Customer Reviews

Pain

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Dan Middleman, who has obviously read John L. Parker Jr.'s "Once a Runner," takes a different approach to the subject of the intensity of distance running that is anything but subdued, and thankfully so. This is a brutally honest and enthralling book that takes readers through the dark side of competitive distance running. Middleman's characters all face the toll of the double-sided card of competitive drive. Middleman focuses dually on the pressure they put on themselves to succeed and the pressure from the weight of the force of running to win in itself. The characters relieve themselves, even if only in a transitory way, by drinking beer like fish swimming through water, even if that itself turns into another problem, as several of the characters suffer from alcoholism. Parker's characters drank, but not like this. Middleman focuses on this aspect of college life more than Parker did, and as a college student myself, I have no doubts that these situations occur regularly just as described in "Pain."

Richard Dubin drinks heartily and runs even more heartily while trying to balance a serious relationship with a girl he is captured by. He suffers from extreme nervousness before races and becomes so jaded from it that his perspectives and personality change dramatically. Many college runners can identify with this, even though they may not take the tenebrous turns Richard does. This is a blunt, realistic, and entirely compelling book that is excellently written without being difficult to read or comprehend. There's not a false ring to it, especially in the narration and the dialogue; even the tragic ending, which will leave you reeling long after you've finished reading the book and carries an unexpected twist, is not farfetched. In fact, it's perfect considering the material that precedes it.

If you loved Parker's classic running novel, then you should check this one out to. Each captures the spirit of running in different ways. Both characters sacrifice themselves for the sport in unbridled, entirely believable ways, but end up with separate outcomes. Both of these novels should be examined for the effects on the competitive distance runner and the possible outcomes of such obsessions. They can be cathartic or ugly, but neither comes without a price before whatever the end result is. This book evinces the varying successes, failures, efforts, and thrashes that come with running, although the characters in the book suffer more than most.

As a college runner myself, I related to much of what happens in this brilliant book, particularly the varying mental states of a high caliber runner. While I am not as talented as Middleman's protagonist Richard Dubin and have not competed on as high a level as he does in this book, I was able to totally understand the struggles he goes through. Once I started this book late one night, I didn't want to put it down. Highly recommeneded.

Though not as uplifting as Once a Runner or as mentally stimulating as The Champion Maker, Pain is a realistic look at the way pressures to excel in distance running can drive a person to the brink. In that sense, it had a tragic feel similar to The Olympian, another running book I liked. As you would expect from a runner of Middleman's caliber, the training and racing descriptions are dead on. He also lightens the dark subject matter with some funny sections involving college pranks, drinking, etc.

More than 20 years ago, I read John Parker's Once a Runner. Like Middleman, Parker was an excellent University of Florida runner; like Parker, Middleman has written a very thinly disguised account of real runners and the world of elite athletes. I loved Parker's book; I've given it to many of my running friends and to the kids I've coached; I came to hate Middleman's book. I gave it two stars only because he does, indeed, write well about running. (I'd read an excellent excerpt in Running Times which made me anxious to read the book.) Why do I hate it? Because they are all drunks! Parker wrote about real college guys too. They drank beer and had fun. But they weren't drunk day after day after day. And what is especially sad is Middleman seems so clearly to be writing about himself. And, amazingly, he seems to genuinely describe himself as a recovered alcoholic since now he just downs a six pack or more four times a week and only gets really drunk on week-ends. This discourages the hell out of me because I've been coaching high school kids for so long, and if this is what they have to look forward to in college, it is extraordinarily depressing. So... go back to the classic, go back to John Parker's Once a Runner. If you are a highly competitive athlete - or just like a great story - it will move and inspire you. Skip Pain unless you want to be terminally depressed.

"Pain" lets the reader into the hardcore world of the student-athlete at a major university. From wild parties and nude relays to a tense relationship with an older woman, the story is set against the backdrop of competitive track and field, and the anxiety of Richard Dubin, a 5th-year senior and potential Olympian. The story moves quickly, encompassing funny scenes worthy of an "Animal House" sequel and disturbing, painful (hence the title) scenes of depression and anxiety. The characters are well-drawn, and the dialogue, authentic. The story winds inexorably toward a tragic ending, but the reader will be surprised at the twist it finally takes. Ultimately, the ending is haunting, but the book is written with great visual descriptions, and will leave you trying to mentally cast the movie.

dan middleman's account of a nationally recognized collegiate distance runner is hauntingly familiar what many college stars deal with today. the author describes in great detail the intense desire to perform at a level which would earn his character respect and also give reason to choose a life of a professional athlete. we are led on a roller coaster ride from a wild relationship with a woman 10 years his senior to wild parties his fellow teammates have. we experience the maturation from a boy into a man. overall mr. middleman succeeds in delivering a piece which is easy and enjoyable to read.

This is, without exception, the worst book I have ever ordered from Amazon, and probably the worst I have bought anywhere. It is written in the style of the school essay of a 12 year old, there is minimal character development, numerous contradictions (for example, in one sentence the main character was nauseous with nerves befors a big race, 3 sentences later he was 'like a machine'), and [...]. I very rarely discard books, but this was in the bin once I passed the half way stage and there was no improvement. Is it possible to give less than 1 star?

Sports Fan.

I am not for the censorship of depressing material. However, this one really pushes it. I pushed through the book and was left disappointed at the end. While I can find how someone can relate to the character, I found it simply too depressing. In other words, I didn't see the point of reading the book.

This is a great book. Anyone that has ever been a collegiate runner can relate. Hard training, a miserable coach, nights of drinking- this book describes the collegiate running experience perfectly. And includes a suprise ending.

I waited for six months to read Dan's book, and I finished it in about 5 hours. It was fast-moving and interesting--a nice debut.

However, I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone who has not been a part of the NCAA distance running experience. The characters he describes and events he details are strikingly familiar to those of us who run, but they would be just a strikingly foreign to those who have never competed at a high level. Readers who do not comprehend the drive of a distance runner would likewise not fully comprehend the forces behind many of the book's major events.

It's comforting, though perhaps a tad disturbing, to see that many collegiate runners live the same life I did in college. Dan's book was probably as nostalgic for me as it was for him, and I'm sure that most runners would agree.

This is a very negative and petty book, it does not motivate or inspire in any way. It is whiny, plaintive, and boring. I hope you got it out of your system Dan.