What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

The bestselling author of wildly imaginative novels like THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE here muses "in real time" about his sport and hobby, long-distance running. While Murakami writes that he worked over the text, it seems starkly unself-conscious (or poorly translated)--as when he talks about shining his running shoes. And yet this lack of guardedness as presented in Ray Porter's forthright and relaxed voice gives the book rare bite. Murakami isn't pushing his running, or his prose. "It doesn't matter what field you're talking about, beating somebody else just doesn't do it for me." If Murakami had a point to make, or if Porter had tried harder--had embellished the text or reached for an accent--this recording would fail. Instead it succeeds brilliantly. No secrets here, just the companionship of a dazzling intellect. B.H.C. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

May 12, 2008
Murakami's latest is a nonfiction work mostly concerned with his thoughts on the long-distance running he has engaged in for much of his adult life. Through a mix of adapted diary entries, old essays, reminiscences and life advice, Murakami crafts a charming little volume notable for its good-natured and intimate tone. While the subject matter is radically different from the fabulous and surreal fiction that Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
) most often produces, longtime readers will recognize the source of the isolated, journeying protagonists of the author's novels in the formative running experiences recounted. Murakami's insistence on focusing almost exclusively on running can grow somewhat tedious over the course of the book, but discrete, absorbing episodes, such as a will-breaking 62-mile “ultramarathon” and a solo re-creation of the historic first marathon in Greece serve as dynamic and well-rendered highlights. Murakami offers precious little insight into much of his life as a writer, but what he does provide should be of value to those trying to understand the author's long and fruitful career. An early section recounting Murakami's transition from nightclub owner to novelist offers a particularly vivid picture of an artist soaring into flight for the first time.