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A review by kats05
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
3.0
I understand that the title is based on Raymond Carver's "What we talk about when we talk about love" (which I want to read now), but I do think that a more accurate title for Murakami's musings on running would have been "What I think about when I think about running" (or even "... when I'm running") given that these are his private thoughts jotted down over a period of about 18 months, with no particular audience/readership in mind. Apart from attending a tri-athelete training camp in Honolulu, he doesn't seem to have any interaction let alone running discussions with others. Running is a very solitary sport which is one of the reasons Murakami loves it. He does not enjoy team sports or sports where you directly compete (e.g. tennis), so running suits his personality as well as his lifestyle.
Murakami explores and extends his personal limits ("suffering is optional") and describes in vivid detail the mindset and resilience that running an ultra-marathon (100 km / 62 miles) requires. I have to admit that, as everyone around me seems to be taking up running in middle-age, it's definitely not for me, at least not any distance beyond 10 km. But I did enjoy getting this highly articulated insight into a passionate runner's mind, especially one whose thoughts and ideas are intriguing anyway.
Many friends (not on GoodReads but in "real life") think that as I'm such an avid reader I ought to be a writer, too, and several of them have suggested that I write a novel of sorts. On every occasion I am completely bewildered by the idea as I don't have any ideas for a novel to start with, nor do I have the inclination to work "in solitary confinement" for many hours each day. Murakami has given me the perfect reasons why I will never be a writer (or a long-distance runner) by stating the three must have qualities you'd need to be one:
1) Talent
2) Focus
3) Endurance
I fail on all three counts, and I happily admit that my existence as a reader is enough for me. :-)
Murakami explores and extends his personal limits ("suffering is optional") and describes in vivid detail the mindset and resilience that running an ultra-marathon (100 km / 62 miles) requires. I have to admit that, as everyone around me seems to be taking up running in middle-age, it's definitely not for me, at least not any distance beyond 10 km. But I did enjoy getting this highly articulated insight into a passionate runner's mind, especially one whose thoughts and ideas are intriguing anyway.
Many friends (not on GoodReads but in "real life") think that as I'm such an avid reader I ought to be a writer, too, and several of them have suggested that I write a novel of sorts. On every occasion I am completely bewildered by the idea as I don't have any ideas for a novel to start with, nor do I have the inclination to work "in solitary confinement" for many hours each day. Murakami has given me the perfect reasons why I will never be a writer (or a long-distance runner) by stating the three must have qualities you'd need to be one:
1) Talent
2) Focus
3) Endurance
I fail on all three counts, and I happily admit that my existence as a reader is enough for me. :-)