The Art of Racing in the Rain Book Parents Guide

Discussion Questions: The Art of Racing in the Rain

by Lee

Below is a conglomeration of discussion questions gleaned from diverse Spider web sources relating to our current book, The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein.

MORE COMMON Discussion QUESTIONS

Many online sources — Reading Group Guides, Harper Collins, the books publisher, and others — accept shamelessly plagiarized one another's reading guide questions. Hither they are, in all their commonality:

1. Some early readers of the novel take observed that viewing the earth through a dog's optics makes for a greater appreciation of being human. Why practice you think this is?
2. Enzo's observations throughout the novel provide insight into his earth view. For example:
   • "The visible becomes inevitable."
   • "Agreement the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to feel information technology, is often terrifically difficult."
   • "No race has e'er been won in the starting time corner; many races have been lost there."
   • How does his philosophy apply to existent life?
3. In the volume's darkest moments, one of Zoe's blimp animals — the zebra — comes to life and threatens him. What does the zebra symbolize?
4. Can you imagine the novel being told from Denny's point of view? How would it make the story unlike?
5. In the first chapter, Enzo says: "Information technology's what'due south inside that's of import. The soul. And my soul is very human." How does Enzo'south state of affairs — a human soul trapped in a canis familiaris'due south body — influence his opinions nigh what he sees effectually him? How do you experience about the ideas of reincarnation and karma every bit Enzo defines them?
6. Do y'all discover yourself looking at your own canis familiaris differently after reading this novel?
7. In the book, nosotros go glimpses into the mindset and mentality of a race car driver. What parallels can yous recall of between the fine art of racing and the art of living?
8. The character of Ayrton Senna, as he is presented in the book, is heroic, about a mythic figure. Why do you think this character resonates so strongly for Denny?

OTHER Discussion GUIDE QUESTIONS

A deeper plunge of the Internet provides more unique word guide questions. The blog Read to Enrich offers these for discussion:

1. What was your favorite scene in the novel?
2. Did yous like the technique of making Enzo be the narrator?  Would the story have worked if the narrator was one of the humans?
3. Do you call up dogs or other animals tin can really understand humans and have the desire to communicate with them?
4. Discuss Enzo's more human characteristics:
   • His feelings after Eve died (and his animal reaction of chasing and eating the squirrel ) [page 165]
   • Advising people to learn to listen (page 102)
5. Tin can dogs and other animals sense things that humans cannot?  Enzo smelled Eve'south cancer well before anyone made a diagnosis.
6. What did you remember of Enzo's clarification of advice, "…there are and then many moving parts.  There'southward presentation and there's interpretation and they're then dependent on each other it makes things very hard." (page 5) Was this a skilful analysis?
7. What did you lot think about Enzo's analysis of his death?  He said about Denny, "He needs me to gratis him to be vivid."  (page 5)
8. The author wrote, "A true hero is flawed.  The true exam of a champion is not whether he tin can triumph, only whether he can overcome obstacles – preferably of his own making – in society to triumph." (folio 135)  Do you agree?  What do you lot think most the obstacles "being of his own making?" Can you name anyone who you recall is a hero?  Does he or she fit this description?
9. About a champion, he wrote "It makes ane realize that the physicality of our globe is a boundary to us just if our will is weak; a truthful champion can accomplish things that a normal person would call back incommunicable." (page 65)  Practice you agree?
10. One of Denny's favorite statements was "…that which nosotros manifest is before us." (page 43)  What did he mean?  Practise you agree?
11. The author stated that women and dogs experience pain the same ("tap directly into the pain" page 62) whereas men "are all filters and deflectors and timed release."  (folio 63)  Is this an accurate description?  Exercise you think there is a difference in how men, women and dogs experience pain?
12. Regarding the evil zebra, at the terminate Enzo realizes that the zebra is, "not something exterior of usa.  The zebra is something inside of united states.  Our fears.  Our own cocky-destructive nature.  The zebra is the worst part of usa when nosotros are face-to-face with our worst times.  The demon is the states!" (page 264)  Do yous agree?  Can yous call up of whatsoever examples from other books you have read where the characters were their own worst enemies?
13. There were many comments in the book nigh life in general.  What comparisons were made between driving a race car and life?  Can you add others?

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Source: https://onceamonthbookclub.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/discussion-questions-the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain/

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