumb up/Thumb down ceremony. It was strongly anticipated that I would not like this book because I am petrified of dogs; I ridicule gimmicky narratives; I do not typically read New York Times Best Sellers; and, most importantly, I despise uplifting endings.

For all the above reasons, I really should have loathed this book, but I did not on two simple grounds: Enzio, the charming narrating dog suckered me in with his jokes and wisdom and the racing metaphors absolutely captured my imagination. In actuality, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a simplistic story of a man, a woman, their child, the man’s dog and the woman’s horrible parents. Not much interesting happens. Man gets dog; man marries woman; dog and woman don’t care for each other too much; woman gets cancer; and the grandparents try to steal the child from her father. In terms of plot, this novel is really sort of puerile until the dog comes along and gives the reader an “under the table” view.

Enzio narrates every detail with a four-legged perspective. We hear from his point of view the details of human mating rituals; we learn what is like for a dog to discover a rancid chicken nugget under a kitchen table; we experience firsthand a dog’s thirst for squirrel’s blood and how that is a magnificent metaphor for irrational acts of human passion. And of course, Enzio charismatically draws us in with his T.V. addiction, hatred of monkeys and ardent belief that he would transform into a human upon his death. Reviewing that list, it still surprises me that this ridiculous book appealed to me, but the success of this book lies in the humanistic portrayal of the universe from a non-human point of view. Furthermore, it gave me that tingling in the nose about to cry feeling many times.

In fact, for a moment or two, I adored Enzio so much that I wished I liked real life dogs (not likely to ever happen). Enzio is a literary device not a dog, a literary device that makes this non-dog-lover’s experience with this novel very different than a dog lover’s encounter. Generally, dog-lover’s were ecstatic about this book. For the non-dog lover, Stein’s book is a light, tolerable read. If you have a few hours to kill, this one will make you laugh and tear up a little.

Enzio, Nothing Has Changed

Dear Enzio:

I like you. I like you a lot. You are funny, charming, loyal, protective, a keen observer, and you love your family unconditionally. You made me laugh; you made me cry. You made me feel guilty for not buying my kids the dog that they desperately want. You made me want to go to animal shelter and get my children the puppy they passionately desire.

But, my urge to head to the animal shelter soon passed. Guess what, Enzio? You are not a real dog. You are a fictional character created by the clever author Garth Stein, a pet lover who has made a career out of spinning animal yarns. I have always been a sucker for a man with a good line and I am especially suspicious of men who talk to animals. Most likely being kind to animals is just part of Stein’s master plan to get laid. Stein probably has women tossing bras at him at every book signing and speaking event. But, I will no longer be duped by his charismatic, quadruped oracle. My bra will remain firmly in place when I hear Stein speak in November.

By then, I will be over the happy buzz that Enzio the philosopher-dog and Stein gave me. I will be fooled no longer. The Art of Racing in the Rain is a cheesy, schmaltzy, overly sentimental, ridiculously melodramatic book that I absolutely loved. I think I am still in shock; it is not in my nature to like a book that is so simple and concludes with a reasonably happy ending.

As of tomorrow, I go back to disliking dogs and calling animal control when I see a dog off of its leash. There really needs to be at least one person in this town who doesn't think it is fashionable to sneak a pocketbook dog into Walmart or to buy gourmet dog treats at a canine only bakery.

So Enzio, remember I am not a dog lover just a lover of silly dog narratives.

Sincerely,

Garabageman's Daughter

Business Has Gone to the Dogs

While working one a day at a large downtown library, I handed a man a few books from the Dark Tower series. He was pleased to receive the books because the thrift shop he owns didn’t have them. He, then, proceeded to ask me if I had ever been to Sunny Day Thrift.

There was an uncomfortable silence as I debated on how honest to be.

"Yes, I was in that store once. There was a huge dog running around loose. I was so afraid that he was going to jump on me or bite me that I left the store without buying anything.”

He replied: "That is my dog, Bandit. He is a great dog. You should come back some time. We have lots of good stuff."

Yeah, I am not going back to that store, or the paint-your-own-pottery shop with the two Pugs that hate toddlers, or the bank building with the take your dog to work option.

It's their dogs in their stores, so no leashes are required. But, let me warn all dog owners if you take your dogs off leash to the park where my kids play, I have animal control on my speed dial, and I am not afraid to use it. Called 18 times last summer.

Just obey the leash laws; it is that simple.

The Cure

“Are you a dog-person,” a neighbor asked.

“No. They are okay from a distance, but that’s it,” I said.

“You should come over some time, and we’ll do some behavior modification,” she said.

“How are you going to modify the dog’s behavior?” I asked.

“No, not the dog’s, yours," she replied. 

Well dog lovers, there is no need for therapy or behavior modification to treat my cynophobia. The cure is simple: Keep your dog on a leash! 

On Dogs

Your best friend is my panic attack. So, along with your political views, religious beliefs, displays of affection, bad breathe, unfilled childhood dreams, family secrets, germs, and cell phone conversations, please keep your dogs to yourself.