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A review by modeislodis
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan
2.0
I started Barbarian Days grinning with enthusiasm; it’s been on my list for years! It starts strong with his adolescence in Honolulu, but as the book wore on (and on), Finnegan eroded my enthusiasm away and this memoir became a chore for me to finish.
I don’t surf and admittedly the thorough descriptions of waves he rode didn’t do much to keep me interested. Starting halfway through, I began skipping (pages of) surf reports from his travels. So ok, this book isn’t written for the likes of me…
…but what really drove my rating down was blocky writing, a jumpy timeline (flashbacks without transitions, random surf trips dropped in the middle of a separate surf story - chaotic to follow!), and how Finnegan comes off as arrogant and macho in his own memoir. He’s lived an adventurous, beautiful life but the memoir felt one-note and was a tedious read.
I don’t surf and admittedly the thorough descriptions of waves he rode didn’t do much to keep me interested. Starting halfway through, I began skipping (pages of) surf reports from his travels. So ok, this book isn’t written for the likes of me…
…but what really drove my rating down was blocky writing, a jumpy timeline (flashbacks without transitions, random surf trips dropped in the middle of a separate surf story - chaotic to follow!), and how Finnegan comes off as arrogant and macho in his own memoir. He’s lived an adventurous, beautiful life but the memoir felt one-note and was a tedious read.