What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: The book that made Harry Styles believe he could run a marathon

It is eye opening and engaging. I'm a fan of his work and this book just reinforced my belief that he is one of the best writers of our time!

Yes, if you've ever read a Murakami story. Yes, if you ever lace up a pair of trainers and run to your own personal rhythm. Yes, if you're interested in the art of the novel. Yes, if you're none of those. You'll find a friend in these pages. As you would expect from a writer of his pedigree, a book about the activity he has pursued since 1982, running, is about much more that the non-runner/running-averse can get their teeth into. As the writer himself says in Chapter One: "running is both exercise and a metaphor." (p10) This philosophy is made apparent in the approach he has taken to writing and presenting this book, and he subsequently reveals much of his inner-self as reflected upon the choices he has made and those activities he has chosen to pursue. This is not a brash book revealing a brash personality boosted by the buzz of running. No, it's a book about an individual constantly reinventing and fighting to find elements of a self that he is content to call his own. I think this is something we can all relate to, whatever lifestyle choices we make or have made. Of course, as a runner, a reader of Haruki and a bit of a word-doodler, you could say that this is a book tailored to me. Again, I think the book's reach is far broader than that: as a reader, I enjoy opening my mind to experiences that lie beyond my own world, as you can only really be enlightened by that which you don't already know or have realised. That's not to say that this book, as I have already mentioned, doesn't have any value for those to whom it appears to be made, such as me: far from it. Through reading the reflections of someone as perceptive as Murakami on issues we - well 'I', for sure - have all wrestled with or experienced, you are able to smile at a metaphorical moment shared and/or be comforted by a familiar problem or obstacle surmounted. Yes, I guess, for me, the time with this book was like time spent with a good friend: we talked, we laughed, we consoled, we supported, and then we went home. It was all-too-brief and we haven't changed the world, but the time we spent together was special and a great comfort to us both. And for those of you whose world of experience falls beyond that of Haruki, running and writing, you are, therefore, in a position to be enlightened, in some small way, about an aspect of each, which takes me back to what I enjoy about a book and, consequently, makes me think that you'd enjoy it, too. Which is a long-winded way of reiterating that I think there is something in this short book for everyone that, whilst not maybe world-changing, is life-affirming and entertaining, and isn't that really enough to expect?

An insight into the mind of Murakami. His relationship with running and writing. Interesting.

This product was bought as a gift for a friend who has participated in lots of half marathons and who motivates me to go out running. I have read it in Greek (gift from mum) and it was quite interesting to go into the mind of a frequent marathon runner! I have done a half marathon and doing another one soon, maybe a full marathon in the future, gets more interesting towards the second half of the book. Would recommend to first time half marathon runners that want some idea of what it is all about. Interesting to find out how running affects your life and clears your mind, as well as contributing to travelling for races and socialising. Setting goals and accomplishing them....its all in your mind and mental strength. My friend said it was good and enjoyable to read. Put those shoes on, look up and keep smiling! Thanks

Brilliant book!!!! Well pleased! Will recommend! G.

This is the sort of book I'd like to see more of. A big writer writing something low stakes and concise. Murakami lets us into his life, detailing his long obsession with running and relating it to his writing. It's a series of vignettes separated by years outlining his preparations for various raced around the world, slotting in his writing and other commitments around his need to run. It's not too technical, more interested in the mindset and philosophy of running as a pastime. I finished it in over a day or so and would love to see more writers take a similar tack with their passions.

I.am not a runner. But I am a cyclist, and I ride long distances. I am also a writer, though of business content, not fiction. And I'm getting on a bit. I found this to be a meditation on running, but for running I could easily substitute cycling, a bit on writing, and a little bit on ageing, though the last is what resonated the most with me. I too note that my race times at getting slower, despite no reduction in effort. I blame myself for not working hard enough and feel dejected when my times are slower than they were five years ago. Murukami reminds me I am normal. Ageing is normal. More than that, it is a privilege. He describes his personality as not very attractive. He is an introvert. So am I. I'd love to meet him. I think I'd like him very much. A book to read and re-read at different stages of life.

I read Norwegian Wood, probably Murakami’s most famous work, way back in the early 90s. I can’t remember the plot at all, but many of the scenes and images have stayed with me. Twenty years later I’ve just read ‘What I talk about…’ because, at the age of sixty, I have discovered a new passion for running. But unlike most biographical running books, which typically help stoke that passion, I personably found this book almost the opposite. Murakami seems to be struggling to convince himself that he still has that passion, but keeps running regardless, more out of habit, resigned to the fact that his best running days are behind him. Okay he has a point, but it is kind of gloomy for me, who only started his running journey at the age of sixty. It’s still a good well written book, and although his running stories are pretty un-extraordinary for the most part, I suspect like Norwegian Wood, some of his thoughts and observations will stay with me for a long time - testament to his brilliant writing abilities. My take-away from the book (from a runner’s perspective), I’m not really sure, maybe keep your goals realistic and just enjoy your running for what it is, but I think the book encourages a good deal of self reflection and other readers may find other meaning and inspiration.

Adoro o estilo de escrever do Murakami. O relato de como começou a correr e a tomar gosto pela atividade é criativo e interessante. O gosto pelas maratonas inspira e faz com que eu tenha ainda mais admiração por este autor. Recomendado!

Murakami skriver personligen om hur det gick till att han blev författare och började springa för att få struktur på livet. Han skriver inte hur man ska träna, men berättar hur han tränade. Jag upplevde boken som avslappnad utan pretentioner. Han skriver både om vad han lyckas med och vad han misslyckats med. Jag reflekterade mycket över både hans och min träning medan jag läste boken. Influerad av boken, så har jag nu i mer än ett halvår sprungit minst 2 km om dagen och häromdagen blev det 24 km.

I have placed this book atop my listmania group of literary running books. Haruki Murakami's marvelously entertaining WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING is about his running, yes, but it also touches on other interesting ideas, including the author's affinities for music, literature, and baseball, Japanese and American: "As if to lament the defeat of the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs (they lost every game in a Sox vs. Sox series with Chicago), for ten days afterward a cold rain fell on New England. A long autumn rain. Sometimes it rained hard, sometimes softly; sometimes, it would let up for a time like an afterthought, but not once did it clear up." "From beginning to end the sky was completely covered with the thick gray clouds particular to this region. Like a dawdling person, the rain lingered for a long time, then finally made up its mind to turn into a downpour. Towns from New Hampshire to Massachusetts suffered damage from the rain, and the main highway was cut off in places." Murakami says he took the title of his book from the title of the Raymond Carver short story collection, WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT LOVE, and thanks Carver's widow for giving him permission. Murakami has translated many of Carver's works into Japanese, as well as other American fiction. He says: "One other project I'm involved in now is translating Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY, and things are going well. I've finished the first draft and am revising the second. I'm taking my time, going over each line carefully, and as I do so the translation gets smoother and I'm better able to render Fitzgerald's prose into more natural Japanese." "It's a little strange, perhaps, to make this claim at such a late date, but GATSBY really is an outstanding novel. I never get tired of it, no matter how many times I read it. It's the kind of literature that nourishes you as you read, and every time I do I'm struck by something new, and experience a fresh reaction to it. I find it amazing how such a young writer, only twenty-one at the time, could grasp--so insightfully, so equitably, and so warmly--the realities of life. How was this possible? The more I think about it, and the more I read the novel, the more mysterious it all is." Music, baseball, literature, and running. My kind of writer. Runners looking for a similar read might want to try Don Kardong's THIRTY PHONE BOOTHS TO BOSTON. Readers new to Murakami who enjoyed this one might be inspired to try one of the author's many novels, and I highly recommend THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE.

loved this book! picked it up based on ana wallace on youtube recommendation - she rereads it every year. for her it’s a reference points that she goes back to, and it’s the same for me! would love to get a hardback version signed by him someday

Murakami has become my favourite author. I’d not expected that he would also be my running guide. This is a surprisingly engaging and delightful account of his passion for writing and running. I’ve recently rediscovered an interest in running- and I find it almost impossible not to think of him while I’m lapping the block. “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”