Author: Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕
My Thoughts:
I’ve been a fan of The Oatmeal for a few years so I was
really excited to have the chance to read his new book The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances. I’ve
been a runner on and off for the past 15 years and I’ve never considered myself
to be the typical runner. I don’t like to run more than 5 miles and people who
run more than that creep me out a little with their talk of dedication,
loneliness, despair, and achieving inner peace. Although Matthew Inman also
feels this way, he also admits to using running as a way to justify eating Nutella.
Some of the sections featured have appeared on
theoatmeal.com in the past but the rest are new material for the book. Inman's
unique brand of humor shines through as he discusses his motivations to run—an
anthropomorphic blob he calls the "Blerch", slaying the kraken,
Japanese hornets, etc... He even injects humor into the things runners don’t
tell non-runners—it’s hard to bring in new recruits when you tell stories about
bleeding nipples and toenail loss. Inman doesn’t glamorize distance running, in
fact he makes the reader think twice about trying it. But he always returns to
his center--his reason for running.
I really enjoyed this book and I think everyone will enjoy
it. The runners will nod in agreement, the non-runners think “I can do this.”
and those of us in the middle can do both. And even if you decide that running
is not for you, the chapter on Japanese Hornets is a must read. Trust me.
**NetGalley generously allowed me to read a copy of this
book in exchange for an honest review.**
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