I just finished this book.  I cant stop thinking about the main character, Smithy Ide.    This book  "Memory of Running" should not be missed!   A great story about a 43 year old self admitted loser.  Overweight, drunk, chain smoker ect.....  After an accident he takes off across country on his boyhood Raleigh bicycle.   This book was turned down by one publisher then another and another........finally picked up by an internet publisher.  Steven King, yes THAT Steven King got behind the book in his column he writes for Entertainment Weekly.  He compares Smithy Ide to Yossarian of Catch 22 fame and Huck Finn and even Holden Caufield.  I know this is a book that I will  never completely get out of my mind.   ANYONE else read it?  Comments?.......have a good weekend.

Thanks Scott.  Glad to hear glowing reviews.  It's in my TBR pile, so I will inch it closer to the top!

hmmm.....I did not like this book...I felt like it was very slow!!  Different tastes I guess!

Maybe I missed the point to this story.  I thought the book was mildly interesting.  The tone was bordering on major depressive.  Although Smithy did do alot of internal soul searching, I just got the feeling he was mentally and emotionally stunted...maybe from all those mind numbing lonely drunken nights??? 

I really enjoyed the book, once i got into i didn't want to put it down. I have his other book  Traveler in my TBR pile.

I just picked this up off a library sale cart for $1 but didn't know anything about it.  It's officially in the TBR now....thanks for the rec!

It is one of those that I liked, but wasn't anything amazing for me.  I read it, enjoyed it and passed it on!

I listened to the audio. The first half, the backstory in Rhode Island about him and his sister did go on and on; the second part about the actual cross-country trip was more interesting. I'd rate is as "good-but-not-great" and wouldn't recommend going out and spending money for a copy.

I too, just finished this, and I really enjoyed it.  The story's been done a few times, but it is the new characters and the fresh voice of the author that make these plots so interesting.  Yes, depressing, yet it didn't depress me like these books usually do.  You could see and feel the redemption coming right from the get go.  Funny, I wanted this book for a long time, got it at last, and it sat in my TBR for over a year.  So glad I finally read it.

I really enjoyed the story too. Smithy Ide was a great character.