Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

Barbarian Days

A Surfing Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Nov 27, 2017diesellibrarian rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Growing up landlocked, I had no chance at becoming a surfer. Nevertheless, I have always been endlessly fascinated by every aspect of surfing. Now well into my middle age, I know that I will never be more than a "kook," but that hasn't quelled my enthusiasm for this beautiful vocation. "Barbarian Days" helped me to understand what it means to be a surfer: it's the ever-present draw of the wave. It's a thread woven into the fabric of one's life: an underlying theme that colours every decision, every choice. Finnegan beautifully captures the essence of the surfer's life, unpacking it in such a way that even us "kooks" can grasp the joy and beauty and its inextricable connection to danger and loss. There are broader lessons here, and something to meditate upon (for me, at least), for years to come. For other great autobiographical surf writing check out "Caught Inside" and "On A Wave."