The Art of Racing in the Rain
By: Garth Stein / Narrated By: Christopher Evan Welch
Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
Such brilliant writing and narration—a meditation of love, loss, and getting that last pee in
It must be sad to be a divorce lawyer. The most popular “negative” review I’ve read regarding The Art of Racing in the Rain was penned by a divorce lawyer who decried the plot as being unequivocally predictable and, worse! that A Dog’s Purpose was better and more loving of dogs. How cynical! How divorce-lawyer(ish)! Besides. While, I liked the latter, it floundered in flawed writing and heavy-handed narration and was juuuuust shy of being sentimental and cheesy as hell. The former, I have no reservations about touting as the writing has depth, the narration is wry, and I believe Happily Ever Afters are for the romance genre only (Where we don’t see the “happy” couple seven years into their relationship, natch!). Give me a bittersweet ending any day of the week, and as it so happens, for me that day would’ve been Sunday night as I listened to this in one fell swoop.
Our narrator (And hero!) is Enzo, a dramatic and philosophical dog who emotes a lot and who watches waaaay too much TV. All he knows of the world is from TV and from his observations of life and mankind and his life with Denny, the man who chose him when he was but a pup; the man who he thinks is a skilled genius as a race car driver. Throughout the book, Enzo (Named after the famed racer) is able to make parallels between racing and life, in the way we handle ourselves, in the way we navigate our way through life. Sure, I s’pose it could get a little bit old if racing isn’t the sport for you (It’s not for me, but I loved Enzo’s take on it all), but it’ll go only so far before reeling itself back in to the main narrative.
Life with Denny is utter bliss for Enzo until Denny is smitten by Eve, that beguiling women who can do things for Denny that Enzo can’t (She has opposable thumbs, dammit all!). And soon the two humans have a daughter, Zoe. Things start going downhill when Eve gets sick, and all hell breaks loose after her death (That’s not a spoiler; it’s part of the rhythm of the story) and Denny is caught up in legal battles with his in-laws. Through it all, Enzo is there as a rock, a stalwart figure who breaks only in one heartbreaking scene where he can find outlet for his grief only through unleashing the utter savagery of his inner wildness. It’s a very touching scene, and things don’t go too well for the chipmunk caught unawares.
As I said, Christopher Evan Welch’s narration portrays a thoughtful dog, indeed, a dog who thinks tooo much. He is wry; he is pensive; he is ready to live life fully and aware, and is ready to leave the earth and come back to Denny in human form. A documentary Enzo saw about Inner Mongolia has assured him that, should he live properly, this will be so. The narration is rich with emotion and twisted thinking (Listen to the part of the malevolent zebra, and tell me if THAT isn’t so!), and if ever I come across something else that Welch has performed, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to hear anybody but Enzo, Welch just so richly inhabits his mind. And like that other wonderful “dog” book, J. London’s The Call of the Wild that has John Lee’s sweeping and majestic narration of harshness, majesty, and brutality, Welch brings this “dog” book love, and laughter, and even wisdom. The books just show what a masterful narration can add to an already brilliant story.
If you loved A Dog’s Purpose, you’re apt to love this one too. I say only “apt” because ‘twould appear that dog lovers don’t like crying. I know, I hear ya. But it’s only because we love them so much that we can feel just how well-crafted Enzo is, and we can feel for his story. But by all means: If the pain of loss breaks you, run and run like the wind from this one.
Cuz by gosh, are you going to cry at the end, or what?!? Enzo, this book? It’s all just too good NOT to be moved.
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