Book cover of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner

Book description

Perhaps one of the most revered works of fiction in the twentieth-century, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a modern classic about integrity, courage, and bucking the system. Its title story recounts the story of a reform school cross-country runner who seizes the perfect opportunity to defy the…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A non-runner begins running in prison and discovers its therapeutic benefits that help him do his time and start him on a journey of self-discovery. Having been an early morning runner for many years, I appreciated the protagonist’s descriptions of frosty early morning runs, which I think are some of the best in literature.

From Dennis' list on discovery & experience of running.

Regardless of one’s circumstances a passion for distance running both uplifts and gives a degree of control to the runner. This is perhaps one of the most revered works of fiction in the twentieth century. "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner" is a modern classic about integrity, courage, bucking the system, and, of course, passion. Many distance runners have a rebellious streak that generally goes unrecognized, that is until you set them loose in a race and then their passion reveals itself that often devastates competitors who mistakenly thought that a domesticated house cat cannot instantly morph into a vicious…

From Timothy's list on the passion for distance running.

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December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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