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Chrissie's Reviews > The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein (Goodreads Author), Christopher Welch , Christopher Evan Welch
by Garth Stein (Goodreads Author), Christopher Welch , Christopher Evan Welch
Chrissie's review
bookshelves: fauna, kirkus, life-stages, fiction, text-checked, sports, audio, philo-psychol
Apr 01, 12
bookshelves: fauna, kirkus, life-stages, fiction, text-checked, sports, audio, philo-psychol
Recommended to Chrissie by:
Christine and Diane D.
Read from March 30 to April 01, 2012
A fantastical fairy tale for adults. The degree to which you enjoy this book will depend on how much fantasy you can stomach and to what degree you are looking for an emotional ride. My fantasy threshold is low.
When you buy this book you are purchasing a ticket to an emotional roller-coaster ride. I kind of knew this when I purchased it, and that gets me annoyed at myself. We buy a book to have our emotions stirred. Isn't that really too much?! And in this case it is all fiction, made-up, imaginary! At points I was so irritated I wanted to hop off the ride; the story-line was too trite and too predictable. By the end I had to admit I enjoyed the fantasy. I thought, sometimes we need fairy tales to keep our spirits up. Still..... that I set myself up for the emotional turmoil kind of disgusts me. I mean, getting upset over a real problem has a point. What was the point here? Maybe to make a philosophical statement. Maybe instead we just enjoy "feeling" our emotions.
I must admit, the story goes in a direction I never guessed.
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I started the audiobook. I am immediately hooked. I am not even going to read a paper book at the same time. Just this. No way am I going to read/listen to anything else first.
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Before reading: Boy does this start schmaltzy. I read a bit at B&N. Everybody tells me to read this. I guess I will have to give it a go. I am just wondering how I will take this after Skye dying less than a year ago..... he too had cataracts, arthritis and a weak bladder. He was an old dog. Almost a year has gone by. I think I should be able to take it.
When you buy this book you are purchasing a ticket to an emotional roller-coaster ride. I kind of knew this when I purchased it, and that gets me annoyed at myself. We buy a book to have our emotions stirred. Isn't that really too much?! And in this case it is all fiction, made-up, imaginary! At points I was so irritated I wanted to hop off the ride; the story-line was too trite and too predictable. By the end I had to admit I enjoyed the fantasy. I thought, sometimes we need fairy tales to keep our spirits up. Still..... that I set myself up for the emotional turmoil kind of disgusts me. I mean, getting upset over a real problem has a point. What was the point here? Maybe to make a philosophical statement. Maybe instead we just enjoy "feeling" our emotions.
I must admit, the story goes in a direction I never guessed.
************************
I started the audiobook. I am immediately hooked. I am not even going to read a paper book at the same time. Just this. No way am I going to read/listen to anything else first.
************************
Before reading: Boy does this start schmaltzy. I read a bit at B&N. Everybody tells me to read this. I guess I will have to give it a go. I am just wondering how I will take this after Skye dying less than a year ago..... he too had cataracts, arthritis and a weak bladder. He was an old dog. Almost a year has gone by. I think I should be able to take it.
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rated it 3 stars
Mar 02, 2010 09:28pm
THANK YOU fort voicing the other side of the debate about this book. MY gut feeling is that it will not work for me. When so many praise it, I feel like I should give it a try, but I really don't want to.....I enjoyed Marley and Me, yeah, but it was not an essential read. Merle's Door was the only one that had more than a emotional rollercoaster ride. THAT book was great!
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Sawyer, you really MUST read Merle's Door. It is not fiction. It is a wonderful blenabout a dog's life. OK I really disliked the decisions made at the end, but I wasn't there to judge . Check out my review. Telling the story from the dog's POV , even that sounds kind of gimmicky.I think I am going to end up thinking exactly like you...
I just finished and it did make me cry. My little Pom died last march 18, 2010. You do have to keep going with this one as several times I wanted to quit.
Alice, have you read Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog. You must if you haven't. Tremendous book from start to finish, although I did not necessarily agree with the author's choices at the end..... You don't read the book just for the end! But my previous dog Skye was dying then. Also check out Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl. Don't skip it b/c it is about owls..... You will be surprised!!! I have written reviews on both. You are kind to tell me you appreciate my reviews. Makes me happy :0)
Chrissie wrote: "Alice, have you read Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog. You must if you haven't. Tremendous book from start to finish, although I did not necessarily agree with the author..."Yes, I did read it a couple of years ago and it was the best dog book I have read. I picked up Wesley the Owl at the book store in Taos and loved it too. I have liked and collected porcelain owls for years. I have seen many real owls too! When we were at the Grand Canyon the peak of the trip for me was seeing a Burrowing Owl leap out of the ground with great surprise due to the train. I love animal stories most of all. Thanks for these reminders.
Alice
I WISH I could find the time to read everything I want to read. It is nice what you say. It makes me feel better.
Chrissie, you will cry no matter how long it's been. Still a wonderful story, and one of my favorites.
It has been three years since Skye's death. The interim has been filled with the antics of Oscar. I don't mind crying for a dog. I went ahead and bought the audiobook yesterday.
Glad to hear you bought the audio, Chrissie. I wonder who the narrator is? Hope he's a good one. Enjoy!
Diane D. wrote: "Glad to hear you bought the audio, Chrissie. I wonder who the narrator is? Hope he's a good one. Enjoy!"It is Christopher Evan Welch. At the Audible site it is rated with more than 4 stars. Everyone says the narration is good, and the snippet I listened to drew me in.
I did love this book... but I think it spoke to me at a time when I needed to just escape into a book that was more fantasy and a little less real life for me. Funny how life can affect the way a book affects you! I have re-read books - only to find that I did not love them the 2nd time around.... or that I really ended up liking a book that was a chore for me to read at another point in my life!
I agree, you have to read a book at the right moment. I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, when I first read it as a child. I recently reread it and found it less credible.
I loved this book. I loved Enzo. For me, I think you just have to go with the story; I love how it showed the loyalty of a dog to his human and vice-versa. I cried like a baby when I finished this book and I loved how the ending came full circle. It remains a favorite! Although I can't imagine someone having an interest if they are not a dog lover.
Actually - I like dogs, but I am much more of a cat person. I also do not like car racing of any form. But I loved how he interwove it into his story. I also cried at the end of this book. Diane - if you like dog stories - you might want to read "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron. Loved that story and it's sequel - "A Dog's Journey"
I am certainly a dog person. I added A Dog's Purpose to my shelves, but I am very hard to please with dog books. They are never good enough.
I've heard alot (of good) about A Dog's Purpose, and I will have to get to that one. Another favorite (non fiction) is Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog - nothing smaltzy about this at all :)
Jan, if you are a cat person, I'd recommend (again, non-fiction) Homer's Odyssey.
Now Merle's door is excellent!!!!!! And then of course, Diane and I both absolutely love Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, don't we Diane?! Merle and Wesley are my two very favorite animal books.They cannot be beaten.I have read the sample of "A Dog's Purpose" and it sure is cute...... Maybe should read it.
I have added both those books to my "to-read_ lists... now to find them! Might have to enlist the public library for that! I Will have to order them!Chrissie - I would be interested to see what you think of "A Dog's Purpose". That was a book that came to me at exactly the right time.
I was struggling with some borderline ethical work issues (I have since left that company and now work in a job that I absolutely LOVE), plus I was traveling back of forth to Pittsburgh with 2 sick parents and then to Erie with a very sick sister-in-law. It was a book that wasn't too heavy - but allowed me to just read and enjoy the whole process of being transported by a book!! I loved the dog and his view of things. It was a wonderful escape from a real world that was just too much at times!
It is very kind that you explained. What a very difficult time. I can definitely understand that such a book might really help. I guess you didn't have a dog then to hug..... I hope life has improved, although that time must remain a very difficult memory.
Chrissie, thanks so much for the reminder on Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl - that was my first book of 2012 thanks to you and Lisa. Jan, you won't be disappointed with Merle or Wesley, but know that both books encompass Merle and Wesley's entire lives. I'm glad that A Dog's Purpose was able to bring you comfort at what sounds like a very emotional and challenging time in your life. I have 2 senior parents that live 3,000 miles away from me so I can understand.
The job situation is much, much, MUCH improved (I no longer go to work feeling like I have to compromise my values and ethics!)..... but the family situations are ongoing. I read the book in April of this year...... this aging parent thing is tough. I wish my car had autopilot!!
My Mom just died in February and we have to straighten out everything...... I do know what it is like with elderly parents. And then they are gone.I am so glad your job is better. There is nothing worse than going to a job every day where one's values are compromised. NO FUN.
So sorry for your loss, Chrissie. I am dreading that day - I know it is getting quite close with my father and Mom has been having breathing issues since January. I am grateful that I can get up there (3 hours) to help when I can - I know my time with them is limited!This job has been such a blessing for me!!! I used to start clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth on Sundays, knowing that I was going to have to go to work on Monday. Now, I just feel so much more relaxed. There is stress at this job - but it is not stress stemming from feeling like my values are being compromised! This, I can handle!
Jan, I once had a job like that, where every day I hated going there.The pay and conditions were very good, but finally I had had it and I quit. I never regretted that decision. So I do understand what you mean. My father died of Alzheimer's a couple of years back. My mom had a very difficult time with a kind of treatable leukemia. When she died it was very rapid. She got pneumonia and was in the hospital only three days. My remaining brother lives in the US, me in Belgium and my Mom in Sweden. Talk about distances.
Chrissie, so sorry to hear about your Dad and Alzheimer's.... that is such a hard thing for a family to go through. You lose your loved one piece by piece as it tears you to pieces as well. I have seen things like your Mom all too often. Patients who have something that is treatable - only to get an infection that takes them. *hugs*
Jan, i didn't respond sooner since we have been in Sweden cleaning, emptying and selling my Mom's apartment. what is nice is that it is all done. And my son had a second child. We visited them on the way home. It was nice to mix in some happiness with all the chores. She was born July 18th and everyone knew about this since there was a photo of my DIL giving birth on the front page of the Göteborg newspaper. Even my son was visible too. Exciting. The article was about how they need more employees in the gyn department over the summer. It is nice to be home.
