After reading this book, I can say confidently that Murakami is my "soul-author", if there is such a term. While reading Murakami novels, I had tried imagining the personality of the author based on his protagonists. I had thought him to be this calm, slightly introvert, shy with display of emotions and one who has accepted the insignificance of human existence, ambitions, actions, etc in this wider sense of cosmos. After reading this book, which he says is as close it gets to an autobiography, I can say that most of my predictions were right. I feel happy reading an author whose beliefs are similar to mine. He is an author whose books I can go on reading without getting bored. This book also talks about running and his need for a physical pursuit. "An unhealthy soul requires a healthy body", he says, pointing out that a writer has to go through a lot of dark patches while writing and a healthy body gives him that stamina to endure it for a long time to come. This book is a beautifully written diary of sorts. It's a must read for all Murakami fans and running amateurs too.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami