50 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' Quotes For All Dog Lovers

Moumita Dutta
Dec 12, 2023 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Jan 30, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Excited Labrador Retriever running along grassy path while having fun in nature on rainy day
?
Age: 0-99
Read time: 12.1 Min

'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' is a famous book, which was also adapted into a famous movie.

The book was written by the famous author Garth Stein. The movie was directed by Simon Curtis and it is a poignant take on the book.

'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' is a unique book where Enzo, a Golden Retriever, takes up the role of the narrator. As a result, we get a view of the world of a dog who's dying.

In the early years, Enzo learned about how the world of the race track works as his owner is a Formula One race car driver. However, as we look into Enzo's life, we also see how he uses his knowledge to navigate his own journey in his life.

When we look at the movie or even the book, it is clear that the 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' is a fascinating tale. Likewise, the 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' quotes are also quite hard-hitting and seem quite human.

They sometimes talk about death and destiny, sometimes about human beings and they can also be funny at times.

The movie was quite well-received as well by critics and the audience alike. The story is good and flows well.

This makes the story impactful too. Each quote says a lot about life and each page of the book says a lot about why it became so popular.

If you like this article, you may also love 'The Kite Runner quotes' and animal lover quotes!

Awesome 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' Quotes From The Book

Lovely labrador purebred eating bone.

These are some of the key quotes that one can find in the 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' book. They are really insightful, talking about life, destiny and more and can help you understand new ways of perceiving life as a whole.

1. "Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

2. "To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To feel the joy of life, as Eve felt the joy of life. "

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

3. "Learn to listen! I beg of you. Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

4. "People, like dogs, love repetition. Chasing a ball, lapping a course in a race car, sliding down a slide. Because as much as each incident is similar, so it is different."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

5. People are always worried about what's happening next. They often find it difficult to stand still, to occupy the now without worrying about the future. "

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

6. "What can I do but force myself to remember? Try to imprint what I know on my soul, a thing that has no surface, no sides, no pages, no form of any kind. "

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

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

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

8. "In Mongolia, when a dog dies, he is buried high in the hills so people cannot walk on his grave. The dog's master whispers into the dog's ear his wishes that the dog will return as a man in his next life."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

9. "The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles—preferably of his own making—in order to triumph."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

10. "So much of language is unspoken. So much of language is comprised of looks and gestures and sounds that are not words. People are ignorant of the vast complexity of their own communication."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

11. "No race has ever been won in the first corner. But plenty of races have been lost there."

- Denny Swift, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

12. "Not all dogs return as men, they say; only those who are ready. I am ready."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

13. "There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."

- Don Kitch Jr, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

14. "Your car goes where your eyes go. Simply another way of saying that which you manifest is before you."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

15. "We were so naive; we had no knowledge of where the road would take us, no idea that we would ever be separated. The beach, the ocean, the sky. It was there for us and only for us. A world without end."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

16. "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."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

17. "My life seems like it has been so long and so short at the same time. People speak of a will to live. They rarely speak of a will to die. Because people are afraid of death. Death is dark and unknown and frightening. But not for me. It is not the end."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

18. "The human language, as precise as it is with its thousands of words, can still be so wonderfully vague."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

19. "I suddenly realized. The zebra. It is not something outside of us. The zebra is something inside of us. Our fears. Our own self-destructive nature!"

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

20. "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; the driver who looks down the track as he feels his tires break free will regain control of his vehicle."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

21. "It was my first glimpse of the rest of my life. He was slender, with long and lean muscles. Not a large man, but assertive. He had keen, icy blue eyes. His choppy hair and short, scruffy beard were dark and wiry, like an Irish terrier."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

22. "Everyone wants me to be the next Lance Armstrong. And if I could just grab it and hold it in front of me, maybe I could be. But I can't hold it, Enzo. It's bigger than me. It's everywhere."

- Eve, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

23. "...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..."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

24. "Drivers are afraid of the rain. Rain amplifies your mistakes, and water on the track can make your car handle unpredictably. When something unpredictable happens you have to react to it; if you're reacting at speed, you're reacting too late. And so you should be afraid."

- Denny Swift, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

25. "Can we not will ourselves to achieve the impossible? Can we not use the power of our life force to change something: one small thing, one insignificant moment, one breath, one gesture? Is there nothing we can do to change what is around us?"

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

Quotes From 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' Movie

There are many fascinating 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' quotes that you can find in the 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' movie too. Here are some of those quotes which you will definitely love:

26. "Denny always said panic's a driver's worst enemy. So, I did not panic. I did not overcorrect or freeze,  even though I knew Denny wouldn't be home for at least another two days."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

27. "I have no words I can rely on, because my tongue was designed long and flat and is therefore an ineffective tool for making complicated polysyllabic sounds."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

28. "...But the driver who looks down the track as he feels his tires break free, that driver will maintain control of his car and his destiny."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

29. "You've always been with me. You've always been my Enzo. First time I saw you, I knew we were supposed to be together. I love you, boy."

- Denny Swift, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

30. "A transmission gear snaps. The clutch fails. Brakes go soft from overheating. The poor driver will crash. The average driver will quit. But the great driver will drive through the problem. The great driver finds a way to keep racing."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

31. "Instead, all I could do was watch and feel empty inside because there was nothing I could do to help her."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

32. "Somewhere the zebra was dancing. I thought about escaping. I wanted to push everyone away and run off to live with my ancestors on the high desert plains of Mongolia. I might have, too, if not for my absolute faith in Denny's ability to make things right again."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

33. "Do you see? Do you? I'm not afraid of it anymore. Because I know it's not the end. But you knew that, didn't you? You know everything."

- Eve, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

34. "I'd later learn it was called a television. And, in time, it would teach me much about human behavior. But that night, it felt like a window into a whole new world."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

35. "He picked me out of a pile of pups, a tangled mass of paws and tails. He'd stopped at the farm on his way home from the speedway at Yakima...Even back then, I knew I was different than other dogs. My soul just felt more... human."

-Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

36. "I stayed awake all that night and many others that followed. The demon was coming for Eve. But he would have to get through me first."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

37. "In the zebra's mute stare, I could sense it mocking my predicament. Eve had assigned me to protect Zoë. But no one had been assigned to protect Eve."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

38. "I know death is not the end. Eve told me so. And I believe her. When I return to this world, I will practically be an adult the moment I am plucked from the womb with all the preparation I have done."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

39. "When I'm in a racecar, I'm the creator of my own destiny. 'That which you manifest is before you.' Create your own conditions and rain is just rain."

-Denny Swift, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

40. "And when God denied dogs the use of thumbs, He gave us the ability to survive without food for extended periods. So, although a thumb would've been very helpful, allowing me to turn a doorknob, for instance, my second-best tool was my ability to go without food."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

41. "We'll be heading home soon. But for now, all I want is one more lap. Just one more. I'll bark again so he knows. Faster, Denny. Faster!"

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

42. "And even better was when he(Denny) took me to the race itself. Denny's apartment was home, but this...this was where I truly belonged. It was more thrilling than I could've imagined. I thought it was heaven on earth."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

43. "My first year went by in a blur. I realize nobody has a perfect childhood, but I'd contend that mine came fairly close."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

44. "But we can't have everything we want. Besides, the best drivers don't dwell on the future or the past. The best drivers focus only on the present."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

45. "In all my years of racing, I've never seen anyone like Denny in the wet. Reminds me what they used to say about Senna: 'When it rains, it doesn't rain on him.'"

- Don Kitch Jr, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

46. "It amazed me, the power exerted by a creature as tiny as our little Zoë. A power she wielded over me as well... with no more effort than the earth does the moon in its orbit."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

47. "I've learned that people will say just about anything in front of me, as I am only a dumb dog."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

48. "And when she (Zoë) would tell her playmates that I was her big brother, my heart would swell with pride."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

49. "I should've destroyed the demon when I had the chance. I should've eaten it, even if it killed me."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

50. "There are moments when the urge to speak is truly maddening."

- Enzo, 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain'.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'The Art Of Racing In The Rain' quotes then why not take a look at rescue dog quotes, or road trip quotes?

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

Read full bio >