This is my fourth review in The Running Fiction Challenge.
Review
Weeks ago I read 20-30 pages of the novel. I thought I was interested in continuing to read it. But, here I am, weeks later, and I maybe read a handful pages since then.
The story is about a college runner. The first chapters are the start of a new season and school year.
The opening descriptions and writing really turned me off.
The first run the team goes on in the story makes up for the opening. The dynamics of the runners are fun. The competition and masculinity capture the time and place of the novel.
Overall, the story and characters aren't engaging enough.
Unfortunately, for Once a Runner, I started listening to Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend. This didn't help, and most likely hurt Once a Runner.
If I spend more time in the story, I'll update my review.
Join the challenge below.
Most Popular Running Fiction Challenge
The following books are the most rated running fiction on goodreads.com, as of 6 July 2024. Goodreads readers can vote here for the best running fiction. The books are in order by total ratings. I've added more specific genres and brief spoiler free descriptions of each novel.
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*Forrest Gump by Winston Groom - historical running fiction. The novel isn't specifically focused on running throughout, but many chapters feature Forrest's physical running as important aspects of the narrative. (68,999 ratings)
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The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen - young adult running fiction. The story chronicles a high school 400m runner's physical and emotional journey of recovery and how running remains a central part of her life. (30,771 ratings)
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Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr. - running fiction. The novel is regarded as one of the most iconic novels about running. Its entire narrative is centered around the sport, both literally and metaphorically. Centering around the life of a competitive runner who vividly captures the intensity of training, the experience of racing, and the subculture of competitive running. (15,114 ratings)
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Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron - historical running fiction. A novel that centers around running, both as a literal sport and as a metaphor for survival, identity, and hope. The novel is set in Rwanda during the years leading up to and during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. (7,104 ratings)
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The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe - running fiction. Once again, running is a central role, both literally and metaphorically. The story explores themes of personal rebellion, social class, and individuality, with running serving as a powerful symbol for the protagonist’s inner life and resistance against societal expectations. (6,686 ratings)
* Novel might be demoted due to not being enough about running
Honorable Ineligible Mentions
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by novelist Haruki Murakami - memoir, not fiction. (171,386)
- The Running Man by Stephen King - dystopian fiction. There is a lot of running and some overlap between running qualities like endurance and stamina, but the sport or recreational activity of running is absent. The Running Man is really about survival, society, and oppression. (137, 820 ratings)
- The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker - dystopian fiction. Running plays a minor role both literally, but a larger key element of the story’s structure and themes metaphorically. And running makes for a good title, but it is not a "running novel" in the sense of being about the sport or activity of running. (14,848 ratings)
My Reviews
I'll be review each of the novels here on my blog. I'd love any and all feedback. Leave a comment. Here are reviews I've done so far:
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