Reviews
Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave by Peter Heller
amorkelley's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book mostly because my husband enjoyed it. He is a surfer and would read this out loud at night. I was very detailed, which made it somewhat boring. He would be talking about getting up for the for his first wave and then go on about what the wave looked like.
robinbanks's review against another edition
2.0
I would highly recommend this book to beginning and/or aspiring surfers; it's a good intro, and Heller does a fine job of conveying just how difficult learning to surf is -- but how rewarding just a few great rides can be. Otherwise, meh.
hmonkeyreads's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy Peter Heller's writing. Earlier this year I read his fiction book The Painter and now this memoir about his adventures in Baja trying to learn how to surf at age 48.
I learned quite a bit about the plight of the oceans, the history of surfing in Southern California and Mexico, and about Heller's own personality. Is there anything particularly amazing about this book? Not really but there are passages that really made me feel like I was out on the water with him. There were scenes from his marriage that illustrate some things that probably everyone can recognize in their own behavior - and those things aren't always nice.
Some of the surfing stuff is too technical for me, even at the end of the book, but this wasn't really about the technicalities of catching waves it was about the lifestyle of the surfers and the wonder and might of the sea.
I have two more of Heller's books (one fiction one non) and I'm sure I'll read them in the coming year.
I learned quite a bit about the plight of the oceans, the history of surfing in Southern California and Mexico, and about Heller's own personality. Is there anything particularly amazing about this book? Not really but there are passages that really made me feel like I was out on the water with him. There were scenes from his marriage that illustrate some things that probably everyone can recognize in their own behavior - and those things aren't always nice.
Some of the surfing stuff is too technical for me, even at the end of the book, but this wasn't really about the technicalities of catching waves it was about the lifestyle of the surfers and the wonder and might of the sea.
I have two more of Heller's books (one fiction one non) and I'm sure I'll read them in the coming year.
jmcdbrock's review against another edition
2.0
This guy is arrogant beyond belief. This had the potential to be a decent book, but fell way short. After reading both Peter Heller and Ian Frazier in a short period of time, I am swearing off travel writing for a while. In fact, I am swearing off all non-fiction for a while! :(
kirstendumo's review against another edition
4.0
I have read, and loved, all of Peter Heller’s fiction. I thought this would be a fun read as I enjoyed Barbarian Days, a different book about surfing. I think Peter Heller is an excellent writer and really enjoyed this story about his surfing quest. There were times it felt the book jumped around some and was hard to follow, but that was my only fault with it.
faehearted's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the fact that the author often came off as kind of a jerk (I suppose I should applaud his honesty, rather than editing out unpleasantness), this is a gorgeous book and has only increased my burning desire to learn to surf. The descriptions of waves and locations are vividly and beautifully drawn, and the environmental asides are heartbreaking and important, and in fact inspired me to make a donation to the Ocean Conservancy. I could see myself re-reading this, which I rarely do. Inspiring!
lindsayb's review against another edition
4.0
Quite possibly the best book I could have picked for sitting around for two days on jury duty. It is so easy to get lost in Heller's adventures--I laughed and cried (AWKWARD WHEN IT HAPPENS IN THE JURY WAITING ROOM) throughout the whole thing. There were times I found him quite a bit of a jerkface towards his girlfriend/wife, even more so than the moments he actually acknowledged it, but she was also clearly fine putting up with it. Despite that, I loved all the heroes and asswipes they met along their journey down Mexico's Pacific coast and how he slowly began to pick up on surfing tips. I loved his environmental vignettes, no matter how horrifying they were, and it has certainly piqued my curiosity to learn even more about sea life and what I can do to help (I may have to put my craving for fish on hiatus for a while). It's hard not to find poetry in the ocean, and Heller takes it with gusto. Excuse me while I lose myself in youtube videos of the Mexican Pipeline....