Synopses & Reviews
THE MEMORY OF RUNNING tells the story of Smithson Ide, a 43-year-old, 279-pound supervisor at a GI Joe factory where his job is to make sure that the arms of the action figures are properly turned in, not out. After his parents die in a car crash, Smithson discovers that his beautiful, mentally disturbed older sister Bethany has also died, in California. Smithson retrieves his old Raleigh bicycle in the garage of his parents' Rhode Island home and begins a cross-country journey to reclaim Bethany's body. The novel moves back and forth in alternating chapters that give us the story of Smithson's family, particularly his sister's descent into madness, and the story of his epic odyssey across America. Keenly aware of how ridiculous he must appear on his bike, Smithson nevertheless perseveres through a long journey that is hilarious, luminous and extraordinary. From Stephen King's The Pop of King column in Entertainment Weekly: The Memory of Running is the story of 279-pound Smithson Ide, a smokes-too-much, drinks-too-much heart attack waiting to happen. I mean, this guy is a mess ...Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, and your Yossarians ...this is a book that can do no more than walk; it has a chance to be a breakout bestseller. It's big-hearted and satisfying as one of your Mom's home-cooked Sunday dinners ...So why not ride across America with Smith and root for him ...you'll be striking a blow for the good old American novel. More important, you'll do the stuff good novels are supposed to make you do--laugh a little, cry a little, maybe ride(or jog) an extra time around the block in order to find out what happens next.You'll also discover a fine American voice.
Review
"Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, your Yossarians." —
Stephen King
"Endearing . . . it’s a ride worth taking." —USA Today
"In The Memory of Running, professional actor and long aspiring novelist Ron McLarty has invented a character so fully and elegantly defined that the book soars with originality and life." —San Francisco Chronicle
"Captivating . . . McLarty unspools passage after passage of devastating grace and melancholy, and his taciturn hero hooks himself to your heart." —Entertainment Weekly
"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." —Wally Lamb
Synopsis
"Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, your Yossarians." --Stephen King Every so often, a novel comes along that captures the public's imagination with a story that sweeps readers up and takes them on a thrilling, unforgettable ride. Ron McLarty's The Memory of Running is this decade's novel. By all accounts, especially his own, Smithson "Smithy" Ide is a loser. An overweight, friendless, chain-smoking, forty-three-year-old drunk, Smithy's life becomes completely unhinged when he loses his parents and long-lost sister within the span of one week. Rolling down the driveway of his parents' house in Rhode Island on his old Raleigh bicycle to escape his grief, the emotionally bereft Smithy embarks on an epic, hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary journey of discovery and redemption.
Synopsis
Every decade seems to produce a novel that captures the public’s imagination with a story that sweeps readers up and takes them on a thrilling, unforgettable ride. Ron McLarty’s The Memory of Running is this decade’s novel. By all accounts, especially his own, Smithson "Smithy" Ide is a loser. An overweight, friendless, chain-smoking, forty-three-year-old drunk, Smithy’s life becomes completely unhinged when he loses his parents and long-lost sister within the span of one week. Rolling down the driveway of his parents’ house in Rhode Island on his old Raleigh bicycle to escape his grief, the emotionally bereft Smithy embarks on an epic, hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary journey of discovery and redemption.
About the Author
Ron McLarty is an award-winning actor and playwright best known for his appearances on television series, including Law and Order, Sex and the City, The Practice, and Judging Amy. He has appeared in films and on the stage, where he has directed many of his own plays.