Murakami – “What I Talk about when I Talk...” - Review

Murakami adapted the title of this text from the American short story writer, Raymond Carver: What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, replacing the noun 'Love' with the verb 'Running,' and the pronoun 'we' to 'I.' This reveals the Japanese novelists admiration for the American writer and his love and somewhat obsessive occupation with the activity for long-distance running. Murakami manages to brilliantly weave his work as a novelist and this daily physical act, that both began around the same time in the man's life. 

As most of his readers are aware, Murakami began his working life as the owner of a jazz bar in Japan. Although the establishment was doing quite well financially, the soon-to-be novelist had a rare epiphany of sorts, in all places, while watching a baseball game. The batter hit the ball with that familiar 'pop' when, all at once, out of the blue, the young man decided to write a novel. Still working and managing his bar, he would sit at his desk in the dark early morning and finish at the first light of dawn. Against the advice of most in his family and social circle, he decided to be a full-time writer, sell the bar, and become a professional novelist. Murakami hasn't looked back since.

Many readers understand the work of the Japanese novelist as an exploration of metaphor, deep emotion, and the style commonly labeled '” magical realism.” Some critics, at least, have compared Murakami with the famous Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In a limited way this comparison is useful, but reading Murakami is an entirely different experience. They are, of course, different writers, pushing the boundaries of their own style and content. In What I talk about when I talk about Running we read the musings, passions and views of his personal existence focused on daily running and competitive marathons, though it's the struggle and pain he endures, coupled with the “pain” and intellectual- soulful stamina required to write a novel of any worth and magnitude.

This text can be categorized as many things: travelogue, memoir, journal or simply a collection of the author's thoughts over a four-month period, while he trains for the coup de grace of marathons, the New York City marathon in 2005.

After reading this enjoyable book, I struggled to find a comparison from the past: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance came to mind, but really overall, they're entirely different texts.

What I Talk about when I Talk about Running is truly unique, giving the reader insight into the mind of one of the most revered and popular novelists of the 21^st century.