Under the Wave at Waimea
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- Create Date：2021-05-13 06:20:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Paul Theroux
- ISBN：B08B3JKDLX
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Summary
From legendary writer Paul Theroux comes an atmospheric novel following a big-wave surfer as he confronts aging， privilege， mortality， and whose lives we choose to remember。
'It was as if in surfing he was carving his name in water， invisibly， joyously。'
Now in his sixties， big-wave surfer Joe Sharkey has passed his prime。 The younger surfers around the breaks on the north shore of Oahu still call him the Shark， but his sponsors are looking elsewhere。
When Joe accidentally hits and kills a man near Waimea while driving home from a bar after a night of drinking， it seems he'll never rebound。 Under the direction of his devoted girlfriend Olive， he throws himself into uncovering his victim's story。 But what they find in Max Mulgrave is anything but expected: a shared history - and refuge in the waves。
With vivid， richly imagined detail， Theroux's latest novel explores the underside of an island paradise we rarely see。
'There is very little that Paul Theroux cannot fit onto a page。 His writing skills are disciplined and muscular， his ear as finely tuned as a musician's， his eye sharper than any razor， and， in pinpointing the bizarre and the unexpected， he both entertains and underlines the absurdity of humans' Daily Mail
'It was as if in surfing he was carving his name in water， invisibly， joyously。'
Now in his sixties， big-wave surfer Joe Sharkey has passed his prime。 The younger surfers around the breaks on the north shore of Oahu still call him the Shark， but his sponsors are looking elsewhere。
When Joe accidentally hits and kills a man near Waimea while driving home from a bar after a night of drinking， it seems he'll never rebound。 Under the direction of his devoted girlfriend Olive， he throws himself into uncovering his victim's story。 But what they find in Max Mulgrave is anything but expected: a shared history - and refuge in the waves。
With vivid， richly imagined detail， Theroux's latest novel explores the underside of an island paradise we rarely see。
'There is very little that Paul Theroux cannot fit onto a page。 His writing skills are disciplined and muscular， his ear as finely tuned as a musician's， his eye sharper than any razor， and， in pinpointing the bizarre and the unexpected， he both entertains and underlines the absurdity of humans' Daily Mail
Reviews
Chaitra
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I read these books hoping for something more， but I don't get them。 I should probably just stop， because I don't really identify with these stories， and on top of that my kind get lectures in book: 'we don't color code surfing' says the main character to a POC journalist who asks him about the mostly white people she's seen on the waves。 Go on， tell us more， because by this point we've spent close to 400 pages hearing him whine over and over about how alienated he felt among the Native Hawaiians I read these books hoping for something more， but I don't get them。 I should probably just stop， because I don't really identify with these stories， and on top of that my kind get lectures in book: 'we don't color code surfing' says the main character to a POC journalist who asks him about the mostly white people she's seen on the waves。 Go on， tell us more， because by this point we've spent close to 400 pages hearing him whine over and over about how alienated he felt among the Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders， about how 50 years down the line he felt homeless despite having a huge house he owns， about how the kids in his tough inner city adjacent school called howlie/haole - white guy/other， and that made him tough enough to run away and surf， I guess。 We've also heard him whine about the access to the big waves controlled by the locals， how only because he befriended one of them he got access， blah blah and more blah。I would have maybe cared for his emotional state a tiny bit had he done something to show that he could live outside himself， but he doesn't。 Women exist in the book either to fuck him （there's a serious thing here with Hawaiian men offering up their girls to this guy， even the horrible boys in school who feel sorry for him when his father dies hook him with this girl who gives him blow jobs in a junked car and who genuinely thinks she's dating him， except surprise！ this guy is an emotional vampire） or in the case of mom to be a teary smothery mom from hell that he runs away from。 He only comes back to her when another poc woman moves in as his caretaker and threatens to take over the house。 And then mom dies and Sharkey is free to go surf the waves。 Oh there's Olive， who loses her unborn baby because this man makes her surf when she doesn't really care to and she has to shelve that pain because she has to heal him for some reason （she's known him for all of six weeks - olive just walk away）。The man he kills only becomes real to Sharkey when he finds out he was a surfer too。 He was a whole lot of other things but the main thing was he was a surfer。 Which is the only life that matters - being a hairdresser who owns his own salon is fucking hilarious， but being a surfer who lives on his mother's money is somehow extremely serious and basically the only thing that exists。 I get it， this book was not written for me， for various reasons。 I'm also a reader and that Sharkey proudly claims to have not read a thing should have told me enough to stop reading。 But I didn't， and that's 2 full days I'm not getting back。 Two stars only because it was my stupidity that kept me reading。 。。。more
Rana
，
Oh， PT。 You just write the words that I want to read。 Your brain gets my heart。
Chris
，
Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。It is always nice to find a new （to you） writer that you really like， especially one that has already written a ton of books to fill your TBR for the next few years。 Ignoring the raised eyebrows at taking so long to read such a famous and highly regarded author like Paul Theroux isn’t so difficult。 We all have reasons （or lack thereof） for not getting around to a particular writer I Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。It is always nice to find a new （to you） writer that you really like， especially one that has already written a ton of books to fill your TBR for the next few years。 Ignoring the raised eyebrows at taking so long to read such a famous and highly regarded author like Paul Theroux isn’t so difficult。 We all have reasons （or lack thereof） for not getting around to a particular writer I guess， probably mostly to do with the fact that we need to do boring and time consuming things like work and sleep。 Oh well， I rejoice nonetheless。I echo what several others have stated that I loved the first and last third of this book and felt that the middle third was a distraction to a truly compelling story。 The first third tells a heart wrenching yet satisfying account of how Joe， an army brat in Hawaii （a mainlander） tries at first to fit in to his surroundings but then decides to escape to the waves and join the joyous and free surfer culture to become “the Shark”—a famous and successful surfer。 The tragic relationships between Joe and his father and mother felt realistic to me and Joe was a counter-culture David Copperfield of sorts。 This is where I first started asking myself how I missed out on reading Theroux and added several of his books to my TBR pile。 His expertise as a travel writer is in full display and his deftness at characterization and the internal thought processes of his main character team up for a truly compelling narrative。 This level of artistry only comes with the best writers。The first part of the novel ends with a traumatic event that stops Joe dead in his tracks， although he does his best to ignore its significance—and this almost kills him。 Skipping over the middle section for a moment， the third part tells the story of how Joe （sometimes on his own， but often forced） moves to consider something beyond himself and discover the history of a homeless man that he has run over and killed mostly due to his own negligence。 Joe spent most of his life ignoring the world around him， which he felt judged， rejected and abused him， to create the larger than life personality of “the Shark” which was both his alter ego and his refuge。 The Shark didn’t care about other people， just about waves， his surfer family， and avoiding the real world and real relationships because real relationships made demands on him。 In order to save himself， he needed to research the life story and resurrect the man behind the anonymous drifter that he killed and in the process he heals and even recreates himself to where he no longer needs to be the Shark—to where he is comfortable for once in his life to be “just Joe。” I found Under the Wave a Waimea to be a thoroughly satisfying read。 As an aside， as someone who was an army brat and school kid in the 70s in Kailua， Oahu I found his descriptions of Joe’s way of life very accurate。My issue with the middle third is that I feel that the book is about first and foremost Joe and his journey。 In the middle section Joe meets a larger than life character that throws the spotlight off of him and sucks up all the oxygen in the story。 Joe meets and spends time with gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson and during this entire section the story takes a detour into Thompson’s life and doesn’t resume its true course until the focus returns to Joe。 Others may disagree but I found this section knocked the novel off course and it would be a much better book without it。 I also don’t feel that it added anything to Joe’s journey and was therefore an unnecessary distraction。 。。。more
John Devlin
，
If you read one book about surfing read Barbarian Days。If you read two books about surfing。。。well it shouldn’t be this book。Waimea is a mess。The fractured time seems to be there only for effect and the character of Joe and the events surrounding his loss of self seem just off from what real people would do。The last third of the novel is almost wholly uninteresting。 It’s a bad detective novel where the protagonist goes around interviewing people who knew the victim。Here， the killer is already kno If you read one book about surfing read Barbarian Days。If you read two books about surfing。。。well it shouldn’t be this book。Waimea is a mess。The fractured time seems to be there only for effect and the character of Joe and the events surrounding his loss of self seem just off from what real people would do。The last third of the novel is almost wholly uninteresting。 It’s a bad detective novel where the protagonist goes around interviewing people who knew the victim。Here， the killer is already known， the victim is uninteresting， the rationale for the investigation is strained， and the coincidences stack up like driftwood on a beach after a big Blow。 。。。more
Sharon
，
Good story but not sure why so much was dedicated to Hunter S。 Thompson。 It seems none of it was really pertinent to the story line。
Catherine Stark
，
Having lived in Hawaii for several years near the north shore this story flooded me with emotion from those days。 The story touching realistic， loving and sad， wove a wonderful & emotional ride I trio enjoyed。 Aloha nui loa ♥️
Carol Scheherazade
，
First book by this author and really enjoyed it。 A character study so rich and detailed that I was absorbed into his life。 I’ll look for more by him。
Linda
，
A very good Paul Theroux book。 Not a great one。 I lived in Hawaii for 15 years in the 70s and 80s。 He perfectly captures the culture， look， sound and feel of the place。 The plot left me cold。 Seemed to imply that the life of a rich philanthropist has more value than the life of a homeless drunk。 I don't know。 Maybe it does。 Would have been nice of Theroux to at least recognize that as an issue。 A very good Paul Theroux book。 Not a great one。 I lived in Hawaii for 15 years in the 70s and 80s。 He perfectly captures the culture， look， sound and feel of the place。 The plot left me cold。 Seemed to imply that the life of a rich philanthropist has more value than the life of a homeless drunk。 I don't know。 Maybe it does。 Would have been nice of Theroux to at least recognize that as an issue。 。。。more
Rob Baker
，
Having devoured just about every surf novel in English， I read this one， even after a scathing review from a respected Surf culture blogger。 He's right about the lame and uncomplimentary view of surfers and big wave chasers， not to mention the cringe-worthy descriptions of actual surfing。 To be fair， there are inspiring passages involving the ocean and waves。 On the other hand， the theme of aging is， well…um…a good one， and the characters are pretty well-drawn。 I want to meet Olive。 Theroux does Having devoured just about every surf novel in English， I read this one， even after a scathing review from a respected Surf culture blogger。 He's right about the lame and uncomplimentary view of surfers and big wave chasers， not to mention the cringe-worthy descriptions of actual surfing。 To be fair， there are inspiring passages involving the ocean and waves。 On the other hand， the theme of aging is， well…um…a good one， and the characters are pretty well-drawn。 I want to meet Olive。 Theroux doesn't sugar coat Hawaiians。 Sharkey's experience at Roosevelt High sounds like other descriptions by Haole boys growing up poor in Honolulu。 See Finnegan。 Once I got beyond thinking like a surfer， a Paul Theroux wave picked me up， and I took the Sharkey ride。 He's a memorable character， and suffering with him， I found Under the Wave to be worth a read for so many reasons， especially for Sharkey and。 Olive。 。。。more
Jean Hedren
，
Would never have guessed that I would love a book about monster wave surfers。 I adored it and think it’s PTs best。
Eddie
，
I read this book in the audio version。 It was a very enjoyable read and I liked the style of writing。The main character of the 62 year old surfer at the end of his active career and lifestyle is engaging。 Your feelings toward him will fall between sympathy and empathy。 I could be any one coming to the end of a major chapter in their life and Theroux cleverly wraps the story between the character's early life and its closing stages and gives a very vivid picture of the free spirited Hawaiian life I read this book in the audio version。 It was a very enjoyable read and I liked the style of writing。The main character of the 62 year old surfer at the end of his active career and lifestyle is engaging。 Your feelings toward him will fall between sympathy and empathy。 I could be any one coming to the end of a major chapter in their life and Theroux cleverly wraps the story between the character's early life and its closing stages and gives a very vivid picture of the free spirited Hawaiian life style。This book is well worth a read。 。。。more
Deborah
，
A bit of a disappointment from Paul Theroux。 I mean， this isn’t at all a bad book—parts of it are quite interesting—but it’s not the exceptional book one expects from him。 Joe Sharkey is a past-his-prime， once world-class surfer （he’s now 62）， living in Hawaii， just as hedonistically and selfishly as he always has， still surfing every day， living with a much younger girlfriend。 They’re driving home from a night out， through a literally blinding downpour， when Joe hits and kills a man， whom the p A bit of a disappointment from Paul Theroux。 I mean， this isn’t at all a bad book—parts of it are quite interesting—but it’s not the exceptional book one expects from him。 Joe Sharkey is a past-his-prime， once world-class surfer （he’s now 62）， living in Hawaii， just as hedonistically and selfishly as he always has， still surfing every day， living with a much younger girlfriend。 They’re driving home from a night out， through a literally blinding downpour， when Joe hits and kills a man， whom the police are unable to identify， and whom Joe later repeatedly and callously refers to as “a drunk homeless guy。” Even though Joe’s heyday is past， he’s still something of a local hero， so it seems he’s going to skate away from any consequences—no charges laid， etc。 But his life goes into some kind of weird stasis， where he loses interest and seems just a shell of himself。 His girl Olive， who’s a nurse， thinks of it as a “voodoo death，” leaving Joe a kind of zombie， and insists that the only way to snap him out of it is to find out everything they can about the man Joe killed on the road that night。 So far， so good; we’re building up a head of narrative steam here。 But that comes screeching to a halt as， in part II， we’re plunged abruptly into Joe’s childhood and the things that drove him to a life of surfing。 This digression into Joe’s past goes on for hundreds of pages， so by the time， with part III， we return to Joe and Olive’s quest to find out about “the drunk homeless guy，” the narrative urgency has pretty much departed。 As I said， not bad， just not Theroux-worthy greatness。 。。。more
Richard Janzen
，
Long ago， I enjoyed many travel books by Theroux， and was excited to read his latest novel。The story of big wave surfer Joe Sharkey， in 3 parts。 First we get a glimpse of what life is like for surfer who is past his prime。 Then we go back to see how the Shark became who he was。 And in the final section， we see him try to learn about the life of another man， in order to find himself。 A mature novel that takes the reader for a journey。 Light in places， but the storytelling is compelling; I certain Long ago， I enjoyed many travel books by Theroux， and was excited to read his latest novel。The story of big wave surfer Joe Sharkey， in 3 parts。 First we get a glimpse of what life is like for surfer who is past his prime。 Then we go back to see how the Shark became who he was。 And in the final section， we see him try to learn about the life of another man， in order to find himself。 A mature novel that takes the reader for a journey。 Light in places， but the storytelling is compelling; I certainly felt like I took a journey that was worthwhile。 。。。more
Shirl Kennedy
，
Not sure I would have stuck with this if the author were not such a gifted writer。 I really didn't care for any of the characters （including and especially the protagonist）， but I enjoyed the descriptions of Hawaii。 Not sure I would have stuck with this if the author were not such a gifted writer。 I really didn't care for any of the characters （including and especially the protagonist）， but I enjoyed the descriptions of Hawaii。 。。。more
Brie
，
The bookmis beautifully written but hhe story did not inspre me to keep reading。
P R
，
Being generous。 More like 2。5 stars。 This was a struggle。 Too long。 Mildly rewarding in the end。
Delia
，
I have been a Paul Theroux fan for decades and have read some of his non-fiction books twice。 This book was okay but really needed paring down。 The story could have been told in a novella。 Three stars is probably generous。
Catherine
，
Just finished， a bit emotional so will write the review once I contemplate what I want to say。
Linnea
，
This book has a lot of tales but the author ties it all together in the ending。 It tends to drag for awhile but makes sense at the end。
Glyn
，
I've been reading Paul Theroux now for more than two decades。 Like many， I started with his travel literature and then gradually began to discover his novels。 Now 80， he remains as prolific as ever having just published a wonderful Mexican travel book， On the Plain of Snakes and now with Under the Wave at Waimea， he returns to the fictional sphere。 Or does he？ It's often a fine line with Theroux， many of whose 'novels' sail close to being autobiographical。 At first glance it's hard to find a par I've been reading Paul Theroux now for more than two decades。 Like many， I started with his travel literature and then gradually began to discover his novels。 Now 80， he remains as prolific as ever having just published a wonderful Mexican travel book， On the Plain of Snakes and now with Under the Wave at Waimea， he returns to the fictional sphere。 Or does he？ It's often a fine line with Theroux， many of whose 'novels' sail close to being autobiographical。 At first glance it's hard to find a parallel between the protagonist in Under the Wave at Waimea， Joe Sharkey， an ageing big wave surfer whose life up to now has been all about chasing surf， chasing surf bunnies， smoking pakalolo （dope）， drinking， almost defiantly unliterary and not thinking deeply about anything except the ocean versus the distinguished literary figure of Theroux。 But then you consider the parallels - the theme of an ageing hero， Hawaii （where Theroux lives at least some of the time） and where he will have mined much of the material， including the surfer slang， for this， bobbing about in the ocean （Theroux once wrote a book based on single-handedly paddling around the scattered isles of the Pacific） and you begin to wonder how much of Theroux himself is actually is in this book。 Only he truly knows！ I suspect quite a lot。Sharkey's life is dissected in detail along three interlocking strands - a shocking road accident that derails his otherwise idyllic life， an exploration of his life from childhood through his glory years at the top of the surfing ladder to his gentle descent down that ladder and a final phase where， with the aid of his English lover， Olive， he confronts his demons by unlocking the mystery of just who he killed at the onset of the book， emerging with some kind of peace。 There is a lot packed in here， including the difficulty of growing up a minority haole in a tough Hawaiian environment and a damaged relationship with both parents that ultimately forms his character and his （well-concealed） ambition to be the greatest surfer of them all。 There is a slightly baffling insertion of Hunter S Thompson in the cast of characters; he， himself undoubtedly influenced by Hemingway， becomes obsessed with Sharkey's physical feats and lionises him in print， all the while losing himself in various hallucinogenic and alcoholic adventures。 I don't think I'd ever seen Theroux mention Thompson in print before now （unlike other literary figures like Bowles， Borges and， most infamously， V。S。 Naipaul to name but a few） so this felt slightly jarring but was also true to Thompson's manic character。 Some of the most enjoyable passages are those that detail Sharkey's travels outside of Hawaii in pursuit of the mythical 100 foot big wave， which he ultimately finds in Portugal - as a side note， once you read the vivid prose descriptions of this you will be compelled， as I was， to find footage of surfers on this monster。 This adds the your enjoyment of the book， and if you're an armchair surfer like me， will scare the pants off you。This is Theroux's second novel focussed on Hawaii - the first， Hotel Honolulu， was very funny and also affectionate in its portrait of the various characters。 It did not however instill in me any desire to go to Hawaii and most descriptions I have read since then have reinforced the impression of an overtouristed 'paradise' ruined by the usual forces of greed and stupidity。 This book does challenge that by taking us deeper into the unspoiled places and the melting pot of modern Hawaiian culture itself， including a beautiful section where Sharkey becomes fixated on a Chinese surfer girl he befriends only to swiftly realise that he can never penetrate the cultural barrier of her family， and this is one of the achievements of the book， beyond the depth of the plot itself。 Some of the ageing introspection is overdone and becomes repetitive in places but this is still a great read - bravo Mr Theroux， I look forward to continuing to read your books many years into the future！ 。。。more
William Koon
，
No reader would ever doubt Paul Theroux’s mastery as a travel writer。 He is the world’s best， bar none。 His fiction is quite another problem。 Sometimes he is very good， and sometimes he just writes novels。I feel Under The Wave at Waimea would have been a superb work if Theroux had just stopped at the first part of the novel in telling the story of “The Shark，” an aging surfer as he faces that dark and unknow future when the black sea of life roils in and the storm clouds lie low and forbidding。 No reader would ever doubt Paul Theroux’s mastery as a travel writer。 He is the world’s best， bar none。 His fiction is quite another problem。 Sometimes he is very good， and sometimes he just writes novels。I feel Under The Wave at Waimea would have been a superb work if Theroux had just stopped at the first part of the novel in telling the story of “The Shark，” an aging surfer as he faces that dark and unknow future when the black sea of life roils in and the storm clouds lie low and forbidding。 Instead he stops the narrative。 And then goes back to recount the Shark’s youth and brings us forward covering about fifty years。 And in the last third of the book he returns to the point of departure in part one。 The protagonist then goes on a journey of discovery and possibly a salvation。 But the journey is long， long， long。Granted there are brilliant passages of Hawaii and nature and the sea and surfing。 Theroux is a man who knows his subject。 As always， I will await his next book。 。。。more
Diana
，
UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA by Paul Theroux is brilliantly written。The story expands outward in many ripples， exactly like the waves at the North Shore beaches on Oahu。The book is very atmospheric。 I can close my eyes and feel the breezes; smell the flowers and drink in the lush vegetation and views。The book is a story of privilege， of aging， of mortality， of ebbing power and admiration。The book is a detective story， a mystery。 Not only does Joe Sharkey seek the identity of the stranger he accident UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA by Paul Theroux is brilliantly written。The story expands outward in many ripples， exactly like the waves at the North Shore beaches on Oahu。The book is very atmospheric。 I can close my eyes and feel the breezes; smell the flowers and drink in the lush vegetation and views。The book is a story of privilege， of aging， of mortality， of ebbing power and admiration。The book is a detective story， a mystery。 Not only does Joe Sharkey seek the identity of the stranger he accidentally kills; he also seeks his own identity and acceptance of himself。This is a ‘coming-of-age’ story， but the person ‘coming-of-age’ is in his 60s。 （I say better late than never。）There are several main characters here - Joe Sharkey， of course; his companion/partner Olive; the ever-present water; the surf; riding the waves; the culture （at least on the North Shore） of surfing; the island of Oahu - good and bad， glossy and decadent。UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA is an ode to Hawaii and the art of surfing。The bits with Hunter Thompson were intriguing。I especially liked the the references to Vietnam。 （That bit of history is slowly fading from our memories and I regret that。）I took many ‘notes’ but two stand out。 （for me）“Anyone who did not surf had no idea how even the most basic maneuver took such strength and balance; how for long periods in a pounding shore break he was still driven by anxiety; how so many of his good friends had died - drowned in a hold-down， got hit by their board and knocked unconscious， got caught by their snagged leash。 But it all looked so simple from shore， people invented improbable feats and heroics。 They did not understand that simply to ride a big wave was a miracle of poise and strength。 （p。17）“Surfing was the pulse and passion of his life， not like a sport that involved catching a ball or swinging a bat， and not a recreation either。 It was a way of living your life that only other surfers understood - even the posers and punks who’d somewhat spoiled it; and good waves took precedence over everything on land。” （p。41）An excellent book， UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA by Paul Theroux。 ***** 。。。more
Martin
，
I found the central character so unlikeable; selfish and self-centred; caring only for himself。 Consequently， as I read on I began to care less and less about him。
Bill Easton
，
Giving it a 3。5 but rounding up to 4。 Some surfing facts and timelines were a little off （e。g。 Nick Gabaldon died shooting the pier at Malibu， not Santa Monica， and Mavericks timeline would be a bit too early）。
Christopher McKee
，
There's already a ton of reviews on Theroux's latest， so there's little need for me to rehash what others have written。 Needless to say， Theroux has been my favorite American writer since the early 1990s （when I first read My Secret History and then moved to The Happy Isles of Oceania） and Waimea is， personally， the best fiction he's produced in 20 years， easily。 The character development （viz。， Sharky as a quasi alter ego of Theroux is masterful）， knowledge/information on surf culture， big wave There's already a ton of reviews on Theroux's latest， so there's little need for me to rehash what others have written。 Needless to say， Theroux has been my favorite American writer since the early 1990s （when I first read My Secret History and then moved to The Happy Isles of Oceania） and Waimea is， personally， the best fiction he's produced in 20 years， easily。 The character development （viz。， Sharky as a quasi alter ego of Theroux is masterful）， knowledge/information on surf culture， big wave surfing， and Hawai'i are the best I've read。Savor the writing， the nuances; reflect on the observations。 This book is something that can easily be prolonged and re-read for months。 In short， a tour de force from one of the last icons of American literature than began in the late 1960s！ 。。。more
Jeff
，
Loved this。 It was endlessly like being on a wave。 It had its weird moments as well which just added to the effect。 In the end it is a very relevant vision of what it means to have had low-level fame and come to terms with whether any of it ever mattered。
Onceinabluemoon
，
Thought it was fabulous writing， reads like non fiction， drug soaked books are not my thing， but the layers grabbed me and I loved the journey， details， experiences， the writing was completely absorbing。
switterbug （Betsey）
，
I never read a Theroux novel that I didn’t absolutely love， until this one。 Interesting events happen to Joe Sharkey， lifetime solitary surfer and champion， but as for Joe himself？ He just didn’t come across as all that compelling。 In fact， I found him rather unexciting and tedious。 Theroux has a way with the English language--a linguistically flexible mind capable of thrilling the adamant reader; but， surfer Joe here， and his tale， was rather frustrating and redundant， with some hot spots that I never read a Theroux novel that I didn’t absolutely love， until this one。 Interesting events happen to Joe Sharkey， lifetime solitary surfer and champion， but as for Joe himself？ He just didn’t come across as all that compelling。 In fact， I found him rather unexciting and tedious。 Theroux has a way with the English language--a linguistically flexible mind capable of thrilling the adamant reader; but， surfer Joe here， and his tale， was rather frustrating and redundant， with some hot spots that started to pull me in， but stopped short of embracing me。 Theroux's authenticity in portraying Hawaiian culture and vernacular gave the story some rich color and tapestry， but， in the end， the tale didn’t take off for me， although I had some heartfelt moments with it。I learned quite a bit about surfing—a singular passion for some people--and where the finest waves reside。 Waimea， in the Noth Shore of Oahu， is a surfer’s paradise （there are many surfer rendezvous in Hawaii， of course）。 There’s an entire vocabulary--very physical and metaphorical--that describe not just the waves， but also one’s body on the board， riding in the surf。 Although I don’t surf， I am an active and ardent swimmer， and the ocean （or any body of water， but the ocean especially） is like a second skin。 I’m more comfortable in the water than walking on land。 Joe Sharkey is， too。 Along the way， his parents may have aided and abetted Joe’s single-minded determination。 His mother stayed drunk and insipid after the death of his military father， who was stationed in Vietnam， and taught Joe， “Consider yourself already dead， and you’ll be fine。”In fact， on land one night， at the age of 62， as Sharkey discovers he is gradually becoming a has-been， he accidentally runs into a man on a bicycle， and kills him， while his 30-something girlfriend， Olive， is in the car。 His karma is run over by his dogma at that point， and his life becomes one miserable day after another。 A subsequent tragic event that would have convinced me to flat-out leave Joe for good actually strengthens Olive’s resolve to save Sharkey from thorough depravity and decline。 She’s selfless， sensitive， and nurturing （a nurse who is beloved by staff and patients）， and I wish that Theroux had mined her character more than he did。Who are we， as a person？ Joe has always been a legend and a raconteur， embellishing so many surfing stories and achievements in his life that it is difficult to pick apart the truth from exaggeration--even for him。 His friendship with the equally grandiose Hunter S。 Thompson adds a little spice to the story， although its poignancy is a nuanced thread to untangle closer to the denouement。 Ironic that Joe has never read a book—and brags about it。 He has one interest and one interest only--surfing。 That may make him alluring to surfers， but it got a bit boring for me， as I wrestled with impatience for Joe to wake the fuck up。 As he becomes tedious and redundant， I lost interest in him。 You have to be willing to be in Joe's head for 416 pages。 I went there， but it wasn't easy。After the incident， Joe starts deteriorating， to the point of either madness or dementia。 He utters， repeatedly， “I ran into a drunk， homeless guy，” refusing to acknowledge that he killed the man， or that the man has an identity beyond drunk and homeless。 In a desperate act to save him， Olive attempts to uncover the victim’s name， as yet unknown。 Even when he kills the poor man， the local cops on the scene are more impressed about meeting the legend， Joe Sharkey， than about the fate of the man on the bike。 The narrative takes us back and forth， nonlinearly， through crucial traumas and events in Joe’s life—saga-like， an anti-hero’s journey， episodes that weave together over the course of the novel。 His character was drawn well， although many of the secondary and tertiary characters seemed flat。 If you can deep dive into Joe Sharkey’s life， and find an emotional connection， you will be more likely to engage。 There were universal aspects of the story and its themes of mortality and redemption， and absolutely stunning figures of speech about the ocean， water， the waves， and surfing。“He learned to predict from the swell what a wave would do， by studying a break， reading it thoroughly， the inner life of its push， as if each length of wave were a line of poetry， each set a stanza， with its internal rhythm， so that he could insert himself into it， not waiting for the wave to accommodate him but something deeper， meeting it on his terms， finding harmony， becoming the wave。"3。4 stars 。。。more
Kasa Cotugno
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We first meet Joe Sharkey as a 60-something surfing legend， living a life that seems idyllic。 As a child， he was mercilessly bullied in school， never really feeling as if he fit in， and found release on the surfboard。 His father， an officer during the Vietnam era， dies early on， and his mother's self absorption doesn't provide much in the way of guidance or affection， so his inclusion into the surfer community provides his first taste of acceptance。 This is the latest novel by Paul Theroux， best We first meet Joe Sharkey as a 60-something surfing legend， living a life that seems idyllic。 As a child， he was mercilessly bullied in school， never really feeling as if he fit in， and found release on the surfboard。 His father， an officer during the Vietnam era， dies early on， and his mother's self absorption doesn't provide much in the way of guidance or affection， so his inclusion into the surfer community provides his first taste of acceptance。 This is the latest novel by Paul Theroux， best known for his travel books。 Equally at home writing fiction， his rich attention to detail and feel for a place is evident in this account。 Hawaii has been Theroux's home base for decades， enhancing the flavor of his prose， and his knowledge of the diversity in population。 But Joe is front and center for most of this book -- attempting to come to grips with the fact that although still regarded as a legend， there are younger members of the surfing community unfamiliar with him。 Included is a wonderful description of his friendship with the legendary Hunter S。 Thompson， so detailed and specific， I wonder if Theroux himself had enjoyed a connection with that complex personality。 。。。more
R。
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I really liked existing in this world。 Plot felt a bit of an afterthought but that’s okay。 I enjoyed the experience a lot。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Under the Wave at Waimea
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Under the Wave at Waimea&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft