Garth Stein is an American author, filmmaker and amateur race car driver resident in Seattle. He's written four novels, of which The Art of Racing in the Rain is the most famous.
The story's protagonist is Denny, a married father of one daughter with dreams of racing glory. His doings are told from his dog Enzo's point of view, with most of the novel delving into a long, drawn out custody battle between Denny and his parents-in-law.
As you've probably guessed already, they made this one into a movie, and the reviews weren't especially good. Several movie critics complained that certain plot elements were very contrived, and I wouldn't blame the film's Hollywood production team for this fact. The novel itself is contrived, in particular Denny's sexual assault at the hands of a young girl, and also the way in which his parents-in-law switch from good to evil at the drop of a hat. Giving these parents-in-law more reasons to attack Denny in court would have made this book much better, but as it is they come across as cartoon villains, only present in the narrative to give Denny a reason to triumph in the face of extreme adversity.
All in all it's a very forgettable novel, though certain episodes in later chapters did bring a smile to my face. This said, every character aside from Denny needed more agency, and the dog's constant philosophizing wears out its welcome at times.
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