Xavier Villegas’s Reviews > The Art of Racing in the Rain > Status Update

Finishing this book brought me great pleasure and also sadness as I would have wished for it to continue on forever. I never thought that one could become so emotionally attached to a story, and I must say that I greatly enjoyed every page of the book. The perseverance that Denny showed in times of stress inspired me. I learnt that even though some people may not show it, there is still some good deep down in them.

After reading, I feel that the author had been waiting and adding more sorrow to the story, so that now that everything started to look better for Denny, it felt like a release of tension on the reader's shoulders. I happened to notice that I carried on with the feeling of the book in my day to day life after reading, which struck me as very interesting that the author's words carried so much emotion to the reader.

Starting the last 3rd of the book, I was starting to feel more optimistic about Dennis' situation and that he might gain full custody of his daughter wich brought me hope and happiness. I felt in an emotional way so close to the book as if I were going through the same problems, which adds to the realism and suspense that drives the reader to keep reading. This made me surprised to find that I had read so much.

Finish the 2/3 of the book, I was very moved by how deeply the author's words hit me. Such as being able to relate to the loss of a loved one, a sense of empathy towards Denny. In the book denny says a quote that states, "No race has ever been won in the first corner, but plenty of races have been lost there". Having past motorsport experience, this quote made me sit back and observe the world, which surprised me.

Over these few pages, I was moved by Denny's determination and perseverance to seek out what is right. For someone to carry on and be able to find peace of mind to focus while their family is crumbling is inspiring and honorable. The way the author explains things through the eyes of an innocent dog gives an interesting perspective of Denny fighting for his daughter's custody and a seat in a race car while mourning.

After having read in many instances, Garth Stein's way of writing and how he is able to manipulate the reader's feelings. I have to deeply enjoy this way of writing. The way the author creates the feeling of sorrow, loss, and hollowness of what used to be filled with happiness adds, in a sense, more detail. The reader subconsciously creates a more vivid image in their head wich makes them feel as if they were there.

Finishing the first third of this book came with a lot of small details I enjoyed. One of these is the author writing a paragraph long chapter to highlight previously stated important points, possibly foreshadowing. I also really enjoyed the way Garth Stein can manipulate readers' emotions with few words, making them enter a state of sadness and sorrow. This is an ability I had never before read, but enjoyed reading.

After reading these pages, I have been puzzled repeatedly in my attempt to find the hidden meanings the author writes subliminally. After some time, I realized that there are various interpretations and meanings to the same words, which only made me more curious to search for more. I came to think that the author makes Denny talk a lot about endurance racing due to what he must endure in the book, stress and death.