56 pages • 1 hour read
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
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Book Brief
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2015464
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Various Locations • 1960s-2010s
2015
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan is a memoir that recounts the author's youth spent surfing in California and Hawaii, his adventures traveling the world in pursuit of waves, and his eventual return to settle in the United States. Through his detailed reflections, Finnegan explores the surfing counterculture, his personal experiences with relationships and career choices, and the ways in which surfing has evolved and commercialized over the decades.
Contemplative
Adventurous
Nostalgic
Bittersweet
Emotional
Reviews & Readership
44,127 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
William Finnegan's Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life captivates with its vivid storytelling and profound insights into surfing culture and personal discovery. Praised for its evocative prose and depth, it sometimes delves too deeply into surfing minutiae for general readers. Overall, it’s an eloquent chronicle of a life defined by the waves.
Who Should Read Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life?
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan appeals to readers captivated by adventure, personal transformation, and the natural world. Fans of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild and Cheryl Strayed's Wild will appreciate Finnegan's introspective journey through the lens of surfing, exploring the sport's culture and the author's experiences.
44,127 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
464
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Various Locations • 1960s-2010s
2015
Adult
18+ years
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