Under the Wave at Waimea

De: Paul Theroux

Narrado por: Jim Meskimen

“Theroux’s work is like no one else’s.”–Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review

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.

Now in his sixties, big-wave surfer Joe Sharkey has passed his prime and is losing his “stoke.” The younger surfers around the breaks on the north shore of Oahu still idolize the Shark, but his sponsors are looking elsewhere. One night, while driving home from a bar after one too many, Joe accidentally kills a stranger near Waimea, a tragedy that sends his life out of control. As the repercussions of the accident spiral ever wider, Joe's devoted girlfriend, Olive, throws herself into uncovering the dead man’s identity and helping Joe find vitality and refuge in the waves again.

Set in the lush, gritty underside of an island paradise audiences rarely see, UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA offers a dramatic, affecting commentary on privilege, mortality, and the lives we choose to remember. It is a masterstroke by one of the greatest writers of our time.

Narrated by Jim Meskimen

©2021 by Paul Theroux (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

A great story and an amazing read.

This wonderful audio book was a treat due to both the story and the narration which place the reader right on the swell of the wave. The many characters are voiced distinctly and with vibrant personality. Dialogue really feels like a conversation between the characters due to the expert, amazingly consistent voicing of the multiple characters even as life experiences change and age them. I was more connected to the characters and the story because of this delightful audio read. An interesting, heart full story that mimics the rise and fall of the ocean, it’s true main character. This is a great book that reflects life’s paddle outs, wipe outs, and curls. This intriguing story is greatly enhanced by the talented narrator and the distinct voicing of each and every character, and what a cast of characters it is! Enjoy.

Terrible pronunciation of local words.

Anybody living in Hawaii for more than a couple of weeks would know how to pronounce Hawaiian and local words. Too many mispronunciations make it unlistenable. Could have just asked any Hawaiian to help the narrator proof listen and avoided this shameful reading.

Theroux punches through yet another

I thought ol Paulie was out of his lane this time but somehow he grappled with cliched Surfer Tales and whipped it around into something meaningful, storybook. Fulfilling yet missed when completed. The narrator decimates Hawaiian pronunciation and thinks an english dame sounds like C3PO. Unlike other Surf Stories this one doesn't require you to surf to get wet and go over the falls.

Started out well

This character study of an aging pro surfer started out well, Set mostly on Oahu, it was an interesting and picturesque portrait of Hawaiian surfer culture from the sixties forward and had a great cameo of Hunter S. Thompson, during the time that he wrote The Curse of Lono. But I found the search for redemption tedious and unconvincing. Since that takes up about half of the book I can't recommend it.

Better Than I Expected

I want to commend the author, Paul Theroux for this authentic story and special thanks to the narrator, Jim Meskimen, for his flawless performance. I lived and surfed in Hawaii at the time this story is reflecting and narrator's use of the local pidgin language is spot-on and made my mental image pictures a vivid reminder of Hawaiian surf-scene. The story and the narration are authentic and enthralling. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and recommend it to anyone! Well worth my time and the small expense!

Happy that this was my first audio book!!

Under the wave at Waimea took me a couple of months to get through, mainly, I was listening to it while at the gym. What drew me to this book was the setting in Hawaii and about surfing. As I was listening to the book it became apparent that it was, more than just that. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and being that I am a busy father to three children and a husband to a most wonderful wife I don’t really have the time to actually read. I also enjoyed the narration all the different accents that the narrator provided each character. I am definitely recommending this to my circle of family and friends.

Needed a native speaker from the islands to narrat

I was expecting a lot when I saw this new book. Mostly I was rewarded, I think Theroux gives a good take on being haole in Hawaii and on being in a watermans world. I would have enjoyed it sooo much more if it had been a native speaker. Not only is the Hawaiian pidgin awful he can’t even get place names right. Hopefully they will re-record this book, the author should insist.

Good for a Few Hours then Jumps the Shark.

I enjoyed this book for the first few hours. It draws heavily on stories most surfers will know...Barbarian Days, Laird Hamilton's personal story, etc, but the main character is unique. The exploration of what it is like to be famous when you've aged out of the the source of your fame (and can't let go) was interesting. The authors' depictions of the other types of people (the crazy, drunk mother, women in general, Hawaiian locals, people he meets on his travels) is, to be generous, lacking in empathy and charicature-ish.

The story rolls along and along and along like a pleasant TV show that you binge for a season or two or three. The story of Joe Sharky's growing up and early rise to fame was sprinkled with some hard-to-swallow scenes but still pretty entertaining. Eventually as an interlude to the inevitable search for big waves that soul surfers with waning fame pursue, the author arranges for the biggest mid-novel shark jump ever: the author writes Hunter S. Thompson's downward spiral into drugs and paranoia into the main character's story. The main character also goes through a parade of absurd women (a mix of crazy, maternal, sexually insatiable, and magically wise young women), and by the time we got to Hunter, I was turned off by all of it. I bailed. If the show rallies in the final season, I missed it.

The narrator has a velvety, five star, books-on-tape voice for most of the narrative parts of the story. Unfortunately, he does one star character voicing that seemed more like mockery than acting. He destroys the pronunciation of common Hawaiian place names and other routine words that most people who have even vacationed in Hawaii would know. His efforts to speak pidgin and do a local accent are shameful. The women are narrated in creepy, breathy falsettos. Even the grizzled manly-man voice he put on for the (white male) main character was over the top.

Legendary

Paul Theroux delivers such incredible storytelling magic that I feel deeply moved at it’s conclusion. As a surfer turning old guy with time spent in Hawaii, this story brings the mythology of the hero’s journey into full light. The character development is in epic Tolstoy proportion. The blending of real and fictional characters is woven together so perfectly. The honest and real portrayal of Hawaiian culture is heartfelt. The narration is so good I am left wanting more. I haven’t listened to a book this good in I can’t tell you how long. JUST EPIC!

Really enjoyable and surprising novel.

There are so many crummy books out there about surfing. As a life long surfer only a handful hold up...Paul Theroux did it here and as a non-surfer...it’s impressive simply that it doesn’t read like a vegetarian reviewing a steak house. I commend him for not fucking it up and getting it so right. Not an easy feat. You could really feel, smell and taste the north shore...and this story. The book was a much needed escape and thus a gift.