I have been so busy with outdoor adventures that I am behind with my movie reviews. Good thing this book (made into a movie) is timeless. Let me back up and share with you the entire story.
I was born in September of 2008. I met my folks when I was only three weeks old. The first time I saw my mom, I knew she was mine. We adored each other at first sight. We had to wait until I was nine weeks’ old before they took me home. About that same time, a book released entitled The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Mom was everything dogs now that she had me, so she picked the book up.
Puppyhood consumed us both, so she didn’t get to it until that spring. Once she started reading it, she was captivated. Now a New York Times Bestseller and movie, it tells the story of the life of a man and his dog. The man, Denny, is a single race car driver. The book chronicles how they both grow, mature, and bond beyond words. Eventually Denny marries and has a child. You’ll have to read the book to learn more, but what my mom loved about the story was how it pulled her into the life of racing cars. She could feel the wind in her face with acceleration of the car. Garth Stein writes in such an active manner that you sense it, not just feel it. Besides, Enzo (the dog) is one cool dude!
Without giving it away, the book does have a sad chapter. Mom and dad were getting ready to go away on a vacation without me, and she had the book on her dresser to pack. Was it because I wasn’t happy about that or was it because I wanted to save my mom the heartache? You’ll have to decide, but I ate that chapter out of her book. I tore it right out, careful not to disturb the other chapters.
You have to know something: Never before and never after have I reached up onto my mom’s dresser and destroyed something that was hers. I was taught very young what is mine and what is “no.” I had to break the rules just this once.
Mom had to buy a second copy to finish the book, and she is glad she did. The movie came out in 2019 staring Kevin Costner as the voice of Enzo. The book was a high bar to clear, but mom said it was beautiful, funny, charming, and endearing. As soon as she gets the DVD, I’ll watch it with her. She does suggest you have tissues on hand for the sad parts. The only negative she had was that they didn’t go into a deep of detail on the racing, which she enjoyed. However, that is the benefits of books, isn’t it? So, you might want to both read and watch this timeless tail (spelling it this way on purpose because I’m a dog man!). Woof.
