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What I talk about when I talk about running

By Haruki Murakami

(181)

| Paperback | 9780307473394

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Book Description

From Publishers Weekly
Murakami's latest is a nonfiction work mostly concerned with his thoughts on the long-distance running he has engaged in for much of his adult life. Through a mix of adapted diary entries, old essays, reminiscences and life advice, Murakami crafts a charming little volume notable for its good-natured and intimate tone. While the subject matter is radically different from the fabulous and surreal fiction that Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle) most often produces, longtime readers will recognize the source of the isolated, journeying protagonists of the author's novels in the formative running experiences recounted. Murakami's insistence on focusing almost exclusively on running can grow somewhat tedious over the course of the book, but discrete, absorbing episodes, such as a will-breaking 62-mile ultramarathon and a solo re-creation of the historic first marathon in Greece serve as dynamic and well-rendered highlights. Murakami offers precious little insight into much of his life as a writer, but what he does provide should be of value to those trying to understand the author's long and fruitful career. An early section recounting Murakami's transition from nightclub owner to novelist offers a particularly vivid picture of an artist soaring into flight for the first time. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine
Haruki Murakami has established himself as one of the most interesting and innovative novelists of the last two decades, combining pop culture with a magic-realistic sensibility that has garnered the author a faithful following. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running couldn’t differ more from the rest of Murakami’s work. This slender volume catalogs the author’s love for that most solitary of athletic endeavors, though even Murakami’s prodigious talent as a writer can’t quite bridge the gap between the cultish world of hard-core running and a broader audience. This hit-and-miss effort—with something, literally, lost in the translation and some lazy writing—will be welcomed by a small (probably athletic) audience, but may not reach readers who aren’t already on board with Murakami or running.
Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Critics

WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING by Haruki Murakami

Review by Devon Shepherd (OCT 23, 2011) In his running journal-cum-memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, titled in obvious homage to Raymond Carver, Haruki Murakami claims that “people basically become runners because they’re meant to” ... (read full critics)

mostlyfiction published on Mon, 24 Oct 2011

A marathon man of letters

Approaching his 30th birthday, Haruki Murakami was the owner of a jazz bar in Kokubunji, Tokyo. He was smoking as many as 60 cigarettes a day and was committed to a life reckless sociability. It was around this time that he began to write his first n ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

See all critics

21 Reviews

3 people find this helpful

What is he talking about when he talks about running? I honestly don't know.

There's nothing wrong with this book, with the way it's written. Nor one probably will have a problem with the way this collection of pieces written over two years is arranged in chapters. Both the language used and the content are crystal-clear, very simple and to the point, and the book is probabl ... (continue)

There's nothing wrong with this book, with the way it's written. Nor one probably will have a problem with the way this collection of pieces written over two years is arranged in chapters. Both the language used and the content are crystal-clear, very simple and to the point, and the book is probably the closest we'll ever get from Mr. Murakami to a memoir. It all even makes sense if you look at things the way Mr. Murakami does. So a like/dislike matter in this case is just connected to whether you feel about things the way the Japanese novelist does. I'm afraid I just I don't share Mr. Murakami's philosophy about life and running, or writing and running. My fault or his fault, doesn't really change anything; I just don't. It all sounds too much on black and white terms, too final. Though Murakami repeats several times his way of life and his credo are something that only applies to him, he seems to vehemently imply that what he affirms must be general truth. In particular he seems to suggest this when he's talking about writing, about the work behind it, about aspects like inspiration and talent. It doesn't seem quite convincing, at least to a certain extent. Not that anyone gets the feeling Mr. Murakami is necessarily trying to convince anybody. Anyway, other prominent novelists should take a little time to ponder and eventually reply, since I'm probably not apt to it.

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Pu the Owl said on Jan 18, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

This is a relative thin book, not a novel but a kind of memoir for running. I have read several novels (Chinese version) from Haruki before, but really not my cup of tea.
However I love this one. It is not story telling, as mentioned, but talked about his personal training log for marathon to ... (continue)

This is a relative thin book, not a novel but a kind of memoir for running. I have read several novels (Chinese version) from Haruki before, but really not my cup of tea.
However I love this one. It is not story telling, as mentioned, but talked about his personal training log for marathon to tiathlon, as well as his beliefs. Also, the language is really easy for understanding.
I loved the part of his beliefs that touched me so much. Here are some quotation:
"I'm the kind of person who likes to be by himself. To put a finer point on it, I'm the type of person who doesn't find it painful to be alone ...... when, given a choicem I much preferred reading books on my own or concentrating on listening to music over being with someone else. I could always think of things to do by myelf." --- (p.15)
"From elementary school up to college I was never interested in things I was forced to study. I told myself it was something that had to done, so I wasn't a total slacker and was able to go on to college, but never once did I find studying exciting ..... I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me, and I could study it at my own pace and approach it the way I liked, I was pretty efficient at acquiring knowledge and skills..." --- (p.35)
These is exectly talking what I am!!

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Wihmunga said on Jun 13, 2009 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

I thought I could expect anything from Murakami, but this is beyond... Running and writing as one single activity, performed with the same stunningly obsessive commitment. Just so not westerner... Really far too weird.

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maCmq said on Oct 8, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

A gift

Reading this book was really gift, because a very reserved man open up to you and let you see his inner self.
Precious book, to read whenever I will experience the "runner blues".

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Martyscoop said on Dec 6, 2011 | Add your feedback

Excellent memoir, very well written

Check out my comment in my spanish blog:http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about.html
The japanese writer tells us the story of how he started to run, and to run seriously; because he is a serious person in all the things that he attempts. He describes how he ... (continue)

Check out my comment in my spanish blog:http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about.html
The japanese writer tells us the story of how he started to run, and to run seriously; because he is a serious person in all the things that he attempts. He describes how he has changed his routine of life, how he has decided to become a professional writer, and also somehow a "rigorous" runner. He describes his experiences in different marathons and thriatlons that he has participated in; and how at the end of the day, running for him is a way to stay alive an be a better person, and a better writer. I liked his descriptions on how he attacks the problem of writing with high discipline and dedication. I liked this book a lot, and it helped me understand better why Murakami writes his fiction books the way he does.

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ariadna73 said on Nov 11, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Life philosophy

I have been addicted to the first few pages already!

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Gobs Chan said on Jan 17, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback