Books – Middle Age Fanclub

Book Review: The Kingdom by Jo Nesbo.

If you’re into your crime thrillers then you’ll know that there are a number of reliable writers in what has fast become a bit of a saturated market. Jo Nesbo though, with his somewhat dark Scandinavian landscapes is undoubtedly one of the best and one of the world’s biggest selling crime writers.

The Kingdom is the tale of two brothers with a dark, mysterious past and more than a few secrets. Roy, the older brother still lives on the family smallholding in remote Norway while holding down a job in the village that they grew up in. Younger brother Carl has emigrated to Canada to make his fortune and perhaps to escape his past. However, when he returns in a blaze of glory, everything changes and a few skeletons begin to threaten to emerge from the cupboards.

The Kingdom is, as you’d expect from Nesbo, a well written thriller full of grisly death and with more than enough twists to keep the reader guessing as to what might happen next and what fate might hold for the two brothers. Dealing with issues like the intricacies of life in a small, insular town, brotherly love and even child abuse, this is much more than just your average crime thriller. Sure, the body count begins to rack up as the story unfolds. but there’s more than just gory mysterious death to this one.

Nesbo’s characters are, as usual, rather complex. In the case of older sibling Roy it felt like the surprises about his character just kept on coming and I never really felt that I’d got to grips with exactly who he was. Maybe this was to do with the conflict between his fierce loyalty to his younger brother and his growing attraction to his sister-in-law, Shannon. And Shannon herself is a pretty dark horse. But then there’s also the younger brother Carl and a whole host of either villagers or mysterious visitors to keep us on our toes.

Such is the sprawling timeline of the narrative that I never felt like I knew exactly what was coming next. And the unpredictability here acts as both a good thing and a bad thing. There was that delicious feeling that you get when the penny starts to drop about what’s going to happen or the time when something is revealed that you truly weren’t expecting, which can be fantastic, but also the distinct feeling that sometimes there might be one character or detail too many. So while I never really lost track, there were times when I hoped that things would move a little faster.

In the end Nesbo draws all of his strings together well, but the twists and turns just keep on coming, meaning that you’re never quite sure who’s going to survive. All this action, drama, blood and backstabbing in a sleepy mountain village. Who’d have thought?

The Kingdom is an epic tale and a hulking great book, but it’s well worth a chunk of your time. And while it can be a little slow at times, it remains an excellent page turner that’s chock full of surprises.

I give The Kingdom…

Book Review: Forever Young by Oliver Kay.

As a football fan, one of the things I love about following the game so closely is when you unearth a player that you’d never previously heard of. I’ve followed football since being very young, I read a lot about the game, have played it for years and even coached for a while. So, I like to think I’ve got a bit of knowledge. And then, every so often something or someone enters my consciousness and there’s a mixture of thrills and sadness about finding them. Adrian Doherty was one such player.

Oliver Kay’s book is brilliantly encyclopaedic in its examination of Adrian Doherty. And it’s all the more remarkable because Doherty only ever made three senior appearances as a professional footballer. However, Kay’s book makes it abundantly clear that the game lost out when we lost the opportunity to watch Doherty on a regular basis.

Doherty is referred to in the book as a lost genius; a teenage prodigy blessed with a gift for the game and sadly, a career ruined by serious injury. Here, Kay follows his journey from the streets of Strabane in Northern Ireland and starring for Moorfield Boys’ Club to the bright lights and big time of Manchester United and Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.

And this is where Adrian Doherty’s story begins to move away from the traditional biography of a footballer. Doherty’s story is at first the stuff of every boys’ dreams, but one that ultimately turns into something else entirely. Always a little different as a kid, Doherty continued to follow very much his own path into his youth. While he excelled on the football pitch, Doherty never allowed the sport to consume him and always had outside interests that would clash jarringly with what was maybe expected of him as a potential professional footballer.

As part of Manchester United’s famous Class of ’92, Doherty played with some of the game’s legendary figures such as Beckham, Giggs and Scholes and it was said that he was better than the lot of them! And yet, even that and the promise of a glittering career just didn’t seem to enough for him.

Doherty was very much a free spirit and football was never the be all and end all for him. And as he grew older, those differences left him more and more isolated in life. This wasn’t a state that bothered him though. Doherty seemed to be living happily with only his poetry and music for company, making his own way in life while somehow forging ahead with a burgeoning football career. And then tragically, injury intervened.

Kay’s book is a remarkable tale that is both tragic and heart warming at the same time. I read it feeling a certain sense of regret that this was a player that I never got to see, regardless of the team that he would have played for. But Kay is careful to convey the fact that Doherty derived a great deal of pleasure and fulfilment out of life and his chosen path. Even when injury ended a promising career, that’s all it was to Doherty; a career and not the only thing that he had in life. The free spirit was able to blossom, roam and pursue things like poetry, writing and music.

‘Forever Young’ is a must read for football fans. But don’t expect the traditional footballers’ tale. This is not a story that ends with riches, glory and the raising of any trophies. This is a story that gives us a completely different take on footballers and as a result is a really interesting read. Having Doherty as a team mate is described as being “like having Bob Dylan in a No 7 shirt”…and if that doesn’t add up to a book that intrigues you then I don’t know what will, especially if you’re a sports fan.

I give ‘Forever Young’…

Book Review: ‘Outrunning The Demons’ by Phil Hewitt.

Running is one of those subject that can be quite divisive. As runners, we’re sold on its many qualities. It can almost feel like a drug in its addictive nature and despite the pain and the exhaustion, we always come back for more. Worse still, it can also become all that we want to talk about and so, we become ‘running bores’ on top of everything else. Believe me, other people love a running bore!

‘Outrunning The Demons’ is a collection of real-life tales from various runners of all abilities about the reasons why they run and the reasons why running has saved them. There are stories of bereavement, addiction and mental health challenges and all of them highlight the importance of running to those involved. In fact, Hewitt himself turned to running after being mugged and left for dead in 2016, so he’s living proof of the healing qualities of getting out for a run.

Since rediscovering running in my forties I’ve realised its importance in helping me think things through and its values in terms of my mental health. Then, having had a major heart procedure when I hit 50, running has become even more important, giving me at first a recovery goal and since then a lot of the strength needed just to keep going at times.

So ‘Outrunning The Demons’ felt both pertinent and personal to me. There was lots to relate to in these tales, as well as the type of pain and running ‘journeys’ that I couldn’t hope to understand. Among the 34 stories there are elite runners and there are people who only took up running because of the loss of a runner who was close to them. Charlie is a recovering drug addict, Theresa lost her firefighter husband in 9/11 and ran to take his place in a marathon, James an army veteran recovering from trauma in Iraq and Sujan suffers with anxiety brought on by a troubled childhood. All of them looked to running to help them cope again with every day life.

And there are loads more amazing stories to read about here. This is a book that’s as full of inspiration as it is pain. And it’s a book where you can’t fail to care about the people that you read about. So, at times it’s an emotional read. If you’re a fellow runner, you’ll undoubtedly recognise many of the emotions and be able to empathise with the trauma that some of these ordinary folk have endured.

Hewitt’s own tale is startling and perhaps worthy of a book in itself. But instead, he spent time bringing together people from all corners of the globe who have sought out a similar solution when faced with the kind of problems that might otherwise have seen them go under.

‘Outrunning The Demons’ is at times an incredible read. It’s subtitled ‘lives transformed through running’ and is comprehensive in recounting what really are some remarkable transformations. Always interesting and always inspiring, it became hard for me to put down at times. A life affirming read, whether you’re a runner or not.

I give ‘Outrunning The Demons’…

Book Review: Half a World Away by Mike Gayle

Imagine living with a past that you could never shake off, regardless of how content you might be with life. Imagine living with the kind of secret that you had no idea how to address.

Kerry Hales is a single mum who does everything she can to provide for her young son and make the most of life on a south London estate. Meanwhile, across London her brother Jason lives a successful life with a wife and daughter. Now a top barrister, he knows nothing of the sister that he was once so close to. He’s not Jason anymore either; now he’s Noah. But Kerry has never forgotten him, whatever his name might be these days.

Kerry and Jason were separated as children when their mother admitted defeat in her quest to bring them up and had them taken into care. Kerry was ten and Jason almost two and while Kerry would go on to live through the system with chidlren’s homes and foster care, Jason was quickly adopted by a well to do family who not only saved him from what could well have been a troubled childhood, but change his name to something that they thought more fitting.

‘Half A World Away’ is in part the happy tale of how sister and brother are finally reunited. Sadly though, nothing of this magnitude could ever be simple and so there’s sure to be trouble and sadness along the way. I mean, being contacted by anyone out of the blue after 32 years without a word would be at the very least a little strange. But a sibling that you never knew you had? As Noah himself says, ‘it’s impossible to describe the range of emotions I felt upon reading the letter’.

Despite the fact that at first Noah believes that Kerry’s letter might be a scam of some sort, the two are eventually reunited. But it was never going to be straightforward.

What we end up with though, is just a brilliant story. I’ve read a few Mike Gayle books before but oddly not picked one up for years without really ever knowing how or why that had happened. In fact, this one was found in a box of books that I’d mislaid in the loft. I’m so glad I found it though. Gayle is a brilliant writer when it comes to relatable characters and emotions. And although nothing like this has ever happened to me, I found that not only could I just not put the book down, but that I was quickly invested in the relationships and the characters, which of course is always a good sign.

Covering themes such as love, family, race and class, ‘Half A World Away’ is a real page turner. It’s beautifully written with characters that you’ll instantly care about and feel like you almost know. Equal parts funny and heart warming, this is a story that is also gut-wrenchingly sad, so you might need a pack of tissues. Ultimately though, ‘Half A World Away’ is just a fantastic story and I’d urge you to give it a go.

I give ‘Half A World Away’…

Book Review: ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ by John Cooper Clarke

If you know of him, John Cooper Clarke comes under a number of aliases. The Poet Laureate of Punk, the Bard of Salford, the punk poet…he’s even sometimes referred to as Dr. John Cooper Clarke. If you don’t know of him, well it’s best you start with the viewpoint that the man is a star. A poet, a raconteur and an entertainer. And as we find out in ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, he can’t half tell a story!

As such, you’d expect his autobiography to be quite the read. And you wouldn’t be disappointed. Having read it recently in fact, I was actually pleasantly surprised at just how ‘eventful’ his life has been, as the book went way beyond my expectations. I thought I knew a few things about the man who’s considered a bit of a national treasure these days, but on reading the book I found that there are layers upon layers to this fella’s life story. What a treat!

Now aged 75, Cooper Clarke is best known as a poet, although in recent years he’s managed to light up several TV panel shows with his wit, humour and way with words. And it’s his gift for language that makes ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ so eminently readable. The sharp delivery meant that I read the whole thing hearing Cooper Clarke’s voice in my head, which for me made the whole thing all the more memorable.

The book takes us through his early years as a sickly child in Manchester where in fact, a dose of tuberculosis meant that he was moved to the North Wales coast to live with relatives in the hope that the sea air would aid his recovery. Once back in Manchester, we hear of a multitude of adventures as Cooper Clarke grows up and eventually begins to get into clothes and music, slowly honing the look for which he’d become famous in later life.

Eventually, with a bit of luck, a good deal of hard graft and not without one or two setbacks along the way, John finds that he has a gift for entertaining people. And so begins quite the extraordinary tale of a bit of a legend.

This is a brilliant book with any number of twists and turns, a whole host of bizarre and incredible tales and no shortage of surprises. So while I was fully aware of Cooper Clarke’s influence on bands such as The Arctic Monkeys, I certainly wasn’t expecting the likes of Bernard Manning to put in an appearance! And then as I carried on reading and found out about his close associations with the likes of Nico and Linton Kwesi Johnson, I was more than a little bit blown away! But that’s the thing about a life like Cooper Clarke’s and in turn this book; there’s never a page wasted, there’s always something curious or funny or just downright mindblowing around the corner.

A genuinely funny man, with a great turn of phrase, Cooper Clarke’s words will inevitably raise a smile and leave you in fits of laughter at times too. But for all of the light there are many moments of shade and the book – and John’s life – has sad moments too alongside many murky tales of Cooper Clarke’s own drug addictions. But even here, it’s all told with such candour and black humour that I found myself not really batting an eyelid and simply accepting that it had all added to the rich tapestry that I’d been reading about.

In the end, I was left wondering if at times, I’d been had. Surely there are more than a few tall tales and embellishments along the way in the book? However, on reflection I decided that either I didn’t really care – I mean wherever the truth lies, this was an amazing read – or more likely, it was all probably very much true. Because, whether it be looking after somebody’s monkey in Amsterdam and just ducking and diving while looking for your next fix of heroin, it could well have all happened to only one man; John Cooper Clarke.

Whether you know of his legend or not, this is a book I’d thoroughly recommend.

I give ‘I Wanna Be Yours’

Book Review: I Blame Morrissey by Jamie Jones

Music and sport can do funny things to a person. Those of us who take an interest in either or both can become unhinged, erratic, obsessive and just plain odd because of how they make us feel. In fact, if you’re a fan of both, you may well get to a certain age and look back in wonder, unable to fathom out some of your decisions, while simultaneously still believing that they were right all along. People won’t understand you and you won’t understand what there is to understand, but quietly you’ll be fully aware of just what a weirdo you probably are.

Jamie Jones is one such weirdo and ‘I Blame Morrissey’ is his attempt to explain his obsessions with music and to a lesser extent, football.

Jones grew up in the 90s – like me – and was obsessed by music and football – like me. However, while I made some ridiculous decisions while following bands and Newcastle United, I managed to allow life to get in the way and eventually grew into a reasonably well adjusted adult. Sort of. Jamie Jones – and I can’t disguise some kind of jealousy – got more and more obsessive until he was allowing his life to be dictated by song lyrics. And as crazy as that might sound to some of you, it all makes for some incredible stories.

‘I Blame Morrissey’ tells the tale of a young man growing up and trying to navigate the world around him while also dedicating himself to following music and Peterborough United. And for most of the time, music and Peterborough win out, meaning that relationships are doomed because of perceived messages in songs and important dates and occasions missed because Peterborough have a game in some meaningless competition. I mean, we’ve all been there, right? Right?

Jones’s teenage years were dominated by girls, Peterborough United and musicians like Billy Bragg. But like any good music fan his journey takes on various twists and turns, many of them familiar to me and most likely to some of you too. Thus, if you are of a certain age there will be something here for you; a memory to empathise with or the reminder of a song that brings it all flooding back. There are festivals from a time when it was the music that was the most important thing. There are tales of The Charlatans, Morrissey, Ride, the Britpop years, of loves lost and found and of any number of decisions made in the name of whatever the latest obsession happens to be. There’s even some Teenage Fanclub, which obviously resonated with the bloke who writes this blog.

There’s a lot of this book that I feel like I lived myself. A great deal of the rest of it buzzes with a familiarity and a nostalgia that I simply couldn’t get enough of. And for that reason, everything about the book was a joy for me; like stepping back in time.

If you grew up with posters on your bedroom walls that you sometimes talked to, if you ever bought items of clothing because your idols did, if you ever changed your walk or your body language just to be more like your heroes or if you ever endangered a friendship, relationship or even your own life just to go and see a band, then ‘I Blame Morrissey’ will be right up your street!

I give ‘I Blame Morrissey’…

Book Review: ‘Above Head Height’ by James Brown.

Confession time. I had a little bit of a misspent youth. Nothing to panic about. Not committing crimes, not doing a great deal to disrupt others and not going out of my way to be obnoxious. My misspent youth consisted of doing the kinds of things that were important to me for as much as my time as was humanly possible, while neglecting the stuff that seemed boring, but on reflection might have actually done me some good.

My misspent youth largely revolved around football. Naturally, there were girls a bit later too, but I was no Casanova. Mind you, I spent endless hours playing football and I was no Maradona either! But wherever I could and whenever I could, I played football. ‘Above Head Height’ is a book for all of us who have obsessed and continue to obsess about football. ‘Above Head Height’ is what happens when your misspent youth continues through your entire adult life.

If you love football, then ‘Above Head Height’ is a must read. Even if you only have a casual interest in the game it’s still definitely worth a look. Brown – the former editor of the groundbreaking Loaded magazine – takes us through his own personal obsession with football, from days and nights playing any-number-a-side street football right up to his present day situation where he plays football with various social groups about 4 or 5 times a week. It’s an encyclopedic look at the game and why we play it, as well as why we get so obsessed and so for those of you like me and James, it becomes a very interesting read.

Brown’s experience of football as a kid will be familiar to a lot of us and as such, offers a huge slice of nostalgia for simpler football related times. Huge sided, barely organised games in the street, the park or wherever there was space and playing until you were either dragged in by a parent or it was just too dark to see anymore. Sometimes even that wasn’t enough to stop us!

‘Above Head Height’ takes us on Brown’s journey through football in its many guises. It’s a path well trodden for many of us. There are his experiences with school teams, playing with gifted players, playing at college and university, early adult five-a-side leagues and then onto time spent coaching his son’s team (something which a lot of us will have stumbled into inadvertently!).

This is more than just a book about football and a football obsessive. ‘Above Head Height’ starts with the funeral of a fellow player and Brown touching on the fact that, despite having spent years playing with this man, he really didn’t know him. He could pass comment on his playing style and pay tribute to his organisational skills – he was the bloke who organised the league – but what did he really know of the man he’d spent so much time with?

Ultimately, ‘Above Head Height’ is a book about friendship, camaraderie, obsession, health, fitness and the realisation that none of us are getting any younger. Football is just the orange or black and white checkered sun that it all orbits around. Of course, there will be family, careers, births and deaths, but sometimes it will feel like none of it is as serious as our feelings for the beautiful game!

If you remember the Wembley Trophy (or the penny floater if you’re from my neck of the woods), if you’ve ever spent far too long explaining the whys and wherefores of your latest ‘world-class’ goal, if the phrase ‘jumpers for goalposts’ still makes you smile and if you still dream that you might just get the call to play professionally, then ‘Above Head Height’ will be right up your street.

I give ‘Above Head Height’…

Book Review: ‘Freak the Mighty’ by Rodman Philbrick

Max and Kevin shouldn’t get along. They’ve got nothing in common apart from being outsiders and neither seems to have the personality or simply the willingness to make a friend. In fact, they both seem to have a certain distaste for other people. They’re fine on their own, thank you very much. However, they’ve both got a level of curiosity too and it’s not long before they give in to it. And thank goodness they do.

Max is a loner by choice. Raised by his grandparents, he’s got a reputation with the other kids around school as being mean and prone to violent outbursts, earning him the cruel nickname Mad Max among others. But he’d known Kevin previously at nursery and been fascinated by his crooked legs and braces. So when years later Kevin moves back to town, an uneasy and unlikely friendship is quickly formed and Freak the Mighty is born.

Max (aka The Mighty) lives in his grandparent’s basement and rarely ventures out. He definitely doesn’t have friends around. But it isn’t long before Kevin (aka Freak) – back in the neighbourhood with his mum Gwen – is spending time there. And from this point on a beautiful friendship grows. Max protects Kevin and doesn’t judge him for the way he looks, while Kevin serves to educate Max and doesn’t judge him for the way he talks. It’s not long before adventure is calling.

‘Freak the Mighty’ is an amazing story. It’s actually aimed at Key Stage 3 kids, so ages 11-13, but I have no shame in saying that I loved every page. It was a book that was recommended on social media; the second one that I’ve picked up because a comedian said so! And what a recommendation it turned out to be! The book was also made into a 1998 film – The Mighty – starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, Harry Dean Stanton, James Gandolfini and Kieran Culkin and that too is well worth your time. But please read the book first! At under 200 pages it won’t take you long and it will make you smile!

At first, the friendship is mostly about childlike adventures. Kevin is carried round by Max on his shoulders, barking orders and encouragement in his ear as they investigate their neighbourhood. For a while, this is a good news story and the friendship feels indestructible. But then, a dark shadow from Max’s past re-enters his life and his world changes overnight.

It begins to seem very likely that Max will be lost to his grandparents. His life will be changed and for once, he won’t be able to force his way out of things. Mad Max seems sure to return. And this is where the beauty in Philbrick’s writing is. As a reader you’ll hate the transformation in Max, having witnessed first hand what friendship can do for even this most lost of lost boys. And now he’s about to become lost once more. However, there’s always a glimmer of light at the end of this particular tunnel. And it comes in the form of a ‘Freak’ named Kevin. Kevin uses every last measure of strength, cunning and intellect to come to the rescue, hatching a brilliant plan to come to the aid of his friend. So, just when it looked like they might be wrenched apart forever, Freak the Mighty are reunited. But can it last?

I would absolutely recommend you read Freak the Mighty. There are drug references and some violence, so be careful in who you share it with in terms of children. For the most part though it’s downright funny, while also being life affirming and then all of a sudden, desperately sad. At a basic level though, it’s just a great story with a lot to offer in terms of lessons in friendship and humanity.

Literature is full of unlikely friendships – George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men, Huck and Tom from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Bruno and Shmuel in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and they always make for good reading. Well Max and Kevin might well be one you’re yet to discover. I can only point you in the right direction; read Freak the Mighty!

I give Freak the Mighty…

Book Review: The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird

The Garbage King is a story that’s largely aimed at kids, probably from Year 6 upwards. However, a good story is a good story, no matter who it’s aimed at. I stumbled upon it when I was looking for ideas for my reluctant reader son to try and thus, having read only good things about the book, I decided to give it a go myself!

The Garbage King tells the story of street children in Ethiopia and helps us to understand that regardless of their background, children are essentially very vulnerable and that anything can happen to any of them. Such is the case with Dani and Mamo, two kids from opposite ends of the social scale who end up on the street together.

After a harrowing episode in his early life where he’s sold to a rural family as a slave, Dani escapes back to Addis Ababa and begins his life on the streets. So far, life has been brutal and painful for Dani and the streets of Ethiopia’s capital don’t make things any better.

Meanwhile, across town Mamo lives in a lovely house in a quiet, exclusive area. He has the trappings of a wealthy family, but is failing in school and his strict father is not impressed. Fearing his fate when his lack of academic progress is revealed, he decides that there’s only one thing for it; to run away. Before he knows it he too is living on the streets. But while one boy relies on his wits and guile to stay alive, the other is a sitting duck. And then a chance encounter between the two boys changes both of their lives.

The Garbage King is an excellent read. Elizabeth Laird gives the reader a brilliant, and I have to assume authentic view, of life on the streets of Addis Ababa. Certainly, as I was reading I felt like I could easily imagine what it looked like as well as hearing the sounds of the city and even being able to imagine the smell of some of the food being described. It was clearly not the kind of hustle and bustle that would be safe for a child though.

Danger seems to lie at every corner of Laird’s Addis Ababa, making The Garbage King a tense read at times. As a reader, there’s a genuine sense of fear for both of the boys, but especially the naïve Mamo. Luckily though, he has Dani to look out for him, so although life is now distinctly uncomfortable, there’s slightly less immediate danger.

There are twists and turns to The Garbage King, making it a real page turner at times. As poor Mamo lies freezing at night, too terrified to sleep, it made me think of my own son and how frightened I’d be if he happened to find himself in a similar situation. It’s bad enough when he’s out camping!

Laird’s characters are fantastically written. We’re onside with Dani from the very start of the novel. Life is tough for him, but he doesn’t complain. In fact, he shows guts and determination in order to get out of the initial situation that he finds himself in and when he’s finally made safe by the kindness of a stranger, we feel happy for him. He’s bright and likeable and so when fate deals him a losing hand, we’re willing things to get better. And when the various dangers of life on the busy city streets catch up with him, we’re desperate for him to stay safe.

As the novel rolls on the boys find their feet on the streets. As there’s safety in numbers, they fall in with a small gang, but danger and misfortune is still never far away. For now though, life is a lot better than it could have been had they not seen off a few of the predators that lurk in the shadows. Ultimately though, both boys just want life to return to some sort of normality

Will Dani ever see his sister again? Will Mamo be able to return home to his strict father? Well, you’ll have to read and find out!

I give ‘The Garbage King’…

Book Review: The Runner by Markus Torgeby.

As a young man, Markus Torgeby quickly grew disaffected by a lot of what the world around him had to offer. He knew that society’s expectations were not for him. Despite being a talented runner though, he sensed that pursuing this as any kind of career was not going to work. Too often, injury or just not being in the right mindset got in the way of any kind of competitive edge. As he says himself at the start of the book, “My head was full of dark thoughts. I didn’t know what to do. I had to rethink what it was I really wanted, I had to find a way out of that well.”

What Markus did next – which is documented in the book – seems both astonishing and really quite wonderful.

‘The Runner’ is an international best seller and tells the tale of one man and his quest to find contentment. In short, Torgeby headed up into the Swedish wilderness to live in a tent and dedicate himself to a more simple life, where money didn’t matter, but running most certainly did.

It’s an amazing true life tale, beginning in Jamtland, northern Sweden where the temperature is -22 and Markus is the only person for miles around. This is where he escapes the norms of society, pitching his tent and living among nature complete with enormous amounts of snow, elk and even the threat of bears.

As you’d imagine from the title, running is very much central to Torgeby’s existence. When he vows to run every day, he means it and nothing will stop him, be that extreme weather conditions, injury or mental health issues. Torgeby isn’t just testing his fitness – he’s pitting himself against both the most extreme elements and also just the odds.

Running is where Markus is at peace and I have to say that resonated with me, as I’m sure it would with many runners. The only difference would be – and it’s a seismic difference – that while the majority of us are running around the civilised, normal streets or trails near where we live, Markus Torgeby is running around in one of the most isolated, northernmost territories on the planet! There are threats to life almost with every step he takes. This is not the tale of an everyday runner, despite the fact that he runs every day!

‘The Runner’ is actually really well written and Torgeby rarely shies away from telling us exactly how he’s feeling or what he thinks of the world, even if it can be uncomfortable to read at times. His blunt honesty is one of the most positive features of the book and it’s hard not to be impressed by Torgeby’s principles and way of life.

And then there’s the sheer courage of it all. As someone who rarely takes much in the way of risks, ‘The Runner’ makes for an absolutely fascinating read. Torgeby leaves home to live his life his way when he’s barely much more than a child. And yet, his lifestyle choice is utterly remarkable, especially when you know that he is burdened by the thought of his mother’s suffering, back at home. She suffers with MS and some of the most beautiful passages in the book revolve around her relationship with her son, as he cares for her and helps to make sure that she is still able to experience the wonder of the world around her.

After four years of living in his tent in the wilderness, Markus begins to come to terms with the world around him and the contentment that follows – I won’t spoil what that consists of – gives us a bit of a happy ending.

Part of me felt jealous of Torgeby while reading the book and I questioned some of my early adult decisions in life. It’s funny how something like this can take us back and make us more self critical. Ultimately though, at the age when Markus left home for the wilderness I was probably barely able to cook for myself, let alone live in a tent in some of the most unforgiving territory on the planet, so I was able to give myself a break after all!

Whether you’re a runner, health freak, someone with an adventurous spirit or none of those things, this book is a great read. For me personally, it was interesting to see that I had things in common with the writer and that we shared such a love of running. Ultimately though, if you like an interesting take on life or just enjoy learning about some of the bolder ways to live, then you’ll enjoy this book.

I give ‘The Runner’ by Markus Torgeby

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