the art of racing in the rain book pages

When Denny's wealthy in-laws ask if Eve and Zoë can move in with them for the duration of Eve's illness, Denny consents. There's no question that Denny loves his wife and child, but when Eve refuses to go to a doctor for her blinding headaches, he doesn't press her. This worldview works well at the track but not so well in a family, particularly one with an ailing wife and young daughter. 'It is being part of a moment and being aware of nothing else but that moment. And when Denny stands to lose this family, Enzo does his best to protect and comfort all three, even though he's an old dog whose body is powering down.Įnzo is well-schooled in Denny's on- and off-track philosophy. When Eve and Denny have Zoë, Enzo adjusts again, growing to love the two human additions to his family. When Denny falls in love with Eve, Enzo adjusts. From the day Denny picked Enzo from a litter of pups at a Washington farm, Enzo has adored him.

And as the plot thickens around Denny Swift, Enzo's owner, the narrative arc starts to sag.Īn up-and-coming race car driver, Denny spends a fair amount of time away from his Seattle home, driving in trials to earn spots in national races. No, Enzo isn't the problem in Stein's novel. Enzo is a clear and reliable narrator, as warm and trustworthy as one might expect a good dog to be. Nor is Stein co-opting the dense and difficult world of Faulkner, who reinvented point of view in The Sound and the Fury. He's been happy as a dog - no major regrets. Sure, Enzo would like to be human in his next life, but he's not angst-ridden. To be clear, Enzo exhibits none of the self-loathing of Kafka's sad-sack Gregor Samsa, who awakens one morning to discover he's become a cockroach.

The art of racing in the rain book pages