What I Talk about When I Talk about Running

Perfect for the long distance runner

First off, I am a big Murakami fan so this is already a little biased. Second, I am a avid marathoner and ultra-marathoner, so I'm even more bias. With that said, I of course really enjoyed this book. As other reviews have stated this is not a book for guidance on writing or running, it is simply a persons memoirs about running who also happens to be a writer. I found myself right there with him because I have had similar experiences and can easily relate to his tribulations. The background information about his life and beginnings as a writer were also very interesting. I found myself able to capture a clear picture of his persona and it gave all the books that I have read from him a great grounding. The one thing that I really took away from this book was a better understanding of balance in life. Murakami's idea of using running to balance out the adverse affects of his profession really resinated with my personal feelings about balance in my own life. Running is the focus of this book, so if you are a runner you will most likely enjoy the read, if not it, results may vary.

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An interesting peek into the mind of Haruki Murakami.

The first thing that I simply must say about this book, is that you do not need to be a runner to be able to relate to it. Trust me, my body is far from becoming a running machine. In fact, I am pretty sure my body would collapse into a useless heap upon the mere suggestion of it, but even I took something away from this book.

Murakami, author to such books as the very popular 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and several more decided to write a book about his experiences as a runner. Not so much as a guide on how to become a runner, but more as a personal record of what he thinks about as he does it and how it affects his body and in turn, his writing.

This was fascinating reading. His methodical approach to running is very much how he tackles his writing. He is very regimented in both his running and writing. Running each and every day, regardless of weather and writing for four hours every morning makes you wonder how he can maintain such a hectic pace, but the two are tied together. The running clears his mind and therefore allows him to focus on his writing.

The book includes the obstacles he came up against while training for both the Boston and New York marathons. As usual, Murakami injects his quiet sense of humor here and there and the stories are both interesting and enlightening. I truly enjoyed this book. The easy, conversational tone was comforting and well¿wonderful. What did I take away from it? That the writing process does not have to be a complicated. It can be accomplished if you adhere to a routine and make it a part of your life.

As I said earlier, no running required to enjoy this one, but anyone who is trying to attain a goal (no matter what it is) will be inspired by this book. I am seriously thinking about giving it to The Hub (the non-reader) for Christmas. He trained for this year¿s marathon and was not able to do it because his routine was affected by a heel injury. However, he¿s starting to train for next year¿s race and I think this would be good for him to listen to on audio. He is the ¿non-reader¿ after all.

Murakami in his own words

For almost three decades Haruki Murakami has been providing his fans with a steady diet of quirky, imaginative and poignantly intimate novels and short stories. And yet, Murakami himself has written very little about himself, and has tried to keep his own life extremely private. So it is very enjoyable to finally get a glimpse of this author in his own words. Granted, over the years he had woven many elements from his own life into his stories, but it was never too easy to separate facts from fiction. In this book he has finally decided to talk clearly and forthrightly about some aspects of his writing career, but particularly about his passion for running. It turns out that he had picked up running at about the same time when he decided to become a novelist. He needed a physical activity that would compensate for his sudden switch to a more sedentary profession. Over the years, however, running had become a passion in its own right, but not quite an obsession. All the aspiring writers will find his analogies between long-distance running and writing, and novel writing in particular, very revealing and informative. According to Murakami, three indispensible things that any writer needs (in this order) are: talent, focus and endurance. Unsurprisingly talent is the most important of the three, but other two are required as well if one wants to become successful at writing. It is probably no coincidence that these three personal qualities are crucially important for long-distance running. The impression one gets from reading this book is that for Murakami running and writing reinforce each other.

Even if you don't care about either writing or running in its own right, this book offers many interesting stories and reflection. On a very basic level this is a book about life, and how one particular individual managed to find his place in the world. In Murakami's case, we see a kind of life that many of us would be happy to trade our own lives for: living in some of the World's most desirable places (Cambridge, New York, Hawai'i, Tokyo, Greece), doing what you really enjoy doing without any external constraints, being able to indulge in your favorite recreational activity to the fullest. The book manages to elicit a certain level of envy, although I am sure that was not what Murakami intended to convey when he decided to write it. In fact, we get a sense of a person who bears his own success and fame with a remarkable poise and even humility. Murakami may claim that he is not very good at interpersonal skills, but to me at least this book confirms that I would enjoy meeting Murakami the person as much as I enjoy reading his books. An autobiography that achieves this is definitely worth reading.

For the Murakami Fan

I'm not a runner, although I have dabbled in running in the past. I did, however, do long distance swimming in high school. So even though I'm not a marathon runner and don't run now, I still felt that many of Murakami's musings on running resonated with me. I enjoy contemplative individualistic activities. Like reading too, hey! Being a Murakami fan I also loved the opportunity to get inside the author's head a bit about his process and how he got his start. I've seen some really terrible reviews of this book by people who are not Murakami fans and well, they just won't get this. So that's my advice.

Random thoughts from a brilliant author.

The book is mildly entertaining. Being a Murakimi follower, I found the randomness comforting. If you're neither a runner nor a fan of Murakami, this book will be a let down. If your looking for tips on how to run or how to write a novel, this isn't going to help you. If your curious about the mind and habits of successful author, pick it. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Not the best for me.

Although not a bad book, I cannot recommend it highly; indeed, about a month later now, it's tough to remember. The writing is translated I think, and not the most fluid, and the story is intensely personal--sort of the author's own training log.

I was hoping to get running--or writing tips from this, but found it to be mildly interesting, but without lasting impact or use.

What an interesting book!

[B]What I Talk About When I Talk About Running[/B] by Haruki Murakami. What an interesting book! Its non-fiction, basically his musings on long distance running, writing, his career, and life in general. Its short (4 discs). If you are a long distance runner (I am) this is a must read. He puts into words many feelings I have about running that I have never been able to articulate. If you like Murakami's work ([B]Kafka On the Shore[/B] is my favorite) then it's also a must read. He's a very different person then I would have expected based on his novels! I really enjoyed the story of how he became a professional writer. This one was a good one to listen to, the flow just seemed right for audio.

Different things you Think everyday!

From laughing at Mick Jagger in Kauai, Hawaii to the mantra of contemplative silence, you would never know what you would come across in these pages...a must read for anyone who still hasn't entered the world of Murakami.

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