Reviews

Again to Carthage by John L. Parker Jr.

tcharrette's review

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4.0

Meanders a bit at the beginning but the portrayal of training and racing at the end more than makes up for it.

joshmaher's review

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2.0

This one is not nearly as good as Once a Runner... Definitely a let down after the first one.

vanjr's review

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4.0

If you liked Once A Runner then you will read this. Not as good as OAR, but a worthwhile read for sure.

mrsjulietfox's review

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2.0

Unfortunately, I'm not impressed with this book at all. I was expecting an inspiring discussion of the magic of running, as this is the sequel to my all time favorite book about running, Once a Runner. However, half of the book isn't about running at all. Even once I finally got to the chapters about marathon training, it seemed rushed. I found myself annoyed by Quentin instead of rooting for him; he really does sound like a guy having a midlife crisis. In addition to the lack of running, there were side stories that seemed irrelevant and tons of characters that I had difficultly placing. While it was interesting to revisit people and places from Once a Runner, this is definitely an inferior product overall.

bobbo49's review

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3.0

Once a Runner is my all-time favorite running book, one that every dedicated runner (or former runner) should read. This sequel, written many years later, is good, but not great - the same cast of characters, somewhat older (the hero has become a lawyer, god forbid!), re-commit to running competitively, and this is the story of how their lives and perspectives have changed.

trask0730's review

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3.0

The beginning was verrrrrry slow, but it picked up the pace when Quenton started training again!
Aw running <3

pjmorse's review

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3.0

Even more episodic than Once A Runner, this doesn't really get moving until the second half, as though Parker kept forgetting why he was writing the book in the first place. Try not to think too hard about chronology, as we seem to have inserted another entire Olympiad between Montreal and Moscow.

panda8882's review

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4.0

The perfect book to read the week before I fly to Houston to watch the Olympic marathon trials and run the marathon on Sunday! Definitely a must read for any marathon runner. I loved 'Once a Runner' and thought this one would be even better because it was about the main character now older and coming back to running to train for a marathon. I think there were actually more good passages in 'Once a Runner' but I really enjoyed this one too. I just wish he didn't spend the first two thirds of the book talking about stuff other than running ; )

yagdetochitala's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

xaviershay's review

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3.0

Pretty great running trash. Good sequel.