When talking about Haruki Murakami’s book What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, published in 2009, the first particular element that has to be reviewed is the author’s engagement in his discussions. He is rather careful in terms of describing running experiences and the impact of runs on creativity. Murakami’s words are exceptionally believable because the whole book is rather personal and includes a variety of instances where the author shared his ideas about the world. Being an introvert, he had the opportunity to display attitude toward running and writing via verbatim presentations. Therefore, all of the contents of the book are believable and have to be considered evidence supporting the fact that runs are remarkably important for sparking one’s inner energy.
Looking into the overall contents of What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, it feels like the book is a nearly perfect literary entry that includes information from verifiable sources only. Thus, there is no need to include any more documented sources, as Murakami (2009) had already done that and provided the readers with enough background evidence. One of the key conditions described by the author is that one should figure out what they are meant to do before it gets too late to act. This is why he says that “emotional hurt is the price a person has to pay in order to be independent” (Murakami, 2009, p. 18). When talking about running, Murakami does not show off his running skills or a strong will, as his only intention is to motivate the readers to do something that suits them.
To my mind, a standard journalistic approach would not work for What I Talk about When I Talk about Running because Murakami is a master at creating powerful verbatim descriptions and not an analysis of evidence. Therefore, I prefer Murakami’s approach over its straightforward journalistic counterpart that is definitely not as gracious and exquisite. When the author adds direct quotes to his book, he tries to make sure that the fundamental message of the book resonates with the audience on every level of perception. Murakami (2009) creates an image that makes his experiences even more believable when information from other sources but the author transpires in front of the readers. There are not a lot of sensory details throughout the book, but the author tries to add them only to amplify the effects of his story to motivate the audience to find their true selves.
Throughout What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, Murakami’s (2009) key source of inspiration is the ability to share his own arguments and thoughts on the subject of running. He defines artistic work and inspiration through illustrating the complexity of writing novels and developing books that require a great deal of physical and mental work. Even though Murakami adapted What I Talk about When I Talk about Running from his running journals and never wrote it from scratch, it shows how the author took the events from his personal life rather seriously. The author’s runner’s journal became the foundation for Murakami’s What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, which means that his ability to maintain a regular diary was weak, but it never averted him from completing a fascinating literary entry. With all the personal inspirations being shared in the book, Murakami’s work can be considered enjoyable despite being rather subjective.
Building upon Murakami’s relative idiosyncrasy, it can be noted that What I Talk about When I Talk about Running starts off as an opinionated essay. Nevertheless, it turns into an insight-rich story later, where the author serves as the key source of wisdom and encouragement. According to Strecher (2020), this is a commonality for Murakami, who tends to make connections between elements that seem to be unfitting at first. Descriptions of running sessions and personal goals put Murakami above external rivals because his primary intention is to run and make sure that he lives up to his own standards. As a story of Murakami’s life, the book also represents a chronicle of the author’s path to finding success. From descriptions of daily routines to crucial personal insights, Murakami does not shy away from keeping the book personal while talking to the readers through inspirational bits.
What I Talk about When I Talk about Running does not make the best use of any particular research, but it surely represents a great iteration of a motivational source of information. To my mind, there should be documented no statistics or quantitative findings because Murakami’s (2009) book is not about numbers and evidence-based approaches to running or other endurance sports. The famous Japanese novelist expects the audience to read the book and recognize their worth though remaining on the lookout for their vocation. Wakatsuki (2018) claimed that Murakami often tends to include his own biases in writing, but I do not see that as a serious problem. Instead, the author leaves a love note to running and motivates others to try it. Murakami is undoubtedly a biased introvert, but it does not make the book any worse because What I Talk about When I Talk about Running is an ode to humility and personal development.
When Murakami reveals some of his prejudices while discussing his love for running, he shows his appreciation to fellow runners and claims that it is exceptionally important to remain connected. It is always the right customer that one should attract through a “clear-cut philosophy and stance” instead of aiming for every single purchaser (Murakami, 2009, p. 30). This is why Murakami tends to target specific audiences with his novels and books (including What I Talk about When I Talk about Running) and never reaches out to all types of readers at once. Murakami likes people, and he wants them to realize that the burden of being liked by everyone is too heavy to be held for a long time. In a sense, the author shares his inherent biases with the audience to show how his love of other runners dissolves introversion and sparks creativity.
It should be crucial to note that Murakami’s adherence to sharing personal information does not look as if it was a forced decision. Instead, What I Talk about When I Talk about Running is a perfect example of how an author’s credibility could be maintained through the interface of intimate experiences and clandestine thoughts. There is only a limited number of individuals who could freely elaborate on their thesis without becoming too vulnerable under the influence of an excessive amount of personal detail. Murakami’s (2009) book builds momentum gradually, with no sharp turns, allowing him to make the reading experience as similar as possible to real-life runs. This approach is most likely to appeal to the audience because it makes Murakami’s memoirs read like a story and not a scientific journal or a newspaper article. The book stands out because it keeps track of the majority of emotions and worries, and Murakami shares all of it to remain on the same page with the audience.
Murakami (2009) does not focus on running as a process but rather redefines it as an opportunity for an individual to change their life and run the entire race instead of trying to beat their previous record time. Even though Murakami’s performance in the New York City Marathon was mediocre at best, he was not disappointed because he aimed for a completely different objective. This is a lesson that replaces the common climactic textbook ending for any story, as Murakami wants his book to resemble life and vice versa. His non-fiction writing does not need interviews and statistics to improve the argument. To write a novel, Murakami (2009, p. 33) had to “drive [himself] hard physically and use a lot of time and effort,” which is a hint at the fact that no matter the technique, writing is still as hard as running.
I have never tried running to spark my writing creativity, but Murakami’s What I Talk about When I Talk about Running is a perfect example of how talent is mixed with continuous effort. The source of creativity is hard to find, but it is much harder to remain efficient over prolonged periods. This is why Haruki Murakami’s book serves as a compass for the audience on the way to finding their true selves.
References
Murakami, H. (2009). What I talk about when I talk about running. Vintage Books.
Strecher, M. (2020). Dances with sheep: The quest for identity in the fiction of Murakami Haruki. University of Michigan Press.
Wakatsuki, T. (2018). Haruki Murakami as a cosmopolitan phenomenon: From ‘ordinary’ to ‘celebrity’. Celebrity Studies, 9(2), 248-254. Web.