LovedI think it's really easy to read, and it's all about perseverance, honing in on your craft, and becoming the person you want to be. It's self-help without it being cheesy self-help. I think it's great.
Review 1 of 11
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2008)
Creators: Liked An intimate look at writing, running, and the incredible way they intersect, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is an illuminating glimpse into the solitary passions of one of our greatest artists. While training for the New York City Marathon, Haruki Murakami decided to keep a journal of his progress. The result is a memoir about his intertwined obsessions with running and writing, full of vivid recollections and insights, including the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, here is a rich and revelatory work that elevates the human need for motion to an art form.
Loved
DislikedAnd it's all feels a little half-hearted and out of focus and, like I said, quite a bloggy feeling that it was kind of thrown together at the 11th hour, probably in conjunction with some publishing deal and publishing deadline. So, I was just massively disappointed by this thing.
Review 1 of 2
Lovedi really like his running memoir what i talk about when i talk about running that book had a huge impact on me i thought it was great
Review 1 of 3
MixedWhat I Talk About When I Talk About Running is decent and gives an insight into Murakami's creative process, but also if you're already really into running, I don't think this will teach you anything new.
Review 1 of 3
Lovedi found it very inspirational and i loved listening to it obviously when running i admire running regime murakami was able to sustain for so many years
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Haruki MurakamiNEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • An insightful look into the mind of a master storyteller—and a unique look at the craft of writing from the beloved and best-selling author of 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
"Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers" —New York Times Book Review
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: Esquire, Vulture, LitHub, New York Observer
Aspiring writers and readers who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his strangely surreal worlds will be fascinated by this engaging book from the internationally best-selling author. Haruki Murakami now shares with readers his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.
Here are the personal details of a life devoted to craft: the initial moment at a Yakult Swallows baseball game, when he suddenly knew he could write a novel; the importance of memory, what he calls a writer’s “mental chest of drawers”; the necessity of loneliness, patience, and his daily running routine; the seminal role a carrier pigeon played in his career and more.
"What I want to say is that in a certain sense, while the novelist is creating a novel, he is simultaneously being created by the novel as well." —Haruki Murakami
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What made the match, strongest first
- Liked by creators5 reviews
- Also biography and memoir71%
- Similar descriptions29%