The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth SteinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was good for so many reasons. I am a dog lover, so it was great hearing a story from the perspective of a dog. When you think about it, dogs do seem more enlightened then most humans anyway (probably because they can't talk and they have to listen so much) - so it makes sense to right a book from their perspective.
"Learn to listen! I beg of you. Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories."
This book definitely made me look at my own dog differently. Dogs are a lot smarter than we think they are and we can learn a lot from them. Along with the listening thing, they are extremely loyal and they live in the moment (which I know I could learn a thing or two about).
"People are always worried about what's happening next. They often find it difficult to stand still, to occupy the now without worrying about the future. People are not generally satisfied with what they have; they are very concerned with what they are going to have."
Some of the people in my book club refused to read the book because they heard it was sad. The book was sad, but life can be sad... and there were so many great moments in the book that weren't sad. In fact, I think one of the points of this book was to help people understand that life can be sad and death is a part of life - so why not embrace it? If you believe in reincarnation like Enzo did - Death seems less scary.
"To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To feel the joy of life. To separate oneself form the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say that I am alive, I am wonderful, I am, I am. That is something to aspire to."
I really loved the relationship between Enzo and his owner - how they helped each other escape fear. I loved all of the things they taught each other. It made me realize that it's so important to be open to learning things about yourself from places you don't expect - whether it's your dog, a friend, a family member, a co-worker, myself, etc. Learning's come from all directions at all times - you just have to learn to listen to find and learn from them.
"Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our success and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves."
The parallels between racing and life were very interesting as well. I never realized that racing was such a mental game. I've had a lot of friends give up in life and some that have actually ended their lives because they felt that they couldn't go on, but I think it's so important to remember that we are here on this earth for a reason - to grown and learn and defeat trials. It's not always easy, but it's so important to continue fighting through this life so that we can find our true purpose as Denny did.
"There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."
"A winner, a champion, will accept his fate. He will continue with his wheels in the dirt. He will do his best to maintain his line and gradually get himself back on the track when it is safe to do so. Yes, he loses a few places in the race. Yes, he is at a disadvantage. But he is still racing. He is still alive."
So many great quotes in "The Art of Racing in the Rain". Such a great book!
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