Again to Carthage by John L. Parker Jr.
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Book Reviews of Again to Carthage
Book Review: Long Awaited Sequel Worth the Wait
Summary: 5 Stars
"Once A Runner" is pretty much considered "required reading" for any serious runner. Any runner who read the first book can find something to identify with in Quenton Cassidy's "trials of the miles"
I always wondered if we would ever get a sequel as the end of "Once A Runner" was pretty open ended. "Again to Carthage" had been in the works for a long time and had been long delayed. I had pretty much given up on it until I saw the article on it (and interview with John Parker) in Runner's World. I remember gently teasing my son when he was waiting for the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to come out and realized I was just like him with this book. It came in the mail over Turkey Day break, so I stayed up all night and read it cover to cover after my wife and son hit the sack.
OK, so was it worth it? I'd say very much so! Am I going to re-cap the entire story in this review? Hell No, I won't ruin it for you. What I will say is that the story picks up several years after the events of "Once A Runner" and that our hero has settled into a fairly successful life as a lawyer (and recreational runner). However, he starts to get that "feeling" of wanting another mountain to climb. A couple of tragic events involving those close to him kick him into action. This time the challenge is making the Olympic Marathon Team.
To help him, he once again calls on his buddy and fellow Olympic medalist Bruce Denton to provide coaching and inspiration. While there isn't as much detail in specific training like in "OAR" you still feel like you are with Quenton every step of the way.
So what happens at the end? Sorry can't tell ya! :) I WILL say this. Runners World editor Amby Burfoot reviewed "Again to Carthage" (you can find it on the net). He said, "The last three paragraphs are perfect". When I got to the end of the book and read them, I grinned and said "Here Here". Read it and see if you agree. Like me, you will probably see it coming, but it is satisfying nonetheless!
Enjoy!
Book Review: Fishing, Running and Continuous Improvement
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished reading Again to Cathage following a first time read of Once a Runner. I cannot believe that I waited this long to read OAR, a really inspirational book on the commitment it takes to be excellent at anything, especially running. Although meaningful to all runners, these books are especially poignant to those who competed in the early seventies and who still loved the draw of self-improvement in running after college or as grad students. Although both books are semi-autobiographical, Again to Carthage seemed the more difficult challenge for Parker as it may rely less on his personal running experiences. It seems to be at least as much about his passion for fishing as for running and both include highly credible accounts of the camaraderie common to both activities. In OAR there is virtually no account of Cassidy's (Parker's) family and his parents are a glaring omission. I was wondering how this might change with Again to Carthage in which he recounts activities with every relative imaginable, except his parents. His mother is never mentioned as far as I can tell and his father only in passing. I wondered what the reason might be for this. Again to Carthage is a mature and believable follow-up to OAR and I commend Parker for producing another remarkable tale.
Daniel M. Ennis (Richmond, VA)
Book Review: Of Time and The Runner
Summary: 5 Stars
John L. Parker Jr.'s Once a Runner was - and still is - the best book ever written about the world of the serious, elite distance runner. (Cassidy, though a miler then, clearly trained as a distance runner.) Again to Carthage isn't likely to have the same success as its predecessor, but I suspect Parker will be okay with that. It seems clear he wrote this book primarily for himself and to honor his family and friends - and with the sure knowledge that both they and his more distant readers who have endured countless long miles - and life itself - will be captured by this tale of the older Cassidy/Parker.
A few readers, perhaps attracted to its lovely cover and the accolades for Once a Runner on the back , may come to this book new, but most will have read OAR. To the latter let me urge you not to expect to find simply further adventures of the college-age Cassidy. This book, too, has running as its center, but it is in many ways more ambitious and mature. Parker has done a great deal of living since those days. He has much he wants to say. And it is virtually all written with grace and passion.
I'm sure Parker had many doubts about writing a sequel to a book as loved as Once a Runner. I am glad he dared to do so - and had the courage to make it much more than a sequel.
Book Review: A Classic!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Once a Runner" is the greatest novel about running ever written (according to Runners World) and "Again to Carthage" is better. Mr. Parker has created a sequel that is superior to his first "classic" in so many ways. He picks up Quentin Cassidy's story about 7 - 10 years down the road. He has completed law school and has settled into a very comfortable lifestyle in Palm Beach. Several losses shake QC's world and lead him back to his first love ... running. QC gets his old friend Bruce Denton (the thinly disguised Jack Bachelor character) to coach him in his quest to make one more Olympic team ... in the Marathon.
Mr. Parker understands runners like few other writers of fiction. He understands the mind of the runner, the will of the runner, and the idiocy of the runner. Mr. Parker's writing is much more polished in this book. He creates such beautiful visuals of QC training in the mountains of North Carolina that I wanted to hop in the car and drive there for a run.
This is a must read for every runner!! There are a lot of subtle references that runners of the last three decades will pick up. This stands proudly along side "Once a Runner" as one of the greatest running books ever written.
Book Review: Parker Does It Again, Only Better This TIme
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Parker's Once a Runner way back in 1978 and loved it-rereading it many times over. So, I was a little wary about what this book would be like. If anything, I think it is the better book. Fuller, like the author and the main character. People who want every page to be about running won't find it here. Instead, there are sections devoted to family and how it shapes our character and outlook on life. Fortunately, the blue blazer crowd doesn't have the control over the athletes that they used to and that is a good thing. While I have heard them say that they could have regulated drug use by the athletes, I think that if they had the chance to test and regulate the drug use by athletes, they would have made Bud Selig look almost professional. Parker deals with this very well. The sense of loss-of family, youth and ability is examined here in an excellent way by Parker. I am looking forward to his next book, whether Cassidy is in it or not.