There aren't too many of us land-bound Pellans who are actively surfing the waves these days. Don't let that stop you, however, from reading William Finnegan's Barbarian Days - A Surfing Life. It is a quest for the ultimate wave; a quest for finding oneself; and, a quest for seeing just what the world has to offer.
Finnegan started surfing as a child, but his family's move to Hawaii kicked his surfing bug into gear. His adventures span the 1960s through today, with a large part of his life spent bumming around the world, searching for the ultimate waves. During that time he was holding up odd jobs; living on little to no income; and, encountering new sections of the world, its people and their customs.
You don't have to know one thing about surfing to enjoy this book. Finnegan's vivid descriptions have you right there with him, out on the waves. His details of those he encounters are just as descriptive and thought provoking. For me, there was also this feel of loneliness and uncertainty to the tale as the author looked to figure out both the world, and himself.
If you are a reader of the New Yorker, you have encountered some of Finnegan's work before as he is on staff and a regular contributor to the magazine.
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