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Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
A story of families and friendships, of mental illness and addiction, of growing up and growing older, of first loves and second chances and of one man's journey across America toward personal redemption.
Once in a great while, a story comes along that has everything: plot,
setting, and, most important of all, the kind of characters that sweep readers
up and take them on a thrilling, unforgettable ride. Well, get ready for Ron
McLarty's The Memory of Running because, as Stephen King wrote in
Entertainment Weekly, "Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on
the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, your Yossarians."
Meet Smithson "Smithy" Ide, an overweight, friendless, chain-smoking,
forty-three-year-old drunk who works as a quality control inspector at a toy
action-figure factory in Rhode Island. By all accounts, including Smithy's
own, he's a loser. But when Smithy's life of quiet desperation is brutally
interrupted by tragedy, he stumbles across his old Raleigh bicycle and
impulsively sets off on an epic journey that might give him one last chance to
become the person he always wanted to be. As he pedals across America—with
stops in New York City, St. Louis, Denver, and Phoenix, to name a few—he
encounters humanity at its best and worst and adventures that are by turns
hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary. Along the way, Smithy falls in love
and back into life.
McLarty's novel has already received significant attention for its
unusual genesis as an audiobook. Now, in a major publishing event, we herald
the arrival of a major new voice in American fiction with his stunning debut,
The Memory of Running.
This book was first published as an audio book exclusive by Recorded Books
(August 2002).
1
My parents' Ford wagon hit a concrete divider on U.S. 95 outside
Biddeford, Maine, in August 1990. They'd driven that stretch of highway for
maybe thirty years, on the way to Long Lake. Some guy who used to play
baseball with Pop had these cabins by the lake and had named them for his
children. Jenny. Al. Tyler. Craig. Bugs. Alice and Sam. We always got Alice
for two weeks in August, because it had the best waterfront, with a shallow,
sandy beach, and Mom and Pop could watch us while they sat in the green
Adirondack chairs.
We came up even after Bethany had gone, and after I had become a man with a
job. I'd go up and be a son, and then we'd all go back to our places and
be regular people.
Long Lake has bass and pickerel and really beautiful yellow perch. You can't
convince some people about yellow perch, because perch have a thick, hard lip
and are coarse to touch, but they are pretty fish—I think the
...
Stephen King
This is a book that can do more than walk; it has a chance to be a
breakout bestseller...Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on the
shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, your Yossarians. Wally Lamb
Riders who hop onto the back of Smithy Ide's bike and ride America
with him will cherish the journey. I loved this sad, funny, life-affirming
novel.Ron McLarty is an award-winning actor and
playwright. He came to New York thirty years ago to become a
writer. He was a regular on the series Spenser: For Hire and has appeared
more recently on The Practice, Law & Order, and Sex and the City. He has also appeared
in many films and on the stage, where he has directed many of
his own plays. He is currently working on a movie of The
Memory of Running. He lives in New York City with his actress
wife, Kate Skinner.
In answer to the question, 'How much
did your own life experience influence the creation of your
characters ...
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