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In The Long Run: A Father, A Son, And Unintentional Lessons In Happiness (2011)

by Jim Axelrod(Favorite Author)

3.28 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0374192111 (ISBN13: 9780374192112)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

review 1: Uneven at times, but otherwise an emotional journey of a man watching his career implode, his marriage erode and trying to live up to his dead father's rules of life. A typical mid life crisis memoir, Mr. Axelrod finds running as a way to explore his life, not escape it. Predictable in an odd way as it is the true story of a man's experiences, but nevertheless satisfying. Recommended for fans of memoirs and runners who don't mind a running book that isn't really about running.
review 2: This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I still did enjoy it. I came into it not knowing who Jim Axelrod is, so all of the parts about his career weren't exactly what I signed up for when choosing this book. However, there was certainly some interesting material th... moreere and perhaps the book wouldn't have been a fully formed story without it. I did prefer the sections about running though, especially hearing his honest retelling of his greatest failings as a runner. It's always encouraging to know that there are other people out there struggling with the same issues. The final chapter was the perfect conclusion to the book and a very inspirational run through the New York Marathon course. One thing I found disconcerting was Axelrod's handling of the 9/11 story. I can understand somebody seeing the story as a chance to better their career, and I can even see somebody forget about the tragedy for a moment and focus on their personal missed opportunity, but in his telling of the story, he shows no compassion for the victims, no respect for the families of the dead, no honor for the heroes. I guess I applaud his honesty for not manufacturing feelings he wasn't having on the day, but he came off as a horrible person in that chapter. less

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