The Other Kingdom

A classic running novel about a young miler and his quest for excellence.


“An intriguing novel concerning the metaphysics of sport, and of excellence in general. The protagonist is Colin Warnock—a miler at a college in Belfast who is almost too introspective for his own good. When he begins to wonder about the psychic state that is conducive to victory, Warnock finds himself unable to achieve it. Mr. Price does several good things in this novel, which makes the running of a minus-four-minute mile a symbolic act that represents the effort of any man ‘to surpass himself.’ He isolates and interweaves the influences on the athlete: the image of a famous father, an idyllic love affair, friendship with a bitter professor, and his peppery Scottish coach. He paints in just enough of the damp Ulster landscape to give his book a unique flavor. And he describes magnificently the competition of running, in an inspired mixture of what the spectator sees and what a runner like Warnock feels.” —The New York Times Book Review


“The book’s great strength lies in the fascinating exposure of the mysteries of an athlete's training. The race scenes are genuinely uplifting.” —The Sunday Times (London)


“A good deal of undisguised thinking goes on here about what exactly it is that makes a truly superior athlete go on running like mad when all his physical resources tell him to drop. Mr. Price even brings in a philosophy professor to discuss with the mile-runner hero what Nietzsche and others have said about realizing the extremes of human potentiality. He manages this without ever being heavy-handed or falsely highbrow. While the author circles the mystery rather than solves it, he raises his questions intelligently and with verve.” —The Guardian