Once a Runner – John L. Parker

In re-released hardcover from Amazon.com - $16.32
Super-Nerdy Distinction Award: Arthur Poindexter

Buy it if: You’re a runner or - better yet - want to be one.

Don’t buy it if: You think athletic pursuits are a waste of time and have no business being part of a civilized society. (Then let me know to drop you from my list!)

I hate running, I really do. And anyone who’s ever seen me ‘run’ will certainly know why. It is terribly painful, horrifically slow and mind-numbingly boring. And yet, even someone as vehemently anti-running as myself was itching to lace on some racing flats and hit the track only midway through John Parker‘s Once a Runner. Ironically, this excellent read has only recently been re-released, having languished out of print for far too long. I can only assume this is because the readers of its supposedly niche market were busy fervently passing around this Gospel-according-to-Parker and the publisher saw its new books sales dwindle. But, thankfully, this novel is once again gracing the shelves of bookstores. (Along with a long overdue sequel, Again to Carthage.)

Actually, it’s hard to believe the book ever went away in the first place. The writing style is exceptionally approachable, easy to read without being simplistic. That’s a combination that’s far easier to appreciate than it is to actually create. Like a well-run, race, the pace is even throughout, building to a fantastically written athletic climax. Though I would imagine that some runners/readers might find the more personal, less athletic sections of the book to be boring, or even unnecessary, I think these show the author at this most perceptive. The ideal of the great athlete away on some remote mountaintop patiently plying his trade and honing his skills like a monkish Rocky is much more fallacy than fact, and this book nails the characteristic dichotomy of an elite athlete almost perfectly. After all, if life didn’t intrude, competitive running would be a straight-up genetics test. The inclusion of an athlete’s disappointments and distractions lends a great humanity to the text, and it’s far better for it.

From a technical athletic point of view, all the realism is there. With the exception of a fictional college and its fictional runners, this book is set in the real world. Frank Shorter, Pre…they’re all here, if only in a brief mentioning. The times bandied about are completely appropriate for the era and nothing seems amiss or farcical. It’s a nice change from the sadly typical half-researched sports writing one often sees. (Yes, I’m taking aim at you, Swimfan.)

There are more than a few critics who’ve called the Once a Runner the greatest running novel ever written. Well, I’ll be honest, I can’t actually think of any others offhand, but I this one’s good enough that even if I could find dozens of other stories with which to compare it, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Parker emerged on top by a large margin. Whether you run, walk or simply fatten yourself on the couch, this book is an absolute must read.