THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN: REVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES

I just finished reading “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein and here, I am now a set of eyebags with a face. The book’s incredible. It was a dog talking in the book! I highly recommend it especially to dog-lovers. However, I warn you to have your Kleenex within your hand’s reach while reading.

Even before I bought this book, I was already familiar with the title for it was always featured in articles as one of those gifts or books recommended for dog-lovers. I was not that enthusiastic about it because I had other set of books waiting to be read in the previous months. That was until one day, when I was randomly scouting for Christmas gifts in a bookstore, I happen to notice this book with a dog on its cover. It was misplaced in a shelf for magazines. I felt like I was destined to buy this book – a dog, specifically a Golden Retriever, on the cover; a title I used to read on articles; and it being misplaced and being found by me! So yeah, I grabbed it, paid for it and instantly forgot about my Christmas presents.

The day I found this book and bought it! :)

First chapter into the book, I was already welling with tears. I couldn’t handle the emotion, reading what could have been a dog’s real thoughts behind its flaccid long tongue incapable of speech. The dog in the book manifested the most genuine loyalty I have ever known. Be that be not fictional and be that be applied to all dogs, it hurts to think that we, humans, cannot reciprocate how our pets revolve their lives on us.

It took me long to finish this book because first, I always end up crying when reading. My eyes swelled and at times, my heart ached (figuratively). So I stopped when I already felt like feeling too much. Second, I did not want the book to end. I did not want to stop what was like a communication with a dog. I wanted to continue digging into the character’s feelings because that’s what I always wanted – to precisely communicate with my pet dog, to make sure I tend to what he needs or wants. I did not want the book to end because I knew where the story was going. I knew that the dog was going to die. Of course I do not want that to happen to any dog. It’s always sad hearing a dog’s illness or death. It was really a struggle getting through with this book.

It was not all that heartbreaking, however. There were a lot of instances in the book where the usual cute mischief of a dog was illustrated. They were funny, especially if you’re thinking about your own dog’s naughtiness.

In summary, this book triggered me a whirlwind of emotions. It depicted loyalty and the importance of family. It may be a dog talking in the book but this dog got life quotes we can really learn from. Some of them are the following.

1.  "Man’s closest relative is not the chimpanzee, as the TV people believe, but is, in fact, the dog."
2. "To be able to possess a machine in such a way is the ultimate show of determination and awareness. It makes one realize that the physicality of our world is a boundary to us only if our will is weak; a true champion can accomplish things that a normal person would think impossible."
3. "This is a rule of racing: No race has ever been won in the first corner; many have been lost there."
4. "Who is Achilles without his tendon? Who is Samson without Delilah? Who is Oedipus without his clubfoot? Mute by design, I have been able to study the art of rhetoric unfettered by ego and self-interest, and so I know the answers to these questions. The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles – preferably of his own making – in order to triumph. A hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which, after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object."
5. "With experience, a driver adjusts his understanding of how a car feels when it is near its limits. A driver becomes comfortable driving on the edge, so when his tires begin to lose adhesion, he can easily correct, pause, and recover. Knowing where and when he can push for a little extra becomes ingrained in his being."
6. "Yes: the race is long – to finish first, first you must finish."
7. "This is just a crisis. A flash! A single match struck against the implacable darkness of time! You are the one who taught me to never give up. You taught me that new possibilities emerge for those who are prepared, for those who are ready. You have to believe."
8. "There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."
9. "The human language, as precise as it is with its thousands of words, can still be so wonderfully vague."
10.  "Inside each of us resides the truth, the absolute truth. But sometimes the truth is hidden in a hall of mirrors. Sometimes we believe we are viewing the real thing, when in fact we are viewing a facsimile, a distortion. As I listen to this trial, I am reminded of the climactic scene of a James Bond film, The Man with Golden Gun. James Bond escaped his hall of mirrors by breaking the glass, shattering the illusions, until only the true villain stood before him. We, too, must shatter the mirrors. We must look into ourselves and root out the distortions until that thing which we know in our hearts is perfect and true, stands before us. Only then will justice be served."
11. "I know this much about racing in the rain. I know it is about balance. It is about anticipation and patience. I know all of the driving skills that are necessary for one to be successful in the rain. But racing in the rain is also about the mind! It is about owning one’s own body. About believing that one’s car is merely an extension of the one’s body. About believing that the track is an extension of the car, and the rain is an extension of the tract, and the sky is an extension of the rain. It is about believing that you are not you; you are everything. And everything is you."
12. "To be a champion, you must have no ego at all. You must not exist as a separate entity. You must give yourself over to the race. You are nothing if not for your team, your car, your shoes, your tires. Do not mistake confidence and self-awareness for egotism."

Such a smart dog, eh? Wouldn’t it be nice if dogs talked? I highly bet so!

One of my favorite shots with Bigol, one of our pets
(He's too active to be steady for a shoot.)

 Note: The quotes enumerated above were phrased as they were printed in the book. Some parts might need to be comprehended in the context of certain chapters in the book where the quotes were mentioned.