Tapping the Source

By: Kem Nunn

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

A reissue of the classic novel that inspired the movie Point Break and pioneered a genre.

People go to Huntington Beach in search of the endless parties, the ultimate highs, and the perfect waves. Ike Tucker has come to look for his missing sister and for the three men who may have murdered her. In that place of gilded surfers and sun-bleached blonds, Ike's search takes him on a journey through a twisted world of crazed Vietnam vets, sadistic surfers, drug dealers, and mysterious seducers. He looks into the shadows and finds parties that drift toward pointless violence, joyless vacations, and highs you may never come down from... and a sea of old hatreds and dreams gone bad. And if he's not careful, his is a journey from which he will never return.

©1984 Kem Nunn (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Good overall

Was looking for a book with a good storyline and surfing undertones. Could have done without all the explicit sexual language but otherwise a good book.

Surf Rat story of old HB.

Truly enjoyed this book. It’s not about surfing as much as a mystery story. Definitely recommend.

Gripping story telling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a wonderfully written story with several stories within the story. I enjoyed the gritty insights into a generation of surfers, the anatomy of who a surfer really is, the connection with recreational drugs and other exotic pastimes that can attract (or trap) young people in all modern generations and then the way these beautiful, athletic people drift away from that life style. I also enjoyed the insights into disenfranchised young people, how they keep their way or find their way back; good to the bone human beings. And then, the dark evil that finds its way into the lives of naïve young people. Kem Nunn is a talented writer who focuses on the smallest details to enrich his story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Preston: He was deeply flawed, a born loser in many ways, but with a noble, brave heart who would go to the mat to repay a debt.

What does Andrew Eiden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He had the voice of the protagonist.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the descriptions of the act of surfing. Nunn uses verbal description much the way a good photographer uses the camera lens.

Point Break should have been this...smh

Apparently this book was the inspiration for the movie Point Break, which we ALL thought was a bad-a** flick, little did we know it was a super cheap Hollywood-ized version of a truly great story. I can just see them now, "Uhh, lets make the kid an FBI agent!" and "Yeah, and we could make the antagonist surfers into bank robbers! and, and we could name the leader 'Bodi Satva' to play the spiritual angle!" "Oh that's perfect Tom and we can turn the main characters father figure from a cool ex-surfer/biker dude into an old fat Fed and we can get Gary Busy to play him!" SMH...Jeezus... It's sad what Hollywood does to great literature. So many films that should be made never will bcuz of studio exec's that don't have a clue as to what people truly need. So many great authors option their work to the film industry are clueless as well, ignorant to how their books will be butchered into meaningless drivel and brain wasted crap... but I digress, Tapping the Source is an excellent read. If you are into surfing or motorcycles or NOT, you'll love this book for it's beautiful writing and deep storyline. The characters are well fleshed out and very relatable. The plot is well thought out and rises to a great conclusion. Kem Nunn did his thing on this one. I haven't read any of his work before this but now I will definitely try another of his right away. This book is certainly worth the cash OR credit!

The original "Point Break"

If you are familiar with the film Point Break then you will know what kind of scene the book is set in. It may not be a literary masterpiece but the characters are colorful and well developed. The narrator is great making this an easy listen for your daily commute.

best surfing novel

if Thomas harris wrote surfing novels. great story, great feeling. good even if you're not into surfing

FANTASTIC!

I can see why they changed the story a bit when they made the movie adaption Point Break. Tapping the source has a few strange themes as well as a few twists and turns that seem to come out of nowhere.
That being said, this book is awesome! The setting (huntington beach) is so well laid out that you almost feel the sunshine tanning your skin and smell the salty air blowing in off the ocean while you listen. The characters, all lost souls in some way, are so strong and interesting that you can't help but like them even if they're the bad guys. Great Book!! Can't say enough about it!

Surf noir and so much more. Excellent character work and atmosphere.

Sentence to sentence, so beautifully written. I’m excited to return to this book again and check out more of Nunn’s work. Dont read the summary just dive in.

Trite and Implausible

The sloppy prose detracted from the plot, particularly the author's use of the word "suddenly," sometimes three times within a single paragraph. The mystery is just not that interesting and the character is not that likable. also the female characters are completely transparent with most of the details about them lavished on their appearance. The ending is ridiculous and the action is totally unclear. I bought this because it was supposedly a surfing classic but the amount of surfing covers just a few pages and is not very good. you are much better off sticking with someone who can actually write. this is garbage and I'm sorry I wasted my money on it.