The Art of Racing in the Rain

“I had always wanted to love Eve as Denny loved her, but I never had because I was afraid. She was my rain. She was my unpredictable element. She was my fear. But a racer should not be afraid of rain; a racer should embrace the rain.”

When Eve first arrives on the scene, Enzo is initially wary of her presence and influence over Denny. Enzo’s loyalty and desire to protect Denny causes him to be both jealous and afraid of her. However, over time, he realizes his duty to love Denny must extend to Eve as well.

“In racing, they say that your car goes where your eyes go. The driver who cannot tear his eyes away from the wall as he spins out of control will meet that wall…Simply another way of saying that which you manifest is before you.” 

The idea of control is very important to both Enzo and Denny. Denny believes a controlled, disciplined life is the best one to live. Enzo wants to control every aspect of his life, including when he dies and what he wishes to be reincarnated as. This quote suggests that, just as drivers control their cars, everyone is in control of their own destiny and that each person (or dog) sets out their own path.

“You need to watch the drivers around you, understand their skill, confidence, and aggression levels, and drive with them accordingly. Know who is driving next to you. Any problems that may occur have ultimately been caused by you, because you are responsible for where you are and what you are doing there.” 

The “drivers” in this quote could be seen as other characters that Denny and Enzo encounter throughout the book. In racing, it is important to remain levelheaded and hold yourself accountable for your actions, and Denny seems to follow that advice in his daily life. Although he runs into several conflicts with other characters, such as the Twins and Annika, he never loses his cool and always remains optimistic. 

“…a white figure with dead eyes, a mannequin in slippers. Maxwell and Denny lifted the figure and placed it in the bed and the nurse tucked it in and Zoe said, ‘Hi, Mommy,’ and all this happened before it even entered my consciousness that this strange figure was not a dummy, not a mock-up used for practice, but Eve.” 

Here the reality of death sets in for Enzo as he realizes that the figure in front of him is not a dummy “used for practice”, but Eve’s corpse. Even though he spends a lot of time thinking about his own impending death, seeing Eve’s body still comes as a shock to Enzo, showing how the finality and unpredictability of death is something that is impossible to prepare for. Eve’s death also highlights how fragile human life is, which is possibly something Enzo never really considered before. 

“I will often admire a beautiful sunrise, but I will never consider the sun a champion for having risen.” 

Even though a sunrise is a beautiful and incredible thing, it shouldn’t be celebrated or glorified as though it is something that happens once in a lifetime. In the same manner, people should not be congratulated for doing jobs they are supposed to do. Certain things in life should be expected.

“I saw her soul leave her body as she exhaled, and then she had no more needs, no more reason; she was released from her body, and, being released, she continued her journey elsewhere, high in the firmament where soul material gathers and plays out all the dreams and joys of which we temporal beings can barely conceive, all the things that are beyond our comprehension, but even so, are not beyond our attainment if we choose to attain them, and believe that we truly can.” 

Watching Eve die, Enzo is reminded of his own impending death, which brings together ideas about death and control. While life is all about control, death is about releasing and giving in. 

“Racing is about discipline and intelligence, not about who has the heavier foot. The one who drives smart will always win in the end.” 

This is another quote where racing is used as a metaphor for life. In racing, speed is not the most important thing. The “winner” in racing is whoever uses good judgment and makes the best decisions. This same philosophy applies to life. Living a successful life is not about moving fast or trying to overtake others; it’s about making smart choices. 

“He was thinking that if he just had a steering wheel to hold on to, his hands wouldn’t shake. If he had a steering wheel to hold on to, everything would be all right.” 

For Denny, the steering wheel represents control over his destination, both while racing cars but also in life. The steering wheel is also a symbol of security for Denny. He feels most comfortable behind the wheel of a car because he knows exactly what he needs to do.