The Art of Racing in the Rain -- Take 2

Anyone who has ever had or loved a dog, and has been convinced that sometimes their dog understands them, needs to read this book.

It is the very sweet story of a dog named Enzo and his owner Denny. Enzo follows Denny through the many unfortunate trials he is faced with, and we are lucky enough to have Enzo share his wisdom with us. I know I included many quotes in my first post on this book. I tried to limit myself while I finished up, and just have a couple to share:

Page 148-149: "That year we had a cold spell in each winter month, and when the first warm day of spring finally arrived in April, the trees and flowers and grasses burst to life with such intensity that the television news had to proclaim an allergy emergency....So while the rest of the world was focused on the inconvenience of hay fever, the people in my world had other things to do: Eve continued with the inexorable process of dying, Zoe spent too much time with her grandparents, and Denny and I worked at slowing the beating of our hearts so we wouldn't feel so much pain."

Page 198: "Did he despair? Did he silently berate himself for allowing himself to be in that situation? Or did he finally realize what it is like to be me, to be a dog? Did he understand, as those interminable minutes ticked by, that being alone is not the same as being lonely? That being alone is a neutral state; it is like a blind fish at the bottom of the ocean: without eyes, and therefore without judgment. Is it possible? That which is around me does not affect my mood; my mood affects that which is around me. Is it true? Could Denny have possibly appreciated the subjective nature of loneliness, which is something that exists only in the mind, not in the world, and, like a virus, is unable to survive without a willing host?"

Page 282: "I didn't understand it at all. She had attacked him....Why we were speaking with her rather than roasting her on a spit was unfathomable to me....[He said,] 'just because the light is green doesn't mean you shouldn't look both ways before stepping into the street.' Annika screwed up her face in puzzlement and looked to her friend. 'A metaphor,' her friend said. Ha! A metaphor, she said! Fantastic! This one knows how to decode the English language. We will save her for roasting tomorrow!"

Really, the wonder of this story is that, through the patient and observant eyes of a dog, we learn how he sees and understands and appreciates his master. And before you know it, you want to be the master that every dog wishes he had.