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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I was nervous at the start of this book, because I'd read an excerpt and been unimpressed. "The greatest novel about running..." on the cover did nothing to temper my expectations. Yet, as I raced through the book on the run and through college with the main character Quenton Cassidy, I quickly fell for it. It dove into a life I've dreamed about: a life dedicated to the singular pursuit of running greatness. The wandering descriptions of training, visualizing, racing, all raised my heart rate.
I can guess why some runners couldn't or didn't identify with the main character, but the recurring themes of how far to plunge into running and what happens on the other side were thrilling to me. The descriptions of the power, pain, glory, and disappointment in running were a pleasure as well.
And still something holds me back from the 5-star rating.
I can guess why some runners couldn't or didn't identify with the main character, but the recurring themes of how far to plunge into running and what happens on the other side were thrilling to me. The descriptions of the power, pain, glory, and disappointment in running were a pleasure as well.
And still something holds me back from the 5-star rating.
This is a novel about a guy on a track team in college. It's essentially about how hard you have to train to get to your goals as a runner. It was pegged as the best novel about running, which makes me think that there probably aren't too many of them.
A great read for anyone who loves to run. The author captures the mood, feelings and determination perfectly.
There’s a point in this book where the main character is in self-imposed seclusion for training, and passes the time reading books about running. He reads a handful of novels, which he says are all flawed but inspiring nonetheless, which is a pretty good description of this book. It’s cheesy and can feel like those “boy that batted 1.000” type sports books I read as a kid — which was actually kind of fun. The descriptions of romance and women are cliched and somewhat offensive. But it waxes poetic about the sport in just the right way. I still think The Rider is a better book about the appeal of endurance sports, but this ones a worthy addition to the genre.
I'd wanted to read this one for a long time after hearing all the cult classic hype...but was disappointed to find less of it about running than I'd hoped. Most of the description on the book jacket about Quenton's decision to drop out of school to train for the race of a lifetime hardly even entered the plotline until 75% of the way into the novel. The last few chapters were great - gritty, inspiring, etc...but I found myself really working to get through the first few hundred pages, which just didn't speak to me much. A lot of banter and side plots without enough substance, and not much at all for even a geeky, hardcore runner like myself to connect with on a meaningful level.
Hmm not quite what I was expecting. Very American with a lot of track / college lingo I wasn't following at all. Also kept referring to yards and miles which mean nothing to me. I need my SI units!! :-/
First half was read on a push. Second half was a lot better. Some chapters just completely clicked with me - summed up running feelings / thoughts perfectly. Loved the last 3 chapters. Not sure if I'll read the sequel though.
First half was read on a push. Second half was a lot better. Some chapters just completely clicked with me - summed up running feelings / thoughts perfectly. Loved the last 3 chapters. Not sure if I'll read the sequel though.
This is a good novel about elite racing (the main character is a competitive miler), but it is not about running casually or a love of running, or running for any reason other than to compete. It is mainly about how much a competitive athlete must sacrifice in order to dedicate his life to his sport. I didn't relate to a lot of that, and in fact the writer dismisses casual runners as unimportant:
"His daily toil was arduous; satisfying on the whole, but not the bounding, joyous nature romp described in the magazines. Other runners, real runners, understood it quite well."
So I guess I'm not a "real runner" because I take joy in running? Thanks, pal. Say that to my face after I run 10 miles in 25-degree weather.
But, that aside, the descriptions of the rituals, the runner's mysticism, and the things that repeat through your brain (like crazy song lyrics, which definitely happens to me) as you train will resonate with any runner, or really anyone who is serious about a sport. And I did like the character, Quenton Cassidy, and I see why it has cult classic status among runners. I just wish the author had been more respectful to those of us who consider ourselves "runners" but can't run a mile in four minutes.
"His daily toil was arduous; satisfying on the whole, but not the bounding, joyous nature romp described in the magazines. Other runners, real runners, understood it quite well."
So I guess I'm not a "real runner" because I take joy in running? Thanks, pal. Say that to my face after I run 10 miles in 25-degree weather.
But, that aside, the descriptions of the rituals, the runner's mysticism, and the things that repeat through your brain (like crazy song lyrics, which definitely happens to me) as you train will resonate with any runner, or really anyone who is serious about a sport. And I did like the character, Quenton Cassidy, and I see why it has cult classic status among runners. I just wish the author had been more respectful to those of us who consider ourselves "runners" but can't run a mile in four minutes.
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would have given it five stars, except there's a whole section about the politics of college sports that bored me so bad I almost stopped reading.
The rest of the book was great. I love the characters. The writing is gorgeous. And it made me want to get back out there and get running again. You know, if it ever stops snowing. I'm not a fast runner, so it was fascinating to read about the training schedules of racers. But even training for distance, and not very fast at that, I could relate to some of the sentiments throughout the book about training.
The rest of the book was great. I love the characters. The writing is gorgeous. And it made me want to get back out there and get running again. You know, if it ever stops snowing. I'm not a fast runner, so it was fascinating to read about the training schedules of racers. But even training for distance, and not very fast at that, I could relate to some of the sentiments throughout the book about training.