This was a great book! I absolutely loved it!

Life through the eyes of a faithful and loving dog.

This book is written from the perspective of Enzo, a deeply philosophical and intelligent dog, (who is almost human), as he tells the story of his life with Denny and his family.

Stein's skill at character development demands emotional payment early on, and while constantly demanding payment, it also is constantly paying dividends. I felt love, grief, anger, love, disbelief, and yet even more love for Enzo and Denny. We learn almost immediately that Enzo is at the end of his life, and yet we still fall in love with him quickly and in spite ourselves.

An absolutely beautiful story about love, loss, and letting go; about redemption, perseverance and living right; about the bonds we make, and the relationships that see us through.

This book is one of the warmest, most touching books I have read in a long time. I dare you to read it with dry eyes!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Passing on to Gypsysmom. I hope you enjoy it!

Ooooh, thank you teenie-k.I am so excited to get this book. See what abject grovelling will get you!

I knew I would love this book from the first time I read about it but I was blown away by it. Enzo is an acute observer, a deep thinker and a compassionate soul. The fact that he is a dog presents some problems for him but by and large he lives his life to the fullest. He knows from a TV program that dogs can be reincarnated as humans and this is what he holds on to while reviewing his life with Denny, the race car driver. Denny and Enzo had their share of trials and tribulations; in fact, they had more than their fair share but with love and perseverence they met and overcame them.

Judging from this book, Garth Stein is a caring human so I wasn't surprised to see on his web site that he does lots of charity work for animals. He has obviously been privileged to have some great relationships with dogs, Comet being the latest. As a person who has a very special relationship with a dog I feel a kinship to Garth. I am not looking forward to the end of Gypsy's days so it gives me great hope to believe that she will be reincarnated as a human and our lives might cross again.

My favourite online cartoon, Unshelved, reviewed The Art of Racing in the Rain on July 20, 2008 and this week the daily strips were sponsored by The Art of Racing in the Rain. So it was serendipity that I decided to read this book now.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I'm still hoping to make it to the meeting tonight but I think I'll take this book to the OBCZ this afternoon and leave it just in case I don't. I'm sure it will be snapped up by someone. I just read that this book is being adapted into a book with Patrick Dempsey playing Denny.

We have a cat at home - the original Pooker. Although she's not particularly fond of me, I do love her and so put up with her ornery ways. But perhaps she knows that, at heart, I am a dog person and that is why she treats me with such disdain. So I'm looking forward to reading this book. I just hope snoobs doesn't catch me at it for I'm sure she'll make me pay! Thanks teenie-k and gypsysmom!

I figured I'd have no problem meeting teenie-k's dare to read this book with dry eyes. I am after all a 55 year-old woman, somewhat jaded and cynical, and generally self controlled. And for most of the book, I was successful. I loved the book and while as the cover blurb suggests, it's a "captivating look at the wonders of human life...as only a dog could see them", I had the most fun comparing Enzo's life and philosophy with that of my own childhood friend, Scamp.

Scamp didn't watch car racing, he watched hockey. Because that's what our family did. We used to think he would sit in front of the TV, blocking our own view, because he was annoyed that he wasn't getting the attention he thought he deserved. But now I wonder, did he really know that Jean Beliveau deserved that penalty for high sticking?

As I said for most of the book I was successful, but as I read chapter 58 ...well, I should have had the tissues ready. As Enzo sees his world: the fields, the sky, the earth, and smells the smells, and feels the sun on his coat, although it's been more than forty years, I saw my Scamp racing like the wind through his fields, his woods, head high, tail fur streaming, tongue lolling, all for the joy of it and I wept.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

on the bookshelf!

I intended on bringing this to the meeting tonight, but am unable to get there. So, I made a little trip to the OBCZ this afternoon.


To the finder of this book:

Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of BookCrossing! Here you'll find a unique and worldwide community of book lovers sharing their books. This book is now yours! Read it, enjoy it. Keep it or pass it on to someone you know or even release it back into the wild as I did. If you make a journal entry (either anonymously or as a BookCrossing member) all previous readers of this book will be notified by e-mail and can follow this book on its travels. BookCrossing is free to join, completely confidential (you are known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your email address) and whole lot of fun!

I hope you enjoy this book and the BookCrossing experience.

This book is currently sitting on the Winnipeg Official Bookcrossing Zone bookshelf in the loft of The Park Theatre & Movie Café, 698 Osborne Street, Winnipeg MB.

It is waiting there for a new reader to take home, read, and release back into the wild!

Winnipeg bookcrossers meet at my location on the second Tuesday of every month at 7pm to chat about books, swap great reads, and release on the OBCZ shelves. Please join us! We love to see new faces! You will enjoy the comfy atmosphere, the fabulous coffees and teas, and the yummy treats!

Caught the book at the Park Theatre Cafe (along with several others). I chose to read this one first because I loved the idea of a dog telling the story.

Enzo was just fantastic. After reading this book, I really wanted to go out and get a dog! Everyone I have mentioned this book to looks at me oddly when I tell them it's told from the perspective of the dog, but I do believe I have piqued some interest!

Book has been released today at the entrance to University Centre at the University of Manitoba, on the UMSU table.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To the next reader who picks this book up: Enjoy! Please make sure to keep this one going - it is a book that deserves to be read by many!