BOOK REVIEW: “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami
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ABOUT THE BOOKS (from Amazon):
In 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.
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On a long run recently, I decided it was the perfect time to finish “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami. I had started the audiobook during drives, saving the second half for a run—fitting, given the book’s title. At about four to four and a half hours long, it’s a relatively quick listen, but I’ll be honest, I considered dropping it a few times.
This book appears on nearly every must-read list for runners, so naturally, I was curious. However, despite my best efforts to connect with Murakami’s narrative, I found it somewhat lacking in engagement. There were moments when it felt more like a task to get through than a journey I was enjoying. It’s not that the book is without merit; it certainly has its moments. Murakami intertwines tales of his runs with life reflections, which could be an appealing format for some. Yet, for me, there wasn’t a standout “wow” moment that shifted my perspective or deeply resonated with me.
Given my experience, I settled on a three-star rating. It wasn’t a book I loved, but I managed to finish it, and that’s usually my benchmark for an average read. The content, primarily focusing on the author’s personal running experiences and the intersections with his life, might be intriguing to some, especially runners curious about Murakami’s view on the sport. However, I found it somewhat monotonous, lacking the insights or inspirational takeaways I had hoped for.
If you’re a runner or a Murakami fan, you might find “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” worth exploring, if only to form your own opinion. But if you’re looking for profound revelations or a captivating narrative about running and its impact on life, this book might not cross the finish line for you.