Hey guys! Today I'm welcoming one of my very good friends, Turner, to the blog for a guest review! He's been raving about this book and I haven't had the chance to read it yet, and don't know if I will, so I told him he should review it and put it on goodreads or something, and then I figured, why not on here? Just a bit of background: Turner has been my friend since we were five years old and we sit together on the bus everyday to and from school! But enough of me talking... Here's the review!
Author: Garth Stein
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Page Count: 324, paper back
Date Published: January 1st, 2008
Enzo knows he’s
different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an
obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching
television and listening carefully to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an
up-and-coming race car driver. Now in his twilight years, Enzo finds himself
thinking back on his life with the Swift family, reflecting on all he has
learned about the human condition and how life, like racing, is about so much
more than simply going fast.
What I Thought: Absolutely awesome!
Before anything else, I’m warning you, I may be a bit biased
when it comes to this book, because I enjoy almost anything motor related, even
lawn mowers, and my friends told me about this book, which she had listened to
in an audio book, and I couldn’t resist. I bought the book, and read it on my
trip back from Mexico.
Four hours later, sure enough, half the book was done, and I had a new
favourite novel in my hands.
You may be wondering the reason why I, Kristy’s friend
Turner, am writing this review. After telling her bits and pieces of the book,
she insisted I should write the review instead, as some parts of the book hit
too close to home for her, and I was so amazed by this book.
To start, as you may have guessed, Mr. Stein wrote this book
through the eyes of a dog. I believe that’s one of the best parts of the book,
because most of the books I read are in the person of the main character, who
more often than not isn’t a dog.
I really couldn’t put the book down while on the flight, and
it just got harder and harder to stop reading as the night progressed.
Eventually, it got too dark in the car to read it all the way home, but I was
right back at it that night.
The book is focused
on Enzo re living his life as he, like all of us will unfortunately experience
one day, lays on his deathbed in a quaint little house in a Suburb of Seattle,
Washington. Most of the story followed a steady pace; some things were maybe a
bit too descriptive and unnecessary, but besides that, it was a very compelling
story about the life and times of Denny Swift and his wife and child.
Some parts are quite sad, and during the last chapter, I
will be open about this, I shed a tear, because I was going through the same
thing Denny was, with my own dog Sheena, may she rest in peace, and it hit home
quite hard. But all in all, it was a great book! I’d like to thank Kristy for
letting me do a guest entry, and look forward to doing another one soon!
Thanks Turner!
Let me know in the comments what you guys think about more guest reviews and I'll ask some of my friends if they'd be interested. Or if you're interested in doing a guest review for the blog, shoot me an email!
Happy reading!
~Kristy
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