The narration by Enzo, the family dog, provides a chance to ponder how we will live our lives. He postpones his "reincarnation" as a man to support his people as they navigate life's best and worst times. His voice is witty and wise, never a plot contrivance. He admits his limitations, but doggedly (sorry) attempts to interpret the events he is circling around. This is not a dog book- it is a book about life as seen from loyal, loving eyes. It is easily read, but there is much to ponder and discuss. We cannot stop recommending it.

I am not a dog person and was hesitant about reading this book. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. This book has it all: love, tragedy, comedy, hope. Enzo, the main character, is a dog who wants to be human. His philosophies are so in touch with how we, as humans, live. We learn from Enzo people find it difficult to be present because they are always worried about about what's next and to never give up because a crisis is just a flash in time. Through Enzo, we see how determination, faith, and belief moves us through life.

Quick read.... watching life from a dog's point of view provides a candid, insightful look. I'm not a race car fan, but appreciated the lessons learned through the racing experience. Plot a little too tidy.

I give the book a 6 out of 10.

This is a novel that will engage readers of both sexes and of a variety of ages. Enzo, a dog, narrates the story of Denny Swift, from his bachelor days to his life as a father. Enzo insightfully comments on Denny's life and our lives as humans, pointing out to us that we are often our own worst enemy and that our attitude can strongly influence our future. A delightful read that had me turning pages as fast as possible!

Enzo (dog) is looking back over his life he had spent with his master (ie: all the joy, trials and tribulations they have shared together). It lets the reader know that there is so much more to the bond of pet and owner.

For avid pet owners--the story reaffirms a lot of what we already know. The connection and relationship is pure and true. That all the feelings of shared love, sadness, etc is real and that the journey is not alone.

I loved the ending---so symbolic and beautiful that I cried until I smiled.

Highly recommend to anyone that has /had that special bond with their pet...or for someone that might be unsure it really exists.

We're all dog-lovers. A great book to discuss. Several lines stuck with us.

I loved this book so much. I loved how the observations were written with emotion and great depth. Enzo loved his people so much, and was removed enough (with no usable language or thumbs) that he could see everything.
I can't say enough good things about it, so I'll just stop.

It definitely got to be more of a page turner toward the end. I enjoyed Garth Stein's unique approach of telling the story from a dog's point of view. Enzo took me through a range of emotions as he shared his memories and lessons in life, which he paralleled with the art of race car driving - profoundly intuitive for a canine! I recommend it for men and women, as the story has elements that appeal to both.

I thought this was a great book. I loved that it was narrated by the perspective of Enzo, the dog. I am not a pet owner or even lover, however, it gave me a new appreciation for animals. At points I even thought, I should own a dog! Luckily, I have come to my senses.

The story is beautifully crafted and reminded me that it is important even through adversity to keep my eye on my ultimate goals and not the hardships that I may be facing at the time.

Racing in the Rain is a book that should be purchased for your library... in hardcover.

A book to get drawn into, although it becomes clear what will happen fairly soon. After rafts of such books about loss and new life, I found the most interesting thing about this book to be the unexpected discussion it sparked among the club. Different characters were the "key" to differnt people, and we found we liked the book for completely different reasons. Most interesting between those who have dogs and those who don't.

Well written - different perspective. Tearful, at times, but also full of humor and insight.

I became addicted to this book in the first 5 pages. The idea of writing the story in the dog's perspective was brilliant there is no better way it could have been written. It was romantic, funny and an awe-inspiring outlook on life. I loved it and passed it on to my Mom all within 24 hours.

I loved this book! Having Enzo narrate is a brilliant way to tell the story! I've already started talking to my dog like he's a person. Hopefully he'll reach the next stage too!!!!

Dog lovers will surely love Enzo! Insights through the "voice" of a dog are sprinkled throughout.

This book was a fun read. It is interesting and unique. I liked it and recommended it to my husband and teenager.

Sweet story about Enzo the dog and his owner, the race car driver. Enzo is hampered by his lack of language and his lack of opposable thumbs but his huge heart makes up for it. He has a beautiful soul and wants to be reincarnated as a man. That was a flaw for me, as we all know that dogs are higher beings. *smile* Enzo's owner has many problems in his life, but the dog gives him strength.

I was skeptical at first...reading a book from a dog's perspective.
However, I was immediately drawn into the story. Being an animal lover I was afraid of being sad...but I got through it without being too sad. The craziness of life told by the precious pet, Enzo, was a very different way of telling a story. The analogy to racing was also an interesting perspective. I read slowly...and this book I read in a record two days!

Our book club really enjoyed this selection. We learned a lot about racing and the dog's point of view was so appealing. Funny and often bittersweet, it kept us all entertained.

Could not put the book down. Loved reading the story from the dog's perspective and point of view. A real change of pace.

Great book told from the dog's point of view... you may never look at your dog the same way again.

As a dog lover and as the owner of a dog, I really enjoyed this book. The story was told from the dog Enzo's point of view and I found it charming, funny and inspirational. At points I was laughing out loud! Its a beautiful story.

Everyone in the book club loved this book. It makes you look at your dog in a different light. Very heartwarming.

There were so many life lessons to learn from Enzo. Telling this story from a dogs perspective makes all of the difference. If we could all learn to talk less and listen more we would be surprised at what we could learn in life.

This was the first book our club read.We all loved it and now we call ourselves Enzo's Girls Book Club

This book is written with an interesting concept, a story told from the heart and soul of a special life long pet. Enzo watches television, understands people, and knows his owner Denny, the racer, better than anyone else. He is wise, loving and protective of his family. It is tender, sad, tough to take in parts, but ultimately, a wonderful read.

Written from the dogs perspective, was a fantastic fun and easy read.

This book was heartwarmimg and totally enjoyable to read. If you have ever had a special dog in your life this book will be all the more touching.

A touching account of a man's life turned upside down, told by his best friend - Enzo - the dog.

This book has so witty and touching I couldn't put it down. I will never look at my own dog the same again.

With many snippets of wisdom that thread together in a good story, this light read with slices of deep truths appealed to dog-lovers, auto racers, and most of our club members.

Loved this book. The perspective was different, hearing the story from Enzo's point of view. This was a page turner for me, sad at times, but with hope for the future.

too light, superficial, and dumb. loved the cover and i even have a lab.

Should be required reading of everyone who has ever loved a dog.

adorable..easy, quick and fun

At the end of the book I was glad I read it but it was a long and tedious process, many parts were predictable.

Dogs, fast cars and heart break... what more do you want?

I enjoyed this book. It was not one of my favorites, but it did tell a compelling story of a man's persistant fight to get what was rightfully his. I felt like the author rambled a bit about some aspects of racing that were unecessary to the plot. Overall, it was a good book.

I was really looking forward to reading this book since it came highly recommended. This book did NOTHING for me. I'm not a car racing fan so those parts bored me. I love dogs but it was really stretching it. The subject matter was depressing. Our book club needs to stop selecting books that deal with death, I think this is the 3rd in a row, yikes.

I loved the perspective of Enzo. The ending made me feel so good about the loss of a pet. This was a really terrific book that I would (and have) recommended to everyone!!

This book was a very nice read for me. I loved the cover - the version I purchased was a green cover with Enzo on the front as a jack russle old dog with racing goggles and a cute red scarf.
I found Enzo as a narrator to be very insightful and loving and I have scribbled down many of the life lessons applied in this book mainly this one: That which you manifest is before you.

How true that is and what a delightful book this was! Happy reading!

I love it and think of this book often even though it has been months since I read it!

A great read for anyone...dog lover or otherwise :) Garth Stein provids an interesting perspective on human interaction through an unlikely viewpoint. Funny at times - sad at others. Makes me look at my Golden Retreiver a bit differently now :) Quick read for a busy month.

Our book club just read this book and everyone enjoyed it. We shared what made us laugh and the events that caused tears. We liked that it was written from Enzo the dogs point of view. Everyone agreed it was a good read.

I loved how the dog was so loyal to his owner. Very sweet.

Very inciteful story narrated by a dog. It is such a good story of never giving up and love.

This was a very nice read. I look at my dog with different eyes now.

Wonderful story that is heartwarming. It will have you both laughing and crying. You will never look at your dog the same again.

I loved this book. The dog's perspective is amazing. It was touching and inspiring. Great choice for any book club.

When I chose this book for my book club, many of my members had doubts about it. They thought it would be contrived or silly. All of them, however, were wrong! They all loved the book and most members read it in a couple days...or 5 hours.
The book was interesting, heartfelt and suspenseful. Enzo's view of life was inspirational and caused the reader to look at things in a slightly different manner. We highly recommend this book!

I didn't love this book. I didn't buy the dog as the narrator or the one dimensional extended family members. It didn't live up to my expectations from all that I'd heard about it. I'd still recommend it as a book club read -- especially to bring up for discussion what impact losing a spouse has on a family.

Even though I liked the premise of the book, I just could not get into the story. I didn't feel for any of the characters and I didn't like the story line...plus I'm not a racing fan. I love pets, have many of my own, and was somewhat moved by Enzo's thoughts and feelings, but could never quite feel the level of emotion many others have.

Interesting point of view.

This book was hard to put down. Being a dog lover I could actually relate to Enzo and his family. I have always believed that dogs eventually come back again and possibly in human form. They actually know the meaning of unconditional love.

I really enjoyed this book. It sparked many emotions for me..it was funny and made me laugh and other times made me down right anygry! I think this is a great book for a book club...there is lots to talk about. This was one of our most successful meetings!

This is a beautifully written book that had me laughing out loud on many occasions. I've encouraged my husband, who is a huge NASCAR fan, to read the book as well. In a single word, CHARMING.

It's always fun to imagine how a dog might tell the story about his master and family. Insightful!

I absolutely loved this book! It makes you wonder what really goes on inside your 4 legged friends head! Great story of a parent's struggle to be with their child.

Who knew dogs could understand us so well . . . ? I loved it.

I loved this book! It immediately grabbed my attention and I couldn't put it down. It was exciting and interesting (even though fictional) to imagine a loving pets perspective of its owner's life. It's poignant, and thought-provoking and in the end a very "feel-good" kind of story.

This book is worth reading to book clubs all over the world, or even if you're not involved in a book club. There are several members in our club, of all sorts and varieties and they all loved it with equal appreciation.

I loves this book!! Not just because I am a big fan of the dog, but that they are really our biggest fans too!! Chapter after chapter it made me want to run over a hug on both my Labs.

This was a beautiful book, written from the perspective of the ever loyal dog. I found the passage when he was accepting his death unbearably sad.

This was a great story! It reminded me of my yellow lab at times. It was a great way to tell the story.

Touching story and very interesting to have the dog's view of events.

This book was great for animal lovers and avid readers alike. We loved the story and were touched by the ending. Great read

Loved the book. For dog lovers who understand the unconditional love our pets can give us.

This was one of our book clubs favorite books.

If you are a dog lover, this is a must..

Wonderful Story! Listened to this on CD on a long trip and made the trip very pleasant.

Very interesting - written from a different point of view

I absolutely adored this book. The entire premise of a book told from an aging dog's perspective on life and death is touching. The bonds between family members and the unwavering loyalty of the dog towards his human makes this book worth the read!

Did not expect to like the book, but was pleasantly surprised. Fast, easy read that was entertaining.

As a dog lover, I am fascinated by the relationships between dogs and humans. The unique feature of this book is that it is told from the dog's perspective. Beautiful story.

I just loved this book. Such a different concept reading thru the eyes of a dog. There was such a good plot too, it kept surprising you with the twists and turns.

It's a cute story.

I loved that this book was written from the perspective and with the vocabulary of the dog! It was like getting to be the fly on the wall on a heartbreaking and multi-faceted story. I would definately recommend. Not the most challenging book to read (which can be nice, right?) but gave us a lot to talk about.

I am not a dog lover, nor a racing fan, so this book did not grab me as it did some of the other people in my book club. However, I did enjoy the story of a man so in love with a strong willed wife that he will do anything for her. And, in doing so almost loses his daughter after his wife dies. The vindictive in-laws were well defined antagonists and this part of the story I enjoyed greatly.

Yet, another dog book. Although the perspective of the dog was different. Several of our members admitted to crying, which led to the discussion of whether it should get a higher rating for having suppossedly "moved" you, even if you really didn't "like" the whole book that much.... The racing analygies were overdone.... We can't figure out why it's such a popular club pick....

I do not understand why anyone is suggesting this book, unless maybe they have not actually READ this book. The premise is cute, but it sure doesn't work out in actuality! An author really needs to consider who is going to be reading their book when they write it, and this one did not. How many women are going to be glued to the pages of a how-to-keep-your-racecar-on-the-track manual?? And how many times do we need to listen to a dog whine that if he only had opposable thumbs or a voice, he could save the world?? And that just isn't enough for me to waste my time reading. I mean, I just said it in one sentence. Whoops! Two sentences. How can you make a whole book out of that? Well, silly me, someone did! But it was a book that I literally found myself sleeping headfirst in...and more than once!

Had heard a lot about it. Was not what I expected, but enjoyed the book from the dog's point of view.

This book, written by Garth Stein, moves very slowly. Because its written from the dog's perspective, I found it to be a bit cold and emotionless at times. The writer did a good job relaying a passion for racing, but I'm not a fan of the sport which, at times, made it hard to follow. I knew how things would end, yet still found myself teary-eyed. You'll like it but you won't love it.

I loved the play on words of 'the art of racing in the rain'. Be it my dog that chases after the thunder gods, cars on slick roads, or life. The dips, bumps, joys, sorrows, happiness, give-a-damn-attitude of just going for it. I have several sentences in this book that I have underlined and reflect on consistently. I really enjoyed this book and don't give a flip about NASCAR or Formula One racing. I believe a person will miss a wonderful story if they limit themselves to the world of car racing.

This is a darling book, told from the point of view of the family dog, who is so human. You won't look at Man's-Best-Friend in the same way, ever again. He stays loyal, but truthful, about his best friend, who faces many of life's most difficult challenges. There are some wonderful moments to make up for the sad moments. We can't recommend this one highly enough.

I loved this book! An usual concept of storytelling from the dogs point of view. I have now found myself looking at my own dog, and thinking \\\" I wonder...\\\"
Beautifully written, great characters and a real tear jerker at the end. My twenty year old son enjoyed it also and recommended it to me.
Both dog lovers and none will love it also.....

Great discussion from this book about the dog as the narrator, dysfunctional families, and how race car driving relates to life. Very good. Liked by 100% of our book club.

It was well written although not a difficult book.

Great book! Fun to read! Worth the read!

Ties in car racing from a dog's point of view. Not what you'd typically expect. Heartwarming with humor.

The overall career of racing and the underlying joy and pain of his personal life were told in a wonderful way by the dog. The main character's poise and patience were a good example for all of us.