The Art of Racing in the Rain

Garth Stein

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2008

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Chapters 32-35Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 32 Summary

Enzo spends some time with Denny at the mechanic’s garage. The police arrive and arrest Denny for third degree rape of a child. Denny doesn’t incriminate himself by saying anything definitive, one way or another.

Chapter 33 Summary

Enzo is not involved with the details of legal proceedings spanning the next three years. He is able to extrapolate based on what he knows of courtroom processes from television. He impresses upon the narrative that this story is intended to be only as accurate as he can tell it.

Chapter 34 Summary

Denny is left at the precinct for an extended period of isolation. Mark Fein joins him and expresses his suspicion that the rape charges were orchestrated in tandem with the custody suit. All of his prior confidence is challenged now that Denny is a suspected child molester.

Chapter 35 Summary

Mike and Tony, Denny’s co-workers, visit the house. Denny doesn’t want to speak about any of the legal proceedings. His hands are shaking, indicative of a haphazard state of mind. When they leave, Denny retrieves a bottle of alcohol and starts drinking. Enzo objects to this behavior, viewing it as the act of a Denny imposter. Enzo’s intervention helps Denny come to his senses. They watch movies together, and Denny pledges to see his trials through to the end.

Chapters 32-35 Analysis

Due to the fact that Enzo is unable to attend the legal proceedings, his description of what happens during Denny’s trial is informed by what he sees on television. This reveals that Enzo is an unreliable narrator. While he is able to provide an intimate glance of Denny’s family life through his unique perspective as the family pet, he is also shut out from other important events that are only accessible to the human characters.

In these chapters, Denny and Enzo share common ground in isolation and powerlessness. It is also apparent that both need each other to get through hard times. Denny’s long stretch at the precinct is reminiscent of Enzo being trapped in the Twins’ garage. Seeking solace in alcohol harkens back to occasions where Enzo submerges in his bestial nature to avoid pain. Denny is at a diminished capacity, and he will need Enzo to help him get back on track.