REVIEW: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: a memoir by Haruki Murakami

First, a disclosure. Haruki Murakami is my favorite contemporary author. While I haven't read all of his books, I have had a chance to read many of them (I think the number currently stands at 8). Going into his new book I had no idea what to expect. As a beginning runner I was intrigued to hear his story about how and why he started running, especially since he connects his running with his career as a writer, an occupation to which I still aspire. But as a fan and reader of only his fiction so far, I was unsure of what it would be like to read a non-fiction piece.

In the forewood, Murakami tells us what the book means for him.

"...this is a book in which I've gathered my thoughts about what running has meant to me as a person."

I'm not sure if running could mean something to him other than "as a person" but this remains a noble endeavor indeed. We all should have the opportunity to look at the things we do and try to come to an understanding of what it means for us. What follows, however, doesn't feel like true introspection.

The book is broken down into various "journal" entries that takes the reader along the training and running of a marathon, an ultra-marathon, and triathlons. I say "journal" because I'm not sure if they are meant to be read as if written at the time or if they were written in retrospect, or possibly written at the time but taken and edited for the purposes of this book. To be clear, they are journal entries but since there doesn't seem to be a story thread that runs throughout them, it feels more like a literary device than anything else. It is interesting, although sometimes boring as well, to travel with Murakami as he prepares himself for these gruelling events. You begin to see the allure of running for him. He describes himself as someone who likes to be alone and running accomplishes just that. There's no need for equipment and for someone who seems to move around a lot, this is great. But these are just facts of running and there has to be more...right?

Well, for Murakami, there doesn't seem to be much more. There's never any tension in this work. Even when he describes the training for a race, the buildup beforehand and the challenges he faced while competing, I never once was wondering if he would make it or not, and I almost didn't care. That is one of the biggest failures of the book - I just didn't care. Even in memoirs there are characters to be liked and disliked. This book gives nothing of the sort. There's Murakami and really no one else. Every now and then he mentions his wife waiting for him at the end of races or at the middle as was the case for the ultra-marathon, but the reader never sees or hears her (I don't think he even quoted her in the entire book, although there might be a paraphrase). What does she think about the running? Is she happy, sad, mad, angry....there's nothing but the words "my wife".

For fans of his writing style, you won't be disappointed. The book at times reads just like his novels and in a few scenes (probably the best ones) you feel like you're back in one of his novels. He occasionally stumbles upon a witty or profound phrase but most of the time, his insights seem forced, as if every one he's had over the years deserved to be published and this was the only place he could jam all of them in.

The most difficult job for a writer is writing about himself. To look at oneself and attempt to come to an understanding of one's motives and actions is a daunting task that most people aren't able to accomplish. I get the sense that Murakami understands this and so instead of giving a full memoir, replete with childhood memories, fights with lovers, and meaningful friendships, he focuses on the one area he knows can be easily dissected, run by run, stride by stride. In doing so, he isn't able to give the reader more than that, basically a running log written by someone who happens to be a novelist.

This book won't blow you away but it also won't leave you feeling like you wasted your time. It's quick, simple, and sometimes fun. If you're a runner and enjoy hearing other runners' stories, this book is for you. If you a fan of Murakami's novels and enjoy the emotions that he's able to breath into his characters, this book will probably disappoint. For aspiring writers who want to know the secret to becoming a best-selling, internationally-acclaimed author, keep searching.