Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. (Running Fiction Review)

This is my fourth review in The Running Fiction Challenge.

Review

Weeks ago, before bed, I read 20-30 pages of the novel. I thought I was interested in continuing, but, here I am, weeks later, and my bookmark is on page 48. I have zero desire to read anymore of the novel. 

The opening descriptions and writing turned me off. But that isn't why I stopped reading. Below is the opening two paragraphs of the novel. Sample the first chapter here.

"THE NIGHT JOGGERS were out as usual.

The young man could see dim figures on the track even in this pale light, slowly pounding round and round the most infinite of footpaths. There would be, he knew, plump, determined-looking women slogging along while fleshy knees quivered. They would occasionally brush damp hair fiercely from their eyes and dream of certain cruel and smiling emcees: bikinis, ribbon-cuttings, and the like. And then, of course, tennis with white-toothed males, wild tangos in the moonlight."

Luckily, the novel mostly abandons this type of writing. 

The story is about a college runner. The first chapters are the start of a new season and school year. The main characters go for a run and the story picks up. The dynamics of the runners are fun. The competition and masculinity capture a time and place.

Overall, the story and characters aren't engaging enough to keep me reading.

In Once a Runner's defense, I started listening to Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend. Ferrante's characters and writing are so good. It seems unimaginable to revert back to reading anything like 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.

1. *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)

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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 review each of the novels here on my blog. I'd love any and all feedback. Here are reviews I've done so far:

• The End of the World Running Club
• Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
• The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. 

The Running Fiction Challenge

Introduction

I may have discovered a market failure in running fiction, see previous post here. I think running memoirs, histories, and biographers are reasonably represented, but running fiction is either underrepresented in publishing or under appreciated by readers, maybe both. I'm curious how others would respond to those claims.

What Makes Fiction Running Fiction

This is obviously up for debate. If anyone feels strongly about a book that should or shouldn't be on the list, I'm open to changing the list. I'm a reader who loves running, or a runner who loves reading. Other than that, I don't have any authority over what makes or doesn't make a piece of fiction in the genre running fiction.

The Challenge

Pay some respect to running fiction. Buy, loan, or download the most popular running fiction novels below. Read enough of the story to decide if you like it. Share a review on twitter, goodreads, amazon, or reddit so other readers can sample more running fiction. And of course discuss the books here on this post.

For twitter users use #runningfiction

Most Popular Running Fiction

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.

1. *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)

2. 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)*

3. 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)*

4. *The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker - dystopian running fiction*. Running plays a significant role metaphorically. While it’s not strictly a "running novel" in the sense of being about the sport of running, running becomes an element of the story’s structure and themes. (14,848 ratings)*

5. 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)*

6. 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)

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:

• The End of the World Running Club
• Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
• The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr.

The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker (Running Fiction Review)

This is my third review in The Running Fiction Challenge.

Review

I read most, ~80%, of The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker.

Overall it just isn't a book about running. It's a survival dystopian novel. It's way more like Walking Dead without zombies than anything related to the sport of running. Ultimately, I didn't care about the story or how it would end. I was waiting for it to become more about running, and now I'm moving on.

The protagonist and narrator is an unhealthy anti runner. The title pretty much gives the basic premise of the story. The setting is modern day Scotland/UK, and the protagonists is telling the story in hindsight.

It's well written. The point of view and pacing make for a page turning read. I especially like the perspective of the protagonist. He captures a lot of the uglier philosophical aspects of manhood and fatherhood. The mentality, I suspect, that many men feel, but they won't admit. Here is my favorite example:

"Man Caves. Shed, garages, studies, attics, cellars. Places for "men--or at least their twenty-first-century equivalents--to hide. To tinker, potter, be creative, build things, hammer bits of wood, listen to the music that their families hate.

Drink, smoke, look at pornography, masturbate.

The subtext of the man cave, of course, is that men don't want to spend any time with their families. For some reason this is perfectly acceptable; every man deserves his cave.

It is my right as a tired parent."

The book is about surviving. If you want to know how the above quote relates to survival, you'll have to read or listen to the book yourself.

Originally The End of the World Running Club was part of the most popular running fiction, but I've demoted it to an illegible honorable mention.

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.

1. *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)

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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:

• The End of the World Running Club
• Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
• The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. 

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron (Running Fiction Review)

This is my second review in The Running Fiction Challenge. Of the first three books I sampled, this is the only one I finished, see other reviews at the bottom.

Review

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron is historical fiction. The story takes place in Rwanda prior to the start of the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. The main character and his family are Tutsi, an ethnic minority in Rwanda and Burundi.

I knew almost nothing about Rwanda and or the genocide before I started the book, so I was interested in learning more context about the region and conflict. I've looked up a few things already, and I'm enjoying the motivation to learn more about Africa and Rwanda.

I found the initial conflict to be too cliche. At the beginning of the story the protagonist seems to have it all, elite intellect and athleticism. Right off the bat, readers know something bad is about to happen. The first bad thing is the cliche part that I think the author should have cut. It's not needed. Readers will learn it and understand it just as well as back story. As a reader I thought this is going to be about the genocide when I saw the setting was Rwanda. Then the first main conflict in the story made me think, hmm maybe this isn't about the genocide. Then of course, it is about the genocide and the first cliche conflict was a distraction. Besides this nitpick of mine, the story flows well. It's a slower reveal for both the readers and main character. The first chapters are short and make for fast and easy reading.

*barely a spoiler* The running training make no sense. I'm not sure if the author knows too little about running, or if this is how coaches and runners in Africa trained in the 1990s. For example, the coach is having his runner run repeat races in practice!

Overall, the book didn't create emotional responses from reading the words and descriptions of the terrible events that took place. The events were summarized and felt more like reading a newspaper. All the emotions I felt were created by my imagination when I thought about the events myself. There was a lot of telling and little showing.

This telling over showing, felt appropriate. It is very much how the west sees Africa. It sucks that people are suffering unimaginable horrors, but I'm ready to read the sports or business section now. And this is how I feel. I want to look up more about the conflict, but I'm also ready for my next book.

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.

1. *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)

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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:

• The End of the World Running Club
• Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
• The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. 
•  

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen (Running Fiction Review)

This is my first review in The Running Fiction Challenge.

Review

I started reading The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen. 

The Running Dream is young adult fiction. The main character is a junior in high school and 400 meter runner. She has an accident and can no longer run. The chapters are very short and the pace of the book is fast. So far the first ~10% of the book doesn't have much to do with running. I assume it'll be more about running because of the title, structure of the story, and the character's mentality. Through no fault of the author, writing, characters, or story, I probably won't continue with this book.

The author Van Drannen is a runner. If you read over her website, she mentions running multiple times, even finishing six marathons.

For runners interested in young adult fiction, I'd recommend this book.

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.

1. *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)

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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:

• The End of the World Running Club
• Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
• The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. 
•  

Running Fiction, Why Not?

I recently interviewed (listen here) the hosts of Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz, a podcast that reviews running books. They have reviewed over 90 running books, but only two of those books have been fiction. Which made me wonder about running fiction. Why aren't there more running novels and fiction? And if there are, why aren't they more popular among runners?

I suspect that when it comes to running, and probably sports in general, reality is better than fiction. People would rather read about the athlete who won the gold medals, championships, and records than an athlete an author created. Regardless of the reason, it is very clear that running fiction is ultra marathons less popular than running nonfiction.

Join The Running Fiction Challenge.

Most Popular Running Fiction

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.

1. The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen (30,771 ratings) (Young Adult Fiction, female high school 400m runner)
   
2. Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr. (15,114 ratings)
3. The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker (14,848 ratings) (non runner becomes a runner after the apocalypse)
   
4. Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron (7,104 ratings) (Historical Fiction, Rwandan genocide)
   
5. The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe (6,686 ratings)

Honorable Ineligible Mentions

• What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by novelist Haruki Murakami (memoir, not fiction)(171,386)
• Forrest Gump by Winston Groom (not enough about running)(68,999)

I haven't read any of the books mentioned above. I'd like to at least check out a chapter or two of each. If I do, I'll report back to see if my theories hold any water, pun intended (see below).

Intro to the Theory

Running is underrepresented in fiction (maybe). Writers, novelists especially, aren't using runners as characters or aren't focusing on their running for topics and plots. Maybe runners don't like fiction and that demand influences writers. That could be true. Runners are more active people, and active people might spend less time sitting and reading. This could be true. But then running books are very popular. It's running fiction that isn't as popular.

The theories below are based on my understanding of people, readers, writers, and fiction. I didn't look up or verify any of the ideas present. I'm shooting from the hip here. Still, I think my ideas are plausible explanations for at least some of the imbalances between running fiction and running nonfiction. I'll take any and all feedback.

Inauthentic Determination

Lance Armstrong had one of the most inspiring stories of my generation. Even after being exposed by teammates and experts in cycling, people still believed and wanted to believe Armstrong's story. I admit that I was one of them. Eventually, Armstrong was revealed to be an elite cheater and asshole on top of his elite athletic abilities. I'd argue his story is still great, really, the fictional one he describes in his books and the cautionary tale of his real life. But clearly, Armstrong's story has lost most, if not all, of it's appeal to people. Watch ESPN's "LANCE" for the more accurate story of Armstrong. See my review of his book here.

Armstrong deserves all the negativity he has received and will receive, and still, I like Armstrong's story of what it really takes to be the best. Maybe that is the only way to tell Armstrong's story. He has to be the bad guy or the tragic hero who falls. 

People loved the fairy tale of the man who beat cancer then beat one of the most grueling sporting events seven years in a row. Remember all the "Live Strong" bracelets? Lance was loved, until his fairy tale was fictional. Part of our disgust with Armstrong is the fictional aspects of his story. People love the fairy tales only when they are real, or when they think they are real. 

Inauthentic fairy tales don't work.

Conflict Drives Stories

Fiction has a few basic necessities, but none more essential than conflict (cancer is a great conflict, by the way). So no conflict, no story. 

Example 1

Jeff was thirsty when he called to his daughter Eve, "Evie, water!" 

Eve brought Jeff a cup of water. Jeff drank the water.

Example 2

Jeff was thirsty. He went to the sink to get water, but the tap wouldn't release water. It was late and Jeff was a lot more tired than thirsty, so he went to sleep without getting a drink.

In the morning, Jeff woke up to neighbors yelling. He went outside.

"None of us have any water!"

"Can't be possible--"

"Did you see the news this morning? Cities all over the world were reporting no water."

"And now the internet and electricity is out!"

It was true. All the water on Earth seemed to have disappeared the previous night...

I made both of these up as I wrote because I was thirsty and my water bottle was empty. It's not that example 2 is good, it's not, but it's a lot better than example 1. The water thing probably doesn't work, but the conflict is there. Readers will be a lot more interested in a thirsty Jeff on a planet with no water than in the Jeff who easily gets water. Example 2 has more details and dialogue, but the main thing it adds is conflict. 

Think of any great story. The story is good because of how the characters deal with conflict and struggle to get what they want. It is how and why and not so much what, where, nor when.

Running history books, biographies, and memoirs are very popular because they have authentic conflicts and authentic achievements. Readers want to know the inspiration is authentic and deserved.

Team Conflict > Individual Sport Conflict

Running is less of a team sport. Conflict impairs running. Being a great runner is pretty boring stuff. Runners need to eat well, sleep well, and live well. Professional runners spend a full-time job amount of time training and preparing their bodies for running and racing. There is a lot less room for interesting conflicts in the most elite runners. Having a lot of interesting conflicts impedes performance. This ties back to authentic determination. The authentic lifestyles of professional runners are too boring for fiction.

The characters don't have to be professional runners. But then, they don't have to be runners period. Maybe more characters are runners. But their identity as runners and time running isn't focal to the conflicts and plot of stories.

Team sports, like basketball or football, have so many greater opportunities for characters to interact and be thrown into conflict. Think of the tropes, the underdog, the aging player who has to accept a new role, the hotshot who has to learn to be a team player, etc. The team setting is a better environment for conflict and stories.

Conclusion

Real life stories are more authentic. More authentic sports stories are more interesting to viewers. Team sports present better opportunities for authors to create interesting and more authentic conflicts. Plus all other factors that I didn't mention. As a result, there is a lot less running fiction in libraries, and book stores.