What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Inspirational
Meaningful
Honest

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running a memoir

In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and—even more important—on his writing. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and takes us to places ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvelous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in running.
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Jacob Hopkins@jhopkins
4 stars
May 12, 2024
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amelo@amelo
3.5 stars
Apr 16, 2024
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Jb@jbr1992
4 stars
Mar 1, 2024
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D.@travelling_bookworm
5 stars
Jan 29, 2024
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Farah Aisha Shabrina@farahaisha
5 stars
Jan 10, 2024
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4 stars
Jan 9, 2024
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Jan 7, 2024
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Haritlak Thawikasikam@haritread
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Laura Mauler@blueskygreenstrees
2 stars
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g.m.@genie_m
4 stars
Jun 18, 2023
Photo of Klára Kováčiková
Klára Kováčiková @kayyaa
4 stars
Jun 1, 2023
Sweet
Honest
Easy read
Thrilling
Remarkable
Repetitive
Page turning
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Laura@lxurinkx
4 stars
Feb 26, 2023
Layered
Beautiful
Comforting
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Thomas DeCelle@tdecelle
5 stars
Feb 19, 2023
Candid
Compelling
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tanima@tanima
4 stars
Jan 30, 2023
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nahomi@nahomi
4.5 stars
Jan 3, 2023
Pure
Honest
Profound
Refreshing
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Quentin Gibeau@xmas_gonna
4 stars
Dec 23, 2022
Charming
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Per Gustafsson @perofgust
4 stars
Dec 17, 2022
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TK@iamtk
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Dec 17, 2022
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Crockett Macnie@tiredcowboy
5 stars
Nov 26, 2022
Honest
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Udit Desai@uydesai
4 stars
Oct 8, 2022
Insightful
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Neil Murray@neilswmurray
5 stars
Oct 6, 2022
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Kholoud Ayman@kholoud99
5 stars
Aug 31, 2022
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3 stars
Aug 31, 2022

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