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What I Talk About When I Talk About What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
I have been reading books for many years now. Some of them have been quite dull. The book I am reading at the moment is quite dull. It doesn’t ever really say anything. You think it is going to say something, maybe something interesting or even profound. But then it doesn’t. Reading dull books may be a lot like life, but I’m not sure. Even if I was sure I probably wouldn’t say so. That is just the way I am. You may be different, but that is the way I am. I never really say anything about anything. When I was young though I thought I wanted to read exciting books. Sometimes I did but not often, mostly I just read dull books. Now I am older I realise that I don’t want to read exciting books any more. I prefer to read dull ones. That is just the way I am.
If I hadn’t read dull books I doubt I would have ever become a runner. Except maybe I would, it’s hard to be sure. I run nearly every day. Nearly every day I go for a run but some days I don’t. I like to run every day, except some days I don’t like to run. That’s just the way I am. You may be different, but that is the way I am. Running may be a lot like life. I think that running may have taught me some important lessons about life. That is just the way it is with running. If I was sure of what those lessons were I could tell you about them.
I used to own a bar.
I bought some jazz records.
Sometimes when I am running I notice the weather. That is just the way I am, I notice the weather. Sometimes it is grey and then it might rain or even snow, but sometimes it is hot. That is just the way it is with the weather. I think the weather might have taught me something about running, or possible about life, but I’m not sure. If I was sure I could tell you what it had taught me. It might be interesting or even profound. But I am not sure, so I can’t tell you anything really. That is just the way I am.
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Comments
I love Murakami though
but I liked the book...
Expecting this book to arrive from Amazon today....
Kryten you made me laugh out loud at my desk (then I had to think of a work-related reason for it). So thanks, I think!
Lol - I didn't mind it, it isn't as interesting as i thought it would be though - good summary Kryten!
i read the book but found it a bit dull. However I was intrigued enough to finish it so it can't have been all bad.
Then again I think I finished it to see how he did in the various races!
I liked it!
But then, I like a slow pace to things....
Has anyone read Andy Blackford's 'Running on Empty'? That was hilarious. Some of the stories completely mental, but hilarious. I could relate to his book a lot more!
The title is a reference to a Raymond Carver book 'What People Talk About, When They Talk About Love'
Raymond Carver is worth reading, he writes about normal Americal daily life, but makes it glow. Murakami translates his work into Japanese, so I guess that's why he chose to adapt the title. I like it, but it's not eveyone's cup of tea!
I am reading WITAWITAR. Am liking it but it is my type of beverage.
Is anyone interested in having a book club type thread on the book? We had some good book group threads 5 or so years ago. Given thediffering views on WITAWITAR it seems like a good book club choice.
heehee nice one.
however i also liked it. finished it today.
i like the fact that he is a bit dull, like me. i like the fact that he is solitary, like me. i also like the fact that he is a decent but not brilliant runner, like me.
so many running books are about brilliant athletes which most people cannot relate to.
I liked this book as well but I did find some of his running habits bizarre. He should really learn about age-graded results and then he wouldn't be so het up about not being able to run as fast as he could 20 years ago.
I thought he had one really useful piece of advice, something along the lines of "you should always feel as if you could run a bit more when you stop". I use this attitude on my general runs where I don't have to run flat out so I always feel I could run a bit further if I had to.
I've read one of his fiction books but found it odd, may try another one at some point but only if someone can recommend one that doesn't have incest in it!
Nemo.
My friend tells me that (for reasons best known to himself) half of his novels are weird and trippy and the other half are written in a far more straightforward style. Not sure which are which though.