Independent+Novel+Study

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 * __The Art of Racing in the Rain__**

By: Garth Stein

Journal Entry #1. December 2, 2011. Pages 1-54. Why did you select this novel? What's going on as the story begins? Who is telling the story? How does this person's perspective effect the way the story is told? So far, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a really good book but is kind of depressing. I selected this novel at random, and I'm glad I chose it because it is very unique as it is told from a dog's point of view. I love dogs, so that's mostly why I chose to read this book. The dog, Enzo, sees the world as a human would, giving a spin on the way the story is told. Enzo loves, thinks, and even talks in his head like a human. He loves to watch race car races, and has the ability to smell sickness, read emotions, and even think logically. I think that Enzo's thoughts give us a different perspective of dogs in real life, making us wonder if they actually can understand what we as humans say. As the story begins, Denny, the owner, comes home to find Enzo lying on the floor in a puddle of his own pee. Enzo is old in the first chapter, but then the rest of the book is a flashback of his life leading up to when he is about to die. Enzo's life starts out by getting adopted by Denny, and sharing Denny's passion and joy of watching race car driving. Soon enough, Denny gets a girlfriend named Eve, and Enzo feels neglected, but slowly grows to like her. Eventually Eve and Denny get married, have a child named Zoe, and move to a new house. Enzo likes the new house, especially because of the big backyard. One particular chapter that stood out to me was when Eve bent down to feed Enzo, and he could smell the 'soggy, wet decay inside of her head,' meaning she has cancer. It was very heartbreaking to read about how much Enzo wishes he could help her. At one point, Eve feels pain in her head, still not knowing about the cancer, and randomly runs out of the house with Zoe, leaving Enzo alone inside for two days. Denny was in New York racing, so he knew nothing about what was happening. Enzo talks about how Zoe's stuffed zebra comes alive and starts tearing itself and other toys apart. Not only is this creepy, but impossible. Since Enzo was stuck inside the house without food for too long, he must have imagined it and actually ripped apart Zoe's toys himself simply because he was bored. Denny comes home eventually and gets mad at Eve for leaving Enzo inside, but then finds the ripped up toys and tries to hit Enzo. This is where I stopped liking Denny in the book. Luckily Eve stopped him, and he forgave Enzo. This is where I stopped reading after eleven chapters. I thought that this book so far was quite sad, but very well written. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of The Art of Racing in the Rain! **Journal Entry #2. December 9, 2011. Pages 55-108 **What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why?How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest?What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses?

The second portion of ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ is really sad but makes me want to read more. I found myself having to resist reading more than I was supposed to. In these chapters, Denny’s wife Eve gets worse and worse, and the family still doesn’t know that she has cancer. Denny starts to win races at one point, and things start to go uphill, until the family takes a trip to Denny’s Creek for a hike. Eve hits her head while swimming, so they go to the hospital to find a tumor in her brain. She spends most of the time in the hospital, while their daughter Zoe starts Kindergarten. Eventually Eve moves to her parent’s house to be cared for, and Zoe and Enzo have to stay there too. They think that Eve has 6-8 months. The setting of the novel takes place in Seattle, Washington, probably in the last ten years, and the mood is kind of balanced between happy and depressive. The novel could pretty much be happening anywhere in North America, because it does not really matter where they live. The story is more about the characters and what obstacles they overcome, which do not include their surroundings. Most of the story takes place in Denny’s house, and in Eve’s parents’ house.The author gets me to read on by making the chapters really short, urging me to keep going. Garth Stein grabs the reader’s attention by only letting the reader know what Enzo knows, and not the other characters. The building of suspense as the novel progresses really helps people understand the emotion behind the writing, making people want to finish the book as they hope it has a happy ending. Also, writing the book from a dog’s point of view makes the reader more interested. As the novel progresses, there are many problems added to the original problem. The original problem was Enzo adapting to his new family and way of living. Not only does Eve’s condition gets worse, but she becomes hospitalized. The family begins to fight more and more, and Enzo feels helpless since he can’t do anything but watch. Eve’s parents demand for Zoe and Enzo to stay with them, as they don’t think Denny is able to take care of them even though he is perfectly capable. They don’t think Denny’s job can support a family, especially because he has been losing all of his races lately. They also let Eve know how much time she has left, which I found really upsetting for the family. Overall, I liked these couple chapters, but I liked the first part better. I’m finding that it’s becoming more and more discouraging and cheerless. Personally, I am not a fan of melancholy books, so I’m not sure if I will enjoy the rest of the book. I have a feeling that Eve is going to pass away really soon, which is not great, especially because I know someone who is dying of cancer at the moment. I am, however, still loving that the book is from a dog’s point of view. I hope that the next pages I read will be much more happier. **Journal Entry #3. December 16, 2011. Pages 109-174. **  I s the language in the novel difficult or easy? Give examples and explain. To what age group is the novel aimed? Support your answer with evidence. Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown?

I think that the third part of The Art of Racing in the Rain was probably the saddest portion of the book. In these few chapters, people become less reliant on Denny’s ability to care for Zoe. Eve’s parents get especially mad at Denny when he takes Zoe and Enzo on a ski trip, and Zoe gets frostbite. However, they don’t recognize that he drove both of them home in a raging storm on the highway. I also got to read about how Enzo gets his first ride in a race car, which was really entertaining. At this point, Eve has lived for 21 months, so their family has a celebration dinner. It was really heartbreaking to read how later that night, Enzo felt her die in her sleep. I knew it was coming, but it still upset me. Since her parents don’t think that Denny is capable of caring for Zoe by himself, they demand custody of her. Denny does meet with a lawyer, but it does not help him at all as he gets arrested for ‘child abandonment,’ even thought he never abandoned his daughter. The last thing I read was that Denny’s lawyer bails him out. The language in the novel is really easy to read, mostly because it’s from the point of view of a dog. We think that dogs aren’t able to think human thoughts, so Enzo’s vocabulary is pretty basic.The only language that I can’t follow is when Enzo and Denny describe racing techniques and other slang. For example: ‘Sometimes, however, it is important to hold one’s position and not allow the pass. For strategic reasons, psychological reasons.’ That sentence wasn’t exactly that hard to understand, because I know what passing is, but some are much more complex.On the back of the book, it says for Ages 8-12. I honestly don’t think that’s true, because even though it’s not too long and has simple vocabulary, it’s much too depressing. I’m not sure if an eight year old would even pick up on the ‘soggy, decay inside her head’ as being cancer. Besides, I’m fourteen, and it was a suggestion for me to read, so I think it could be for Ages 12+. Since this book discusses a lot of serious matters, I think it’s suitable for adults to read too. I think that the main message/theme emerging in the book is racing. Denny and Enzo both share the love of racing, and they can relate everything that happens in their lives to a race. Every so often, Enzo zooms back into reality to tell the reader a little bit more about racing and how it works, and how ‘we are the creators of our own destiny.’ Denny’s job is to race, even though he does not win much money. It’s his passion, and he shares it with Enzo in a way that helps us understand the bond that they will always have. No matter what happens, Enzo will be there for Denny.In conclusion, I thought that these chapters were unfair and depressing. Denny’s family did not deserve to lose Eve, and he does not deserve to have Zoe taken away from him. I hope that in the next few chapters Denny will get Zoe back. I’m really hoping that things will get better, because I am not liking the book very much right now.

**Journal Entry #4. January 6, 2012. Pages 175-218. **

Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose? What is the climax of the novel? How are the major and minor conflicts solved?

As the novel goes on, Denny gets more and more depressed. When he tries to attend his wife’s funeral, they tell him to watch from afar because Eve’s parents absolutely hate him. On top of things, Enzo gets diagnosed with hip arthritis and is getting very old. On the bright side, Denny’s charges of criminal neglect were dropped, but he still can’t see his daughter Zoe for several months. He instead relies on his dog Enzo to care for Zoe whenever he visits her. Enzo’s hatred for Eve’s parents grows and grows until the point where he is so angry that he wants revenge. His revenge turns out to be going to bathroom inside the house, which I found quite hilarious. Months go by and Denny gets to see Zoe more, and watches her as she races for the first time and realizes that one day she will be an amazing racer. After a while, Denny has financial troubles and sells his house to move into an apartment. Eve’s parents also sue him, causing Enzo to make up an imaginary friend called ‘Karma,’ whom which brings karma to people he does not like. In the last chapter of this portion, Enzo gets hit by a car. One of the new characters/ideas introduced to the story is a stuffed zebra that Enzo calls ‘The Replacement Zebra.’ This zebra replaced the toy that Enzo chewed up years ago, but it’s just as evil as the old one. Enzo tries to sleep in Zoe’s room one night, but he can’t because The Replacement Zebra is watching him. The purpose of the Replacement Zebra is to symbolize that even though Enzo tried to get rid of the evil in his house, it’s still coming back. Another minor character that was introduced was Enzo’s imaginary friend ‘Karma,’ whose purpose was explained above. The climax of the novel could really be anywhere in this book because so many negative and positive things happen in each chapter. I think that it’s in the last chapter where Enzo gets hit by a car, which changes everything. Enzo is the protagonist, so it’s not only a turning point for him, but also for the book. The climax is a huge cliffhanger for me since I can’t read the next chapter until this journal entry is completed.

A lot of conflicts were made in these chapters, but not many were solved. Denny’s charges of criminal neglect were dropped, so that solves the problem of not being allowed to see his daughter. Denny also pays off everything he owes his lawyer, and gets a better one. Last but not least, Enzo finally gets revenge on Eve’s parents. I am really anticipating the end of this book because I really want to know if Enzo will be okay after getting hit by a car. I also want Eve’s parents to give Denny full custody of Zoe again, and I hope everything goes uphill. I’m pretty sure that Enzo is going to die in the end, but I’m really wishing that he passes away happy knowing that Denny and Zoe will be fine.

**Journal Entry #5. January 2012. Pages 218-278.** Is the novel believable? Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend? Why did (or didn't) the novel meet your expectations?

The last chapters of the book were very sad, but tied the book up well. Enzo survives getting hit by a car, which makes him realize that he won’t die until he completes his purpose as a dog. Denny starts to run out of more money and caring for Enzo’s cracked pelvic bone makes matters worse. At this point in the book, Enzo realizes that evil comes from inside of people instead of in stuffed zebra form. In the summer of Enzo’s tenth birthday, Denny gets an amazing job offer in Italy to test drive Ferraris. This job would let him take Zoe and Enzo with him, and would give him a nice house to live in too. Denny isn’t sure whether he should take it or not, so he waits to make a decision. Finally Eve’s parents drop the criminal neglect charges and Denny gets Zoe back and decides to take the job in Italy. At the end, Enzo dies in Denny’s arms. There is a flash forward into the future where Denny is a famous Formula One driver, and a fan named Enzo (that is supposedly Enzo's spirit in human form) comes up to meet him. I think that the novel is very believable, because we don’t actually know whether or not dogs can understand us. Dogs can sense our feelings and comfort us, just like Enzo does. I’m not sure if the end is believable when the fan with Enzo’s spirit goes to greet Denny at the end. Not everyone believes in reincarnation, and there’s no proof that it can actually happen, so that part may not be easy to believe. I would definitely recommend this novel to a friend because even though it’s sad, it’s really heartwarming. I would give it to a friend who especially loves dogs and the hilarity of animal thoughts. I loved this book so much, because at the end it was a feel-good novel. I would recommend this in a heartbeat. The novel met my expectations, because as I was reading it, I thought that it would end sad. Instead it ended happy, and made me want it to have a sequel. The way it was written from a dog’s point of view also really won me over. I’d have to say that this is one of my favorite books now, mostly because I love dogs and I’ve never read a book about one before! Overall, I really loved The Art of Racing in the Rain. I definitely will tell others to read it, and I will probably read it again someday. “We are the creators of our own destiny.” **Focus Assignment: **  Due: January 13th #1—PLOT Write a short plot summary of your novel. This should be about 250 words(1 page). Include information such as: What the title has to do with the book, where and when the story happens, who is telling the story,what the central conflict is in the story, what the climax is, how the climax is resolved – or if it isn’t, and whether or not you enjoyed the plot and your reasons. Post on wikispace.

 The Art of Racing in the Rain is told in first person by a dog named Enzo. Enzo lives in Seattle, Washington with his owner Denny somewhere in the past couple years. In the beginning of the book, Denny comes home to find Enzo ready to die. The rest of the book is a flashback of his life up until the last few chapters. As Enzo looks back on his life, he thinks about the time he got adopted by Denny, a passionate race car driver. Eventually Denny marries a woman named Eve, who Enzo grows to love more and more each day. The day that Eve has a baby named Zoe is a joyous day for Enzo, as he promises to protect her always. As time goes on, Enzo notices a change in Eve’s health. When Eve finds out she has a deadly disease, things start to go downhill. With only Denny to care for Zoe, Eve’s parents try to take custody of her. Denny tries hard to fight for his daughter whilst struggling with financial problems, but in the end everything works out, and Enzo passes away knowing everything will be okay.The last chapter flashes forward into the future, when Denny is a famous driver. He talks to a fan by the name of Enzo, who wants to one day become a race car driver. Denny realizes that this boy has Enzo’s spirit inside of him, which I thought was a great way to end the book. The central conflict of the story is definitely the fact that Eve has cancer. When she dies, everything changes. Without her, people think Denny is not suited to care for his daughter and has issues earning enough money by himself. I would say that the climax of the story is when Enzo gets hit by a car. At this point in the story, you don’t know what the outcome will be. Enzo is the protagonist, so whatever happens to him will change what happens in the rest of the story. Luckily, the climax is resolved when the doctor tells Denny that Enzo will be okay. The title relates the to book perfectly, because the ongoing theme of the story is race car racing. Enzo shares the joy of racing with Denny, and compares every event in his life to a race and what the driver can do to solve the problems on the road. I really enjoyed the plot of this book because it’s very sad, but in the end everything ties up nicely. I love that the book’s from the point of view of a dog, because it helps you understand a different way of looking at things. Overall, I thought that The Art of Racing in the Rain was a heartwarming story.