What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

This year, I promised myself to seek out new-to-me authors. I have failed. Haruki Murakami is a contemporary writer that I've known about for some time but have never read. When I remembered I was supposed to be broadening my literary horizons, I checked this out from the library.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a memoir by Murakami about his life through running. Over a span of 20+ years, he chronicles races he ran, training he endured, and how he survived a marathon (or more) a year for the entire second half of his life. He discusses running in different geographical locations and how his feelings towards running have remained constant throughout his life.

Because this is a memoir, I didn't really get a sense of Murakami's fiction writing abilities but it piqued my interest enough to check out one of his other novels from the library that I'll delve into after my current read (incidentally, also about running). I really enjoyed What I Talk About. As a no longer fledgling runner, I appreciate his agony in training. I love hearing about others' workout regimens and race reports. Does that make me a runner? I guess so. A runner and a reader. However, I think even if you're not a runner, you can appreciate his stories of running and life and all that happens in between.

Rating: * * * 1/2

P.S. I love love love when they make movies out of books I read. Coming out in the next weeks/months, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and of course (although not until March) HUNGER GAMES! Cannot wait. I'd like to point out that in my 2009 review of Hunger Games, I said it would make a good movie. I am psychic and Hollywood should hire me. If you haven't watched the trailer yet.....for your viewing pleasure.