What I talk about When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

Murakami on Sunday Morning

Reading Murakami's is like a home where my soul should be. Moreover, when it is a memoir of the author his self, then it is a wonderland, (for me it is) the happiest place on earth.

What I talk about When I Talk About Running is definitely not kinda book I expected to be. It is not collections of short stories but a memoir-or rather I say shorter than that. For avid fans of Murakami, surely this is like the A-book to expertise Murakami's brain work-okay i am exaggerating,to put expertise is overachieving. Just like Murakami's said in afterword:

"I see this book as kind if memoir. Not something as grand as personal history"-p.176

Just like its title,  this book is about Murakami's muse on running and Triathlon. Murakami is trying to introduce us a perspective from a runner whom in the same time author. He started his running activities when he started to writing novel in order to balance his soul. Which means later on his life.

Since it is like memoir, Murakami also told us how accidentally he wanted to write a novel at the peak of his life. He abandoned his bar (which gave him quite a money), and started a new life against what most people told.  Just like that, he also start to running.

So here is a theory that written in there which I thought the same about that. Here is a stereotype about people doing art, especially an author. An author should suffered hisself in order to gain solitude. The more solitude the more idea (s)he got. That's why art people chose to separate his self with community, some crossing the border and doing not recommended things (just like narcotics, or kill his self).

"Talking about Solitude that like a double sword to an author"-p.20

Murakami also need solitude. He is introvert person but working at bar made him understand that people sometimes shall socialize. Moreover, he didn't agree with the stereotype. Writing took a lot of his 'mental' energy, that's why he need to do physical activity to balance his life. The thing is, he is personal person, he didn't do team work or competition things, that's why he chose running.

What he put in his words after words in this novel are nothing to be meant to encourage his reader to be either runner or author.  Yet, he gave us perspective why people loves to run, and just exactly like his title, what he really thought about running.

Somehow, he explained that running and writing is linked to one another. Doesn't mean that while he running, he thinking about an idea to be wrote. In fact, he barely got an idea while running. Many of times, his mind is total blank while running. Yet like I said before, running is about a balance of life.

"People's minds can't a complete blank. Human beings emotions are not strong or consistent enough to sustain a vacuum" (I guess he against Yoga)


I don't like running but I love Murakami's work as my top favorite author in my list aside Harper Lee. Knowing his personalities (even exactly just as I thought before),bring me to understand (even want to try) running (at those point, he really nailed it to persuade his reader).

I guess this book will be loved by either his fans (just like me) or a runner. My runner friend (whom didn't like reading) told me that this book is like holy book for his community.