Book Reviews

‘Marathon is an attempt to make meaning out of life’s physical and mental struggles.’
 
‘This novel delves deep into the minds of marathon runners, using a stream-of-consciousness style.’
 
‘Throughout the book, there are relatable truths that will resonate with readers who are also involved in physical and mental struggles.’
 
Herbert writes, ‘Everyone needs that one person in life that he can speak with in confidence. The one person he can trust with the secrets to his soul and share his inner most sentiments.’
 
Herbert’s descriptions are vivid and visceral: “Blood squirts from open pores on his defenceless face. Naked legs bleed red from scrapes and scratches. The result of a violent touchdown. His barren skin split open by the abrasive surface.” He stretches the bounds of common word usage in descriptive ways—“Biceps, once bulbous now appear docile”.

‘Marathon is about more than a competition between the top runners in the world.’ ‘In this richly textured story set in the late ‘60’s to early 1980.’
 
‘Religious parallels and human vulnerability fuel this story.’
 
(The hero,) ‘struggles between the demon of despair and the Angel of Light.’
 
(The reader,) ‘will be rewarded at the finish line with a unique, astute and thought-provoking morality tale.’
 
‘Herbert’s sentences are crisp and observant.’
 
‘The intent is admirable and the writing often fascinating.’

‘One man’s life becomes a gruelling race against fate in Herbert’s debut novel.’
 
Herbert writes at one point, ‘It’s not possible to be so proficient at a craft that one is invulnerable to the physical ordeal of the exercise.’
 
‘A frequently intriguing story of a physical, mental and moral journey.’