jmullenbach's review against another edition
3.0
Reads like a pleasant set of diary entries. What a gift that there exists in this world a talented novelist who ran an ultramarathon and decided to write about it!
seonghyun's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars - It was reading someone’s stream of consciousness mixed with a runner’s high.
I do need to go grab my running shoes and start running again
I do need to go grab my running shoes and start running again
gsroney's review against another edition
3.0
That’s on me for expecting this to be about more than just running.
elenajohansen's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
If you're a fan of Murakami's work and simply want to know more about the author, you'll probably like this book.
I've only read one of his novels (Norwegian Wood) and to be generous, it was interesting in some aspects but not at all to my tastes. To be less generous, I found it misogynistic.
But I am a writer, and I am a runner, and memoirs (or nonfiction in general) from a primarily fiction author aren't necessarily going to be the same beast as their fiction, whether I enjoyed it or not. So I tried this.
Strangely enough, I've gained an odd sort of respect for Murakami, despite not enjoying this book much either. If you enter into this thinking it's going to be any sort of self-help book, either for writing or running, you will likely leave deeply disappointed. This is truly a memoir, a close self-examination by the author of himself through the twin lenses of his profession and his primary form of exercise. It's about discipline. It's about observation. It's about aging.
But it's never about advice. Murakami has kept, at times, what I consider a brutal training regimen and a difficult-but-not-impossible writing regimen, but he constantly recognizes his standards are not universally achievable. He admits frequently that the way he has chosen to order his life makes him an unpleasant person, and I have to say, I agree: I am left with an absolute certainty that in a hypothetical world where he and I had the opportunity to get to know each other, we would not get along. (I don't mean that as a criticism of him as a person, because I'm sure he would find me unpleasant as well, compared to him I'm a chaos gremlin and he would have no patience for me, I expect.)
Getting to know the author through how he chooses to write about himself, I'm not surprised I didn't like Norwegian Wood much and I'm positive that I don't have to read any of his other works. I will never be a fan, and that's okay. But I do have to respect the dedication, the honesty, and the self-actualization. Even in my forties, I am still often struggling to figure out who I am; even if this is not a book with advice, and Murakami's lifestyle itself is outside my ability to achieve, it is kind of inspiring in a wider sense to read about someone who has achieved so much and can be so clear and honest about what it took to get there.
I've only read one of his novels (Norwegian Wood) and to be generous, it was interesting in some aspects but not at all to my tastes. To be less generous, I found it misogynistic.
But I am a writer, and I am a runner, and memoirs (or nonfiction in general) from a primarily fiction author aren't necessarily going to be the same beast as their fiction, whether I enjoyed it or not. So I tried this.
Strangely enough, I've gained an odd sort of respect for Murakami, despite not enjoying this book much either. If you enter into this thinking it's going to be any sort of self-help book, either for writing or running, you will likely leave deeply disappointed. This is truly a memoir, a close self-examination by the author of himself through the twin lenses of his profession and his primary form of exercise. It's about discipline. It's about observation. It's about aging.
But it's never about advice. Murakami has kept, at times, what I consider a brutal training regimen and a difficult-but-not-impossible writing regimen, but he constantly recognizes his standards are not universally achievable. He admits frequently that the way he has chosen to order his life makes him an unpleasant person, and I have to say, I agree: I am left with an absolute certainty that in a hypothetical world where he and I had the opportunity to get to know each other, we would not get along. (I don't mean that as a criticism of him as a person, because I'm sure he would find me unpleasant as well, compared to him I'm a chaos gremlin and he would have no patience for me, I expect.)
Getting to know the author through how he chooses to write about himself, I'm not surprised I didn't like Norwegian Wood much and I'm positive that I don't have to read any of his other works. I will never be a fan, and that's okay. But I do have to respect the dedication, the honesty, and the self-actualization. Even in my forties, I am still often struggling to figure out who I am; even if this is not a book with advice, and Murakami's lifestyle itself is outside my ability to achieve, it is kind of inspiring in a wider sense to read about someone who has achieved so much and can be so clear and honest about what it took to get there.
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Haruki Murakami
1949 – 20**
Writer (and Runner)
At Least He Never Walked
Where I’m an avid Haruki Murakami fan, me and running are casual acquaintances at best. I don’t enjoy running the way other runners seem to, and even trying to understand the mentality is foreign to me. I have incredible respect for people who are runners, let alone ultramarathon runners and triathlon competitors, it’s just not something for me. So when a gathering of friends decided to get together to read this book (as we all respect Murakami as a writer to varying degrees), I almost passed. I’m actually glad I didn’t, because there’s more to this book than a man talking about how much he loves running.
I mean, there’s tons of that too. Murakami is an accomplished runner as well as an author, and he has all the right to talk to us about how he prepares for marathons and approaches running in general. He lives an incredibly disciplined lifestyle, makes time for a considerable amount of running each day, and generally takes very good care of himself. There’s lots here for the people who run, where Murakami finds the motivation to do so, how deep he has to dig when he’s in the thick of a marathon, the mental preparations he goes through leading up to a race. I mean, at the core of it, it’s just a matter of strapping on some sneakers and going at it, but it’s easy to say that on paper and a thousand times harder to actually do.
For the rest of us like me, who find running a chore and something to only trot out when escaping a bear or something, there’s good thoughts here too. I liked Murakami’s thoughts on persistence, approaching tough problems, and many other little things that I can apply to everyday life. The troubleshooting he goes through to figure out a problem (like his swimming form) and the importance of just keeping at something are good things to keep in the back of your brain. While you may not be swimming, being able to identify a problem exists and trying to figure out how to fix it rather than just scrapping the whole thing/idea/race/hobby will get you far.
Not a long book, but I appreciated this look into his head as he runs.
1949 – 20**
Writer (and Runner)
At Least He Never Walked
Where I’m an avid Haruki Murakami fan, me and running are casual acquaintances at best. I don’t enjoy running the way other runners seem to, and even trying to understand the mentality is foreign to me. I have incredible respect for people who are runners, let alone ultramarathon runners and triathlon competitors, it’s just not something for me. So when a gathering of friends decided to get together to read this book (as we all respect Murakami as a writer to varying degrees), I almost passed. I’m actually glad I didn’t, because there’s more to this book than a man talking about how much he loves running.
I mean, there’s tons of that too. Murakami is an accomplished runner as well as an author, and he has all the right to talk to us about how he prepares for marathons and approaches running in general. He lives an incredibly disciplined lifestyle, makes time for a considerable amount of running each day, and generally takes very good care of himself. There’s lots here for the people who run, where Murakami finds the motivation to do so, how deep he has to dig when he’s in the thick of a marathon, the mental preparations he goes through leading up to a race. I mean, at the core of it, it’s just a matter of strapping on some sneakers and going at it, but it’s easy to say that on paper and a thousand times harder to actually do.
For the rest of us like me, who find running a chore and something to only trot out when escaping a bear or something, there’s good thoughts here too. I liked Murakami’s thoughts on persistence, approaching tough problems, and many other little things that I can apply to everyday life. The troubleshooting he goes through to figure out a problem (like his swimming form) and the importance of just keeping at something are good things to keep in the back of your brain. While you may not be swimming, being able to identify a problem exists and trying to figure out how to fix it rather than just scrapping the whole thing/idea/race/hobby will get you far.
Not a long book, but I appreciated this look into his head as he runs.
ultracurious's review against another edition
4.0
murakami’s simple prose without all the weird stuff
tjwallace04's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
“When I'm running I don't have to talk to anybody and don't have to listen to anybody. This is a part of my day I can't do without.”
This is the first book I have read by Haruki Murakami. I thought I had read some of his fiction in college, but after reading through his bibliography and seeing nothing familiar, I guess I didn't. Now I am very curious about his fiction, because this short memoir was so odd and flat and yet...somehow so compelling?
Murakami writes in a very dry and yet conversational way about his life as a long distance runner, a writer, and a driven, introverted person. I am a runner (although not a "serious runner" according to Murakami's standards. I only run about 3 miles a day, not 6), so I mostly enjoyed this memoir for its honest insights about running: knee pain, the anxious feeling before races, the glorious solitude, the way you are always competing against yourself, not others, to be better. All of that spoke to me deeply. I am not sure I would have liked this book so much (I probably wouldn't have even chosen it to read) if it were about a sport outside my realm of experience, like tennis or rowing. The essay about the ultra-marathon in particular was absolutely riveting to me. If I took anything away from this book, it is that I will never run an ultra-marathon. 😆
But I also really enjoyed slowly getting to know more about Murakami himself. What an interesting person! In his early thirties, he suddenly made a series of major life changes: he decided he wanted to write a novel, so he wrote one. He started running. He quit smoking. He sold his successful jazz club so he could focus exclusively on writing. Murakami seems to have such a strong sense of self, incredible focus, and a quiet sense of humor. Even though I found his reserved style odd at first, I ended up really liking his voice.
I would recommend "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" mostly to runners and to people who are already fans of Murakami. And if you're not a runner but have been curious about the sport, you might want to try this one too!
This is the first book I have read by Haruki Murakami. I thought I had read some of his fiction in college, but after reading through his bibliography and seeing nothing familiar, I guess I didn't. Now I am very curious about his fiction, because this short memoir was so odd and flat and yet...somehow so compelling?
Murakami writes in a very dry and yet conversational way about his life as a long distance runner, a writer, and a driven, introverted person. I am a runner (although not a "serious runner" according to Murakami's standards. I only run about 3 miles a day, not 6), so I mostly enjoyed this memoir for its honest insights about running: knee pain, the anxious feeling before races, the glorious solitude, the way you are always competing against yourself, not others, to be better. All of that spoke to me deeply. I am not sure I would have liked this book so much (I probably wouldn't have even chosen it to read) if it were about a sport outside my realm of experience, like tennis or rowing. The essay about the ultra-marathon in particular was absolutely riveting to me. If I took anything away from this book, it is that I will never run an ultra-marathon. 😆
But I also really enjoyed slowly getting to know more about Murakami himself. What an interesting person! In his early thirties, he suddenly made a series of major life changes: he decided he wanted to write a novel, so he wrote one. He started running. He quit smoking. He sold his successful jazz club so he could focus exclusively on writing. Murakami seems to have such a strong sense of self, incredible focus, and a quiet sense of humor. Even though I found his reserved style odd at first, I ended up really liking his voice.
I would recommend "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" mostly to runners and to people who are already fans of Murakami. And if you're not a runner but have been curious about the sport, you might want to try this one too!