What I Talk about When I Talk about Running

Haruki Murakami

This is a short memoir describing a few years of Murakami's life in the early 2000's. As an avid runner (he has run at least one marathon a year for the past 25 years), the premise is one of illuminating his thinking about running and ruminating on its impact on his life. This particular book follows his preparations for one running of the New York City marathon in 2006. It turns out to be as much about him as a novelist and a person as it does about running. The only other thing I have read by Murakami is The Windup Bird Chronicle, which I really enjoyed and shows some of the same style characteristics. Here, I think, we get a picture of how Murakami is as a person, which informs his writing style. I would probably categorize him as a severe pragmatist. He takes everything in life in stride, accepting what befalls him as it is and moves on. There is no drama. Perhaps that should read NO drama. I don't know if this is Murakami personality, or this is Japanese culture. I suspect it is more of the former, and only a bit of the latter. When he talks about running, he does not proselytize, or dissuade. He reveals, "this is what I feel like when I run. I don't think it will be that way for everyone and if you think this sounds appealing and decide to run, great. If not, also great." You could substitute almost any idea in for running, as he says the same thing about his writing. "This is why I write. If someone happens to like what I write, that is great. If not, then they don't." And yet, with this pragmatic personality, Murakami is able to simultaneously demonstrate a true passion for what he does, describing the joy and energy that he receives from writing and running. It is by no means a dry or stale existence. He is a fascinating person and author. A very fun read.
Read