Book review - The Running Book by John Connell
A bit of a misleading title this one. The sub-title is more helpful; a journey through memory, landscape and history. This is no How to... book. Rather it is a biography of a person and a country.
The author John Connell lives in Longford, Ireland. He is a farmer and a runner. This book is a series of meandering thoughts and reflections on the Irish past prompted by the sights he encounters while running 26.2 miles.
Much like running a marathon, the flow of the book is not consistent. At times he slows down and focusses on specific incidents, at other he speeds through centuries of history. Some faces flash past while others come alongside and run beside us for a while before moving on. The path of the book twists and turns. In some places it became a struggle to read, like heading uphill. Other sections felt like freefalling through the pages.
I liked the way he weaved the stories of Ireland and his own family into the experience of running a marathon. Occasionally he skips to memories of running elsewhere; Australia, America and Ibiza, and connects with stories of other oppressed people groups.
A thread that holds the book together, like the blue line painted along the route of the London Marathon, is a bout of depression he suffered that led to his discovery of running. He tantalises the reader with mentions before sharing his story both openly and humbly.
I warmed to him when he mentioned Haruki Murakami and George Sheehan, two authors and runners I look up to. There are also interesting mini biographies of Sonia O'Sullivan, Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie.
This isn't a book for anyone looking for helpful advice or new insights into running - despite being called The Running Book. The run itself is more of a scaffold to tell the tales of Longford, Ireland and the Connell family.
That said, it does this well. I learned a great deal about the roots of colonialism in that part of the world. The personal stories helped me to empathise with the political struggles and understand the impact that the disagreements and conflicts over Ireland have had on everyday people.
Connell manages to delve into the emotions of his family history without becoming bitter or judgmental. I would understand completely if he were to criticise and condemn the treatment of his nation by the British, but it is to his credit that he doesn't. He doesn't need to. The facts speak for themselves.
I bought the book because I wanted to read about running. In this sense it didn't really meet my expectations. The running mentioned is fleeting and of little depth. The observations may be interesting to anyone who has just started running, but to anyone seasoned it will offer nothing new.
What it does do very well however, is paint a clear picture of Connell's homeland. I felt as though I was running through the fields and villages with him and seeing the sights with my own eyes.
I was caught up in the fights and flights of the Irish population facing famine and war. Stories about historical figures like Maria Edgeworth a novelist "in her time hailed as even greater than Jane Austen." and Michael Collins made me want to learn more about the history and culture of Ireland.
Read this book, not to become a better runner, but to become a better person. Through hearing stories from the past and knowing more about the history of a place we can gain more understanding and empathy. I don't claim to know everything about the history of Ireland from reading this book, but I do know more now than I did when I started to read it. It may have sold itself to me under false pretences, but I'm glad it did. I doubt I would have bought a book about the history of Ireland. I think I might now.
