Customer Reviews

The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner

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'Looniness' might be a book about an unfit Londoner but the writing is anything but! This very funny author had me in more stitches than the one I got when I last attempted to run a marathon.

Well, there are lots of books nowadays in the market about how one swims, runs, bikes .....to regain lost championship, for his/hers lost brother.. to just almost everything and I have honestly read at least 15 of them.
What makes this book different is that it is written by a British author and it is refreshing to read about the sarcastic British humor about being a runner, for example : the long distance runner is always the first one discovered dead body ... I kept giggling and laughing throughout the whole book.
One problem - if you are an average american like me who masters the most between two to three thousands words, there are a lot of new words to be discovered in this book.

This book is great for anyone after some serious conjugal bliss ! It was only by reading this book that my eyes were opened to the possibilities of meeting my soul mate in the 3 mile queue for the toilets before the start of the Menai Straits half marathon. The subtlety with which Mr Taylor alludes to the exquisite trials of nipple burn pronation and crotch chaff belies his deep appreciation of his subject. Mr Taylor's neo medicinal interest in vomitorial and lavatorial systems provides a regular evacuation of humour throughout the novel - Bronwen and I will be eternally indebted to him !

As a dedicated couch potato, I am really like books that let me experience exercise without ever having to do more than lift som e potato chips to my mouth. This book is great - it really makes you empathise with Russell Taylor's attempt to get fit, and learn how to run a marathon, without making you feel like you are reading an instruction manual. Clever and funny, in a way that will appeal to both running enthusiasts AND those who like reading humorous books on any subject.

The book was written by a British writer so it is a different experience in reading the British humor. I have read quite a few books on " how someone attempt to swim..to climb..."; while the writer wrote about his experience in training for the New York marathon and yet it was so humorous and encouraging that I highly recommend this book... I kept on giggling and laughing while i read this book.

Truly enjoyed this book. It's very witty. I kept laughing and giggling through the book. At times I had to read some passages to my husband for a shared laugh. My favorite chapter was on the Marathon history. Very informative and humorous