Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Bookshelf:What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

No matter how mundane an action may appear, keep at it long enough and it becomes contemplative, even meditative act.~Murakami
Last week as I was wandering the stacks at the local book store, I came across Haruki Murakami's slim memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, a book that I had briefly borrowed from the library last summer and, at the time, had difficulty getting involved with enough to see it through the first few pages. What a difference a year makes! The book is a compilation of  reflections and anecdotes, with a touch of autobiography mixed in, by life-long runner and accomplished writer Murakami. Throughout the collection, the author explores the personal significance of  his two passions, writing and running, on the quality of his life as a whole.

At 180 pages, the language is accessible to the seasoned and unschooled amateur runner (and writer) alike. Murakami moves briskly through the anecdotes and advice he himself uses to both motivate and prepare himself for the 2005 New York City Marathon. While this is not Murakami's first marathon (he proudly shares his personal goal to continue doing one per year for as long as he can--a practice he has maintained for most of the last 20 years), there is a hint of melancholy as he comes to terms with the quality of his competitive performances as he faces the realities of aging.

Though I thoroughly, and expediently, enjoyed What I Talk About..., I am uncertain how much of a draw this piece would be for those for whom extreme physical challenges hold little allure. While not a "how to" book, Murakami's book is definitely a "why" one, a concise personal meditation on stoking the fires of personal passions.

No comments: