What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

 

As someone who used to be a regular runner until a major knee injury occurred, I could definitely relate to Murakami's thoughtful memoir in many ways. Obviously, I wasn't anywhere near the level Murakami is prior to the injury, usually being able to run only an hour each day before stopping. 

"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" can't be compared to Murakami's fiction writing for a variety of reasons. The sentences and language are quite simplistic in comparison and there really isn't a general direction for this book, instead, it's more like a pastiche of diary entries.

If you don't go into the book expecting any similarity to his literature, you will enjoy it. It's very light and easy to read, with many memorable anecdotes thrown in.

I do think at times that he pushes himself too hard to the point of torture, as was the case when he was running the road from Athens to Marathon, Greece, as well as a few other marathons. As someone who generally picks an assortment of different things to occupy my days, the fact that he has been able to run nearly every day for years is impressive, if not a bit excessive. 

This is mainly a book for a couple of people: those who are consistent runners, avid Murakami fans who wish to understand his writing process, or both. 

He initially takes the reader all the way back to the start of his career before becoming a novelist, when he owned a bar in Japan. The key theme in the memoir, and perhaps the greatest takeaway, is the concept of persistence.

In both his writing (when he was criticized multiple times, particularly at the start of his career), and his running, which has gone through a series of ups-and-downs, Murakami could easily have gotten discouraged and just moved on to other hobbies, becoming a jack-of-all-trades in a way. Instead, he has stuck with these two passions, which have gone on to mirror each other throughout the course of his life.

Again, just as long as you don't expect it to be anything like his literature, you will enjoy it. 

Rating: 7/10