What Is the Dennys Kids Name in the Art of Racing in the Rain Book

Credits

Readability Age Range

12 and up

Publisher

Harper, an banner of HarperCollins Publishers

Awards

Unknown

Yr Published

2008

Book Review

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein has been reviewed by Focus on the Family's matrimony and parenting magazine.

Plot Summary

From the outset page, readers learn Enzo is an sometime, ailing dog. Having watched a television plan on dogs in Mongolia, Enzo is convinced he volition come back in his next life as a man. This excites him, and he'southward gear up to become. He just has to convince his main to let him.

Enzo narrates his life story, showtime with his puppyhood and adoption by Denny, an up-and-coming racecar driver. Enzo loves and admires his master, who talks to him about everything as if he'south human. They sentry Denny'south racing tapes together, so Enzo knows a good deal most the sport. The dog also watches a lot of Telly, which helps him develop his philosophies on life.

Enzo is annoyed when Denny meets Eve and she moves in with them. Eve and Denny ally and have a girl, Zoë, and Enzo warms upward to family life. Denny'southward career success means he is often out of boondocks. Eve begins having pains, which she ignores as long equally she can. She finally agrees to let Denny take her to the physician, and she learns she has terminal encephalon cancer.

Eve's wealthy parents, Maxwell and Trish, urge Denny to move their ailing daughter into their business firm. They have more than time and resources to care for her. They besides want Zoë to stay with them. Denny is unhappy with the arrangement, just Eve agrees information technology is all-time for at present. Denny continues his job as a loftier-finish car mechanic, follows racing opportunities and visits his wife and daughter often. During this time, he dutifully takes Zoë to a family reunion with some of Eve'south relatives. A 15-year-old cousin named Annika becomes obsessed with Denny and wheedles a ride domicile from the reunion with him. Denny, Annika, Zoë and Enzo are caught in a snowstorm that puts them home 10 hours later. Annika stays at Denny's place for the nighttime, and tries to seduce the dead-tired man when she comes out of the shower. Denny refuses her advances.

Months afterward, the cancer kills Eve. Fifty-fifty before her torso has been removed from their house, Maxwell and Trish tell Denny they want total custody of Zoë. They believe they tin provide for her much more than finer than he can. Denny has trivial money to fight Eve's parents, but he hires a lawyer. He eventually sells his house to pay for legal fees. He struggles to cover unexpected expenses, like a vet bill when Enzo is hit past a car. Police arrest Denny at his workplace, and he learns Annika has come forward with allegations of rape.

Although many people in the racing world are interested in Denny's talents, the statutory rape trial ways he's non immune to leave the state. For a while, he's not even permitted to visit Zoë. The trial drags on for several years. Denny is broke and downhearted, just Enzo supports him and helps him persevere. Luca Pantoni, manager of the Italian Ferrari headquarters, visits Denny and offers him a dream job in Italia. Denny says life circumstances brand it incommunicable for him to accept right now, equally much as he'd dear to say yes. Luca urges Denny to telephone call him when his situation changes.

Denny has a chance meeting with Annika and her friend at a coffee shop. He kindly explains his predicament and pleads with her to take dorsum her fake testimony. Sometime subsequently, she recants. Maxwell and Trish realize they have lost their advantage, and they drop their custody suit. Denny is finally free to have Zoë and go to Italia.

Enzo finishes his narrative as Denny makes preparations for the move. Enzo finally convinces Denny to permit him dice, and Denny holds Enzo equally the dog runs joyfully into the vast fields of the universe.

An epilogue some years in the future shows Denny as a racing champion in Italian republic. Zoë brings two fans to run across him, a father and son. The Italian father boasts about his young son'southward innate racing noesis and skill. The son says how much he admires Denny and quotes one of the phrases Denny always used to say to his dog. The boy says his name is Enzo, leaving readers to suspect the dog got his wish to become reincarnated as a homo.

Christian Beliefs

Other Belief Systems

Enzo gets his ideas about theology and the afterlife from TV shows. He'southward convinced that some dogs are reincarnated to get men, and this is what he hopes will happen to him. He thinks a domestic dog'southward soul is released into the world until it is ready to be reborn. He believes in karma, likes the idea of assisted suicide and accepts all of Denny's mantras that substantially merits a human can shape his own destiny with enough effort. He's also convinced that dogs, non monkeys, are the closest evolutionary relatives to men. He looks at death as a demon and tries to relieve Eve from it. He eventually becomes convinced the demon is inside each soul.

Authorisation Roles

Denny adores Enzo and views him as part of the family. Denny pushes through tragedy and despair, making a conscious choice not to drown his sorrows in alcohol. He keeps fighting for his parental rights and trying to prove his innocence despite the financial strain involved. After Eve warms up to Enzo, she talks to and relies on him similar Denny does.

Profanity & Violence

The Lord'due south name is used in vain several times. The f-word, southward—, p-cker, crap, a–, b–tard and b–ch too appear a number of times.

When Enzo is a puppy, a vet cuts off his thumbs (dewclaws) without using anesthetic. It is painful, and the domestic dog bleeds a lot. Angry after Eve's expiry, Enzo attacks, crushes and eats a squirrel.

Sexual Content

Enzo witnesses and describes several sexual encounters (including pre-marital sexual practice) between Denny and Eve. He talks about them being naked, rolling around and mounting each other. Eve and Denny joke about using a turkey baster to inseminate her with Denny'due south pre-extracted sperm because he is gone and then frequently.

Enzo sees and describes Annika getting naked and attempting to seduce Denny. He makes it clear to readers that Denny does not answer to her advances. Annika later accuses Denny of rape, and he spends years in courtroom trying to prove his innocence.

Enzo mentions dogs mounting one another and talks nearly a movie where a girl and a bear are copulating. Some scenes are described with words like breasts, assurance and erection. Denny'south friend Mike lives with his male life partner.

Discussion Topics

Additional Comments

A movie version of this book, starring Kevin Costner, is scheduled for release in the fall of 2019.

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book's review does not establish an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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