The Life

 The Life

Reviewed By         November 26, 2014

 

Author  Malcolm Knox

Distributor:     
ISBN:                 9781742372990
Publisher:         Allen & Unwin
Release Date:    

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The Life tells the story of former-world-champion surfer, Dennis Keith, from the perspective of a now dope addled, OCD, washed up has been.

Now overweight, paranoid and living in his mother’s retirement village, former surfing legend Dennis Keith shuffles to the shop for a Pine-Lime Splice every day, barely existing, hiding behind his aviator sunnies and crazy OCD rules, and trying not to think about the waves he’d made his own and the breaks he once ruled like a god.

Years before he’d been robbed of the World Title that had his name on it – and then the drugs, his brother, and the disappearance and murder of his girlfriend had done the rest. Out of the blue, a young want-to-be biographer comes knocking and stirs up memories Dennis thought he’d buried. It takes some time for Dennis to realize that she’s not there to write his story.

 The writing style is very loose, perhaps trying to mirror the drug addled mind of the primary character, there is a feeling of spinning out of control/free falling. Making it a challenge to follow all aspects and nuances of the story. The book makes chronological leaps between the invincible Dennis Keith in his Coolangatta prime and the aging, obese Dennis Keith, who has to take his red, blue and white pills to keep the demons of his mind at bay.

This novel will not be for everyone; but does capture the Coolangatta of the 70’s both the surfing and the drug scene. Of interest is, whilst a work of fiction, it has drawn some strong parallels with the life of surfer Michael Peterson.

Fiction