A review by abrswf
The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty

1.0

I really forced myself through this book, and there are a lot of things that made me dislike it. Let me turn first to the best thing about the book. McLarty, who is also a playwright and actor, reads the audio version of the book, and he does it wonderfully. Now for all the things I hated. First, the gratuitous larding of trauma and death, mostly at the start of this novel when we don't know the characters who died, so get to feel like jerks who aren't moved by such events. Second, the revolting main character, who is lazy, self indulgent, remarkably stupid, thoroughly sexist and racist, and completely self absorbed. I really hated being in his head, which is the vantage point for the whole novel. Third, the main character's awful sister. I acknowledge the novel gives her almost no voice -- we hear all about her looks and clothes and the manifestations of her mental illness, but her sane self never gets to say much of anything. Except for one presumably lucid period before her wedding, when what she says is abusive and hateful. I'll add that I didn't appreciate McLarty 's characterization of mental illness as equivalent to demonic possession, or his willingness to portray his mentally ill character as both dangerous and disgusting. Way to feed those harmful stereotypes about mental illness. Fourth, the endless sexism. Women are either patient home tenders or sex objects whose main appeal is their breasts. And the racism and homophobia that pervades this book. Fifth, the tired and repeated plot device of the main character being martyred and then rewarded for his martyrdom with lavish gifts. He never seems to conjure the ability to support himself or avoid obvious hazards. I didn't buy it, which brings me to the sixth thing I hated, the implausibility throughout. The ineptitude and stupidity of Bethany's doctors, the strange willingness of every stranger to share their lives and life stories with the main character, and the complete unbelievability of those life stories. I mean, come on. Which are words I said aloud often while listening to this pile of implausibility. There is one wonderful character buried in a long suffering female role in this book --Norma. I loved her. But her background presence sure didn't save the book. And in reality anyone as great as her would have a wide group of friends and a family of her own and no need to be hanging around for the worthless main character anyway. My recommendation is --skip this book. FYI it includes almost no memories of running anyway.