The Art of Racing in the Rain: Chapter 58 Summary & Analysis

The morning of Zoë's arrival, Enzo hears Denny in the kitchen making breakfast. Enzo thinks about death, and thinks that while many think death is dark and frightening, it's not frightening for him. He pulls himself up and thinks that growing old is pathetic, but tells the reader he thinks that it's something we've chosen to do, and someday a mutant child will be born and refuse to age, and this child will live for hundreds of years and humans will cease to grow old and die.

When Enzo reaches the kitchen Denny asks him how he's feeling, and Enzo silently replies that he feels like shit. Denny hands Enzo a pancake, his favorite food, but Enzo can't taste it. It falls to the floor. Enzo thinks that he doesn't want Denny to worry, and he doesn't want to force Denny into taking him to the vet. Enzo muses that euthanasia has merit, but it's too emotional, and he'd prefer assisted suicide because there's nothing passive about it. He tells the reader that when he returns as a human, he'll invent the suicide machine for dogs, and will shake hands with men and teach people everything he knows, and help everyone he can.

Enzo goes to Denny and Denny scratches Enzo's ears. Enzo's legs buckle and he falls. Denny turns off the stove and sits down with Enzo. Enzo thinks of Denny's future, that he and Zoë are going to Italy and Denny will experience success on the track and become a Formula One driver like Ayrton Senna. Enzo says he'd like to see this happen, but his soul has learned what it came to learn. Denny cradles Enzo and comforts him.

Enzo tells the reader that he knows that racing in the rain is about balance, anticipation, and patience—it's about the mind, and believing you are everything and everything is you. He says that to be a champion, a driver must have no ego at all.

Enzo says he saw a documentary on Mongolia, which said that a dog will be reincarnated as a man. Enzo says he's ready, but Denny will be very sad. Denny tells Enzo that if he needs to go, he can go. Enzo turns his head and sees his world and the fields of Spangle, where he was born. Enzo starts again that he saw a documentary, but feels Denny's breath on his neck and says the fields look like they go on forever. He remembers the documentary said that a dog will be reincarnated as a man, and Enzo says that when he comes back as a man, he'll find Denny, shake his hand, and tell him that Enzo says hello.

Denny tells Enzo he loves him, and Enzo takes a few steps into the field. He starts running, still hearing Denny. He barks twice and doesn't turn back. He keeps barking twice to tell Denny "faster," and says that what he wants now is all he's ever wanted: One more lap, faster.