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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
These last few years, I’ve come to believe that writing is more about state of mind than it is about the rules. Three act structure, inciting incidents, individual character arcs; all tremendously useful for analysing and rewriting, but I’ve never found them to unlock anything explosive when faced with the blank page.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running would seem to agree with me. Largely a travelogue of Murakami’s marathon efforts, the book avoids discussing much of the mechanics of running in favour of unpacking the author’s mental state. Occasionally, these observations dovetail into musings on writing, as the act of exercise both feeds and mirrors the experience of creating a novel.
If I’m being completely honest, I am perhaps a little disappointed in how little talk there is of the writing process, but then that’s on me. I should have known better when I found this book in the fitness section of Waterstones. There’s tremendous value in extrapolating the lessons Murakami has learned from running and applying them to writing, but you might find that the book feels a bit too much like a two-way street, with you having to input as much into the reading as the author put into the writing.
Much better, instead, to read it as a straight fitness journal, and enjoy the clarity and reflection that Murakami so effortlessly brings to the page. Almost makes me want to take up running.
Almost.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running would seem to agree with me. Largely a travelogue of Murakami’s marathon efforts, the book avoids discussing much of the mechanics of running in favour of unpacking the author’s mental state. Occasionally, these observations dovetail into musings on writing, as the act of exercise both feeds and mirrors the experience of creating a novel.
If I’m being completely honest, I am perhaps a little disappointed in how little talk there is of the writing process, but then that’s on me. I should have known better when I found this book in the fitness section of Waterstones. There’s tremendous value in extrapolating the lessons Murakami has learned from running and applying them to writing, but you might find that the book feels a bit too much like a two-way street, with you having to input as much into the reading as the author put into the writing.
Much better, instead, to read it as a straight fitness journal, and enjoy the clarity and reflection that Murakami so effortlessly brings to the page. Almost makes me want to take up running.
Almost.
5 stars because this book is exactly what it says, and accomplishes what it sets out to do: explain the author's philosophy about, through, and related to running and writing.
Given how much I hated 1Q84, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I found Murakami's perspective on success, failure, and competition compelling, especially as someone who used to call herself a writer. He is humble, driven, and rather down-to-earth; he takes pleasure in pushing himself without constantly comparing his success to others. I think almost anyone could gain something from this mindset. It's so...zen.
Given how much I hated 1Q84, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I found Murakami's perspective on success, failure, and competition compelling, especially as someone who used to call herself a writer. He is humble, driven, and rather down-to-earth; he takes pleasure in pushing himself without constantly comparing his success to others. I think almost anyone could gain something from this mindset. It's so...zen.
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
If possible, this would be a 3.5. For the most part, I enjoyed reading his experience as an average endurance athlete. His thoughts on why he continues to run long distances, even as he ages and his times slow, resonates with me. Running is so much more than just your finish time (although that’s not saying I wouldn’t appreciate a PR in the future). I also enjoyed his chapter on what he thinks about when he’s running for hours on end (not much of anything). I feel the same way he does in that I can run alone for hours and not really think about anything profound; it’s almost like meditating.
A few areas were a little dry or I would have ranked this higher.
A few areas were a little dry or I would have ranked this higher.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This was a little uneven in spots. I nearly fell asleep listening to the triathlon parts. I guess I am just not crazy about Murakami as a writer. He's somewhat stiff and humorless, even when he's trying to make a joke. That said, he's quite good at being wry and self-deprecating, and there were a lot of things he said about aging and running that I was able to take to heart.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book explores a mindset and experience that I semi-relate to. Mr. Murakami has a pessimistic approach to a lot of things in life. He expects the ball to drop at every turn and experiences a weight of disappointment when he doesn't meet his goals. But maybe this is something that is earned with age that I have yet to journey through. I am an optimistic person at heart, even a little unrealistic at times. I haven't personally gone through the decline that comes with aging and the rediscovery of your abilities. I can understand why that would feel frightening. I liked this analogy he made towards the end of the book. In Chapter Nine, " At Least He Never Walked" he goes back to memory of when he was sixteen looking at himself in the mirror, and counting all of his physical "deficiencies". This made me think of the constant comparisons that I make about my life, my habits, my appearance, and my body. Not just the physical but also everything else that comes with the carry-on that is Eryse. But what he says in the book really calmed my mind. Mr.Murakami said, " If I start considering other aspects-- personality, brains, athleticism, things of this sort-- the list will be endless"(p.153). I will forever be stuck in this cycle in my mind of comparing my every move. But how do I continue to watch, read, and enjoy watching content without defaulting to this cycle? Do I completely remove any interaction with others to avoid comparing myself? Or do I find a way to love myself, accept myself, but also try to stay true to myself without the added shame that comes with being different? I guess this is something I should talk about with my therapist. Thanks, Mr. Murkami for giving me some talking points.
Simply enjoyable memoir. For the flow of his writing is one of the things I like to read Murakami. As the cover comment says it good: "Provides a fascinating portrait of Murakami's working mind and how he works his magic on the page".
A quick weekend read.
About 188 pg. The book is titled "Running" and features Murakami's small photo of running.
He is talking about the running.
How he started running as a need. Then how it grew on him, his variety of explorations of various Marathons, and his encounters with other runners and graduating to the Triathlon. On the last page of the book, he reflects on what it means as a runner. And why it should be written on his gravestone.
He briefly keeps talking about its relevance to him as a novelist and as an author.
I feel the hidden message is not about running which is visible, and tangible. It's about what goes on inside the long runner. His struggles, the way others look at him, and his completing the milestones of the Marathon and then the Triathlon.
His occupation as a writer is the same. What is visible, and tangible is the book. The artifact. The praise is written. What is hidden is the work of a novelist and its solitary struggles. And how one is taking up a marathon one after another, he is also taking up writing projects one after another.
It's not about running, it's not about writing. It's about the kind of person one is becoming in the process. The goals that one sets for oneself, reaching them, and then one writes on the gravestone - he was running and not walking!
Insightful musing of a writer.
If you are a writer aspiring to write, You shall read this.
About 188 pg. The book is titled "Running" and features Murakami's small photo of running.
He is talking about the running.
How he started running as a need. Then how it grew on him, his variety of explorations of various Marathons, and his encounters with other runners and graduating to the Triathlon. On the last page of the book, he reflects on what it means as a runner. And why it should be written on his gravestone.
He briefly keeps talking about its relevance to him as a novelist and as an author.
I feel the hidden message is not about running which is visible, and tangible. It's about what goes on inside the long runner. His struggles, the way others look at him, and his completing the milestones of the Marathon and then the Triathlon.
His occupation as a writer is the same. What is visible, and tangible is the book. The artifact. The praise is written. What is hidden is the work of a novelist and its solitary struggles. And how one is taking up a marathon one after another, he is also taking up writing projects one after another.
It's not about running, it's not about writing. It's about the kind of person one is becoming in the process. The goals that one sets for oneself, reaching them, and then one writes on the gravestone - he was running and not walking!
Insightful musing of a writer.
If you are a writer aspiring to write, You shall read this.