Want to learn the ideas in The Art of Racing In the Rain better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of The Art of Racing In the Rain by Garth Stein here.
Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.
Video Summaries of The Art of Racing In the Rain
We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on The Art of Racing In the Rain, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Garth Stein.
1-Page Summary of The Art of Racing In the Rain
Overall Summary
Published in 2008, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a New York Times bestselling novel by Garth Stein. It follows the life of Denny Swift and is told from the perspective of his dog, Enzo. The book was inspired by a documentary about reincarnation and a poem written from a dog’s point-of-view. Stein also drew inspiration for this book from his own experience as an auto racer. In 2019, a film adaption was made starring Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried as Denny and Eve, with Kevin Costner providing the voice of Enzo.
The story starts with Enzo, a dog who is living in Seattle with his master Dennis. Enzo is an old dog and he’s ready to die because he believes that the afterlife will be as a human being.
Denny is a race car driver and he loves watching videos of races that he participated in. His dog Enzo shares his affinity for vehicles, so they watch lots of footage together.
Enzo often diverts from the main plot of the story to focus on his puppy years, time spent with Denny and his own thoughts. These side-chapters always manage to intersect with the rest of the plot in a thematic way. Enzo is able to digest racing practices into profound philosophies about life.
Denny and Enzo’s relationship is interrupted by Eve, who comes into the picture. Enzo feels threatened by her because she controls his life with Denny. However, he warms up to her when she gets pregnant with their daughter Zoe. He becomes protective of Zoe and helps raise her.
Enzo senses something is wrong with Eve, but he can’t talk to her in a way that she understands. Meanwhile, Denny keeps leaving on long racing tours and his absence puts strain on their marriage. Eve’s condition worsens when she falls down and hits her head on a rock. She goes to the hospital where doctors confirm that there’s a tumor in her brain.
Eve is recovering from her accident and coming to terms with it. Her parents convince Denny, Eve’s husband, to let her stay with them for a while. Meanwhile, they also persuade him to let Zoe join Eve as well. As time goes by, Denny grows more distant from his wife.
Denny takes a trip for Presidents’ Day, where Annika develops a crush on him. He leaves early to beat the storm and she manipulates the course of events to join him in his car. She starts taking sexual liberties with an exhausted Denny but he stops her from going any further and drives her home.
Eve is dying and has reached the end of her prognosis. She decides to have a party to celebrate life, but she dies on the day after the party. Trish and Maxwell initiate a custody battle for Zoe against Denny, which puts them at odds with Eve’s family. Annika accuses Denny of rape, which hurts his chances of getting custody over Zoe because it makes him look bad in front of judges.
Denny and Zoe are allowed to spend time together after their court date. They grow close despite Eve’s absence. Denny runs out of money for the case, so he sells his assets for a modest living arrangement.
Denny is barely able to afford Enzo’s veterinary bills after the accident. However, he does not give in to Trish and Maxwell’s settlement offers. He gets a job testing Ferraris on an Italian track that will be waiting for him when his legal proceedings are completed.
Enzo and Denny see Annika outside of a coffee shop. Enzo goes to talk to her, explaining the situation in an understanding way. It’s unclear if his words have any impact on her decision.
Denny’s parents come to visit him, and they have good news. They’ve decided to mortgage their house and farm in order to finance the rest of Denny’s custody battle.
