The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
★ Top 25 book of 2008 · #23 on Best Books of 2008
A thoughtful dog who learned about people from television and his racing driver owner looks back on his life. His memories cover family joy, loss and a custody fight, with humor and heart.
Best for: Dog lovers who enjoy funny, moving family stories with a philosophical twist
The Art of Racing in the Rain is #23 on BookWard's Best Books of 2008, out of 46 2008 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Art of Racing in the Rain is about
Enzo is a dog with a philosopher's mind, and he tells the story himself. He lives with Denny Swift, a race car driver who also works at a Seattle BMW dealership. Enzo has picked up everything he knows about life and racing from television and from listening to Denny. He also holds on to a legend that a dog who is truly prepared will come back as a human in his next life.
As Denny marries Eve and they welcome a daughter, Zoe, Enzo watches the family from the closest seat in the house. When hard times arrive, including an illness only Enzo can sense and a custody fight with Denny's in-laws, his loyalty is tested. Racing becomes a way of thinking about perseverance, family and loss. Warm and poignant, it suits dog lovers and anyone who enjoys a tender, thoughtful read.
The Art of Racing in the Rain on the Best Books of 2008
The Art of Racing in the Rain came out in 2008. Of the 46 books first published in 2008 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #23 on our Best Books of 2008 list.
Why it made the list: 235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (20 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2008 list
- The Last Lecture Randy Pausch, #21
- Firefly Lane Kristin Hannah, #22
See all Best Books of 2008 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2007 Best Books of 2009.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 192 want to read it, 10 are reading it now and 33 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 20 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 46 | 55% |
| Reader love | 67 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 37 | 20% |
Questions about The Art of Racing in the Rain
When was The Art of Racing in the Rain published?
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was first published in 2008.
Was The Art of Racing in the Rain one of the best books of 2008?
The Art of Racing in the Rain is #23 on BookWard's Best Books of 2008, out of 46 2008 books that cleared our data bar. 235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (20 ratings).
Why is The Art of Racing in the Rain on the Best Books of 2008 list?
235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (20 ratings).
More of the best books of 2008
- The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins, #1
- End of Days Sylvia Browne, #2
- The Last Straw Jeff Kinney, #3
- Amulet Kazu Kibuishi, #4
- Outliers Malcolm Gladwell, #5
- Michelle Obama in Her Own Words Michelle Obama, #6
See the full Best Books of 2008, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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