The Memory of Running

By: Ron McLarty

Narrated by: Ron McLarty

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning actor and playwright Ron McLarty is well known for his audiobook performances. What fewer people realize is that he's also an accomplished author. In this wonderfully quirky novel, available exclusively as an audiobook, McLarty takes readers on a quest to find hope and redemption with an unlikely hero.

Smithson Ide is 43 years old and weighs 279 pounds when his parents die in an accident. Lost in memories of childhood, Smithson uncovers his old Raleigh bicycle in the garage and begins a cross-country journey to find his beautiful, but tragically psychotic sister. Keenly aware of how ridiculous he must appear, Smithson nonetheless perseveres through a journey that is hilarious and horrifying. It is a trip, he soon realizes, that might provide his last chance to become the person he has always wanted to be.

In late 2003, in his column in Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King called The Memory of Running "the best novel you won't read this year." This glowing endorsement of the audiobook resulted in Ron McLarty receiving a $2 million two-book deal from Viking Penguin. Also, Warner Brothers has shelled out big bucks for the movie rights to The Memory of Running, for which McLarty will write the script.

©2002 Ron McLarty (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Ron McLarty's The Memory of Running is the best novel you won't read this year. But you can experience it, and I'm all but positive that you'll thank me for the tip if you do....What I hope is that you'll order a copy and experience it for yourself....It's bighearted and as satisfying as one of your mom's home-cooked Sunday dinners." (Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly)

Don't Bother

It occurred to me that the overwhelming enthusiasm for this book is much like the story of the Emperor with No Clothes. Actually, a reviewer already mentioned that, but I swear I had thought of that analogy before reading that review. I can’t see anything that this book has going for it.

It is unbelievable that there are so many people that swear that this book has so much to offer. A plot does not exist. The characters are not fleshed out or developed, possibly because the main character/narrator is completely uninteresting and uninsightful. The language that the main character uses is completely shallow, unsophisticated, dull, and repetitive. There’s too much description, and most of the time it is meaningless, dry and doesn’t help develop the story. Time and again I wanted to know more about the characters, but the story never seemed to go there. It was completely flat. When tragedy occurred (and it occurred a lot in this story) I wasn’t moved probably because I didn’t care about the characters.

Now a little disclaimer: I only got through ½ the novel. That’s because I never read or listened to a novel where the first half was bad and the last half was great. I just gave up on it. But maybe there are some redeeming qualities later on. My gut feeling is that if you don’t like the novel after the first 2-3 hours of listening, you might want to cut your losses and check out something else. It’s up to you.

A great

If you are down on yourself, this book may change your perspective. I especially like the way the various episodes are broken up and intermingled with each other. Experience shows that books narrated by the author are usually a good bet, and this audiobook is no exception. Ron McLarty puts all of himself into the rendition. A great story and Highly recommended.

A great surprise

I am just about to finish this book and had to take a minute and say how much I've been enjoying it. So many times I start a book and get disapointed.

Not since I've read Middlesex have I enjoyed a life-story book as much as this one.

Absolutely Marvelous. Take this one to the Beach.

I haven't enjoyed a listen this much since "Middlesex", and it is every bit it's equal for both content and performance. A compelling story with memorable characters.

The book is a touching remembrance of growing up with a schizophrenic sister, whom he loves very much. It conveys the many ways the human psyche can cope with unbelievable and confusing events. You will love this character and root for him every mile of his incredible journey across the country and through his life.

And the writer is unique. Another reviewer is correct that this book is written to be read aloud. That is because the author is an accomplished performer of audio books. He knows what makes a wonderful listen, and he gives it to us perfectly.

Highly recommended.

Missed the Mark for Me!

I listened and listened and listened, hoping that some sort of plot would evolve into a real story of merit, but it simply didn't happen. All I can say is "It could have been so GOOD!" The narrator was quite good, but the story line, which folded over itself so many times with so many different characters and life events, just didn't catch my imagination.

Other listeners differ in their opinion, so don't take mine for the final answer. In total, I found it just a shade above b-o-r-i-n-g.

The Memory of Running

This book was meant to be read outloud and only Ron McLarty could read his own book with such finess. Found it hard to turn off and looked forward to my time to listen. I loved it.

Loved the character

I thought this book was a little strange. The main character seems to have been a doormat since he was in diapers. Everyone is mean to him and he has no real friends. I didn't like him. But, then I kind of fell in love with him. It made me cringe when someone would do something bad to him. I love how the author is his own narrator.
The journey he decides to take to bring his dead sister home is part Kerouac and part Grapes of Wrath.The journey is uplifting, but at the same time, depressing. The character changes a little during his morbid quest to give his sister a proper burial, but he doesn't change so much. He is taunted and taken-advantage of. But then again, there are some characters who make you realize that human beings are mostly good.

Simple can be Complex

An interesting story about characters who are simple people on the surface but who you come to feel have some profound qualities deep down. Smithy is an average Joe who embarks on any amazing, physically challenging journey during which he has time to discover things about himself and the people who are important to him. Sometimes he takes such a laid back approach to life I wanted to shake him by the neck, but that's just Smithy and I came to appreciate his approach to living. The author could have done much more with the Norma-Smithy relationship, especially at the very end. Also I found the constant skipping back and forth in time in a cyclic pattern to be a bit affected, unnecessary, and slightly aggravating. The story is interesting enough to be told in strict chronological order. But overall well worth the listen and the author's narration is perfect.

The Memory of Listening

Ron McLarty has written an American novel worthy of being read by generations of readers. I could not stop listening, carrying my audio player with me to the gym, to the store and into the house. McLarty weaves several story lines into this quintessential anti-hero plot. The anti-hero is on a quest without enough awareness to realize that he is searching. McLarty offers us this overweight loser of a character with great tenderness and humor and peoples his world with equally faulted humans, never condemning, just listening to their stories. My friend and I called each other to share tidbits of humor from the novel as we listened. Beautifully written and more powerfully read by McLarty. Congratulations Mr. McLarty.

This book will touch your heart

This story is very near to my heart. If you've lost a sibling to death or disease, been disappointed in your own behavior, or have just given up, this book my help to set you on the right path. One of my favorites.