Product DescriptionIn 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and—even more important—on his writing.
Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and takes us to places ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvelous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back.
By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in running.
What Others Say
A Murakami fan, I loved this wee treatise
I'm a total Murakami fan, so when I saw this new book--with a playful title from another fave author of mine, Raymond Carver--I couldn't wait to indulge myself with a good read. I was not disappointed. I'm a runner and a reader and a curious watcher of other runners--Murakami lets me indulge all three passtimes, with an overall free-flowing movement that covers the many self-assumptions and insights runners are privvy to in their practice.
Murakami is a Cool Runner
For those of us who love Murakami and harbor the desire to get to know the guy, _Running_ is sure to disappoint. He admits to being cold and distant--not a nice guy after all. And the mystery of the way he lives his life? Discipline, schedule, diet, and exercise. It's not exactly the cool Murakami I expected, but What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is full of inadvertently and reluctantly delivered sage wisdom. A good read if you run, and an excellent read if you write.
A single review
What I talk about when I talk about running - Haruki Murakami
Theme:
Making best use of ones talents in running as a metaphor for life and especially for running is the main theme of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Murakami started running at 33 after realizing that smoking an average of 60 cigarettes a day wasn't doing him any good. Twenty four marathons later and well over fifty years old, he is penning his thoughts on running and the part it plays in his life as an individual and as a writer.
Essentials:
* You have some talents in any sphere - running/writing. You can just do "as best as you can", by developing endurance and focus, without which one cannot "push his possibilities".
* Long distance running is an excellent ... Read More
Inspirational
I enjoyed Murakami's previous fiction work. I never realized he was a runner. So to my surprise, when I saw What I Talk About When I Talk About Running I was excited. It's a great read and inspiring - for both runners and not-so physically active readers...
One big autobiographic disappointment
Like many people I love Murakami. I don't have 1 favorite. It can be Windup chronicles, Kafka on the shore, Dance dance dance or even Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world. Yet, if you do like Murakami like me and don't want to be disappointed. I strongly suggest you avoid What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. It's autobiographic and has nothing of that magic of his fictional books. The only reason to read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is when you run like he runs. If you want to read about other people preparing for a marathon What I Talk About When I Talk About Running has some insights you want to know about. If you don't run long distances and just like literature in general and/or specifically Murakami avoid What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Don't spoil your feelings/associations/recollections by reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Preserve Murakami as ... Read More
