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The Surf Guru: Stories
From the author of Alive in Necropolis "a brazen, roiling, confident collection." ( Los Angeles Times ).
This is a book of brilliant, adventurous stories from award-winning author Doug Dorst, widely celebrated as one of the most creative, original literary voices of his generation-an heir to T.C. Boyle and Denis Johnson, or a Northern Californian Haruki Murakami. Here in The Surf Guru , Dorst's full talent is on display.
This is a book of brilliant, adventurous stories from award-winning author Doug Dorst, widely celebrated as one of the most creative, original literary voices of his generation-an heir to T.C. Boyle and Denis Johnson, or a Northern Californian Haruki Murakami. Here in The Surf Guru , Dorst's full talent is on display.
278 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 31, 2010
Well. Now Doug Dorst is just showing off. The relative newbie to the world of book glue's new collection of short stories "The Surf Guru," is so fun, so clever and so so exciting that it will make people who play with words drool. Reading his series of 12 tales is like watching a contortionist bend and shape shift, and thinking: "Holy crap. Do you even have a human rib cage?"
Dude's brain is ambidextrous: One minute he is writing about an aged surf hero with a line of products that includes dog food, a handful of pages later he creates a young hard-luck housesitter who keeps flunking her truck driving road test. There is a seemingly normal cake maker who jealously veers into Crazytown while her daughter OCD's herself into male-pattern baldness, and best buds on the lam from the law who come into possession of a ... baby.
There is so much treachery involved. At least twice I started a chapter, fully prepared to be bored by the subject. His story "La Fiesta de San Humberto el Menor," which is based on the song "Paradise" by Alejandro Escovedo, seems like it is going to be the stuff of dime-a-dozen Western fare starring a suicidal fruit stand owner with a taste for tequila and a wife who ran off with the rich white asshole who owns the town. Read a little closer and it has more in common with the 80s comedy "The Three Amigos." The formula is there, but the common and age-old language of the genre has been replaced with the absurd. And, yet, Dorst never cracks a smile, oh he of the proverbial poker face.
In "Twelve Portraits of Dr. Gachet," the language is so 1889 that to read it without an accent is damn-near impossible. It is the story of a wanna be artist doctor, and the Van Gogh-ish painter he is treating with his special brand of medicine.
Just Dorst's experimentation with "Splitters" a series of portraits of characters in the world of botany -- what the writer might consider his flagship of the book -- fails to hold attention, even with its portrait-style photographs, and maybe because of the footnotes.
Dorst's debut was the novel "Alive in Necropolis," a mix of police jargon and other-worldly gangsters set in a town heavily populated with ghosts. What made "Necropolis" such a pleasure is also what works in this collection: A wit so dry that it could be used as kindling. You might not even notice what he is doing, or how much fun he must have had rearranging these sentences on the page. His novel fell flat in the finale. The short story form may be Dorst's forte. Think Neal Pollack, but a less concentrated, far less overwhelming Neal Pollack. He is the writers' writer, and he makes the trickiest tricks look so damn easy.
Dude's brain is ambidextrous: One minute he is writing about an aged surf hero with a line of products that includes dog food, a handful of pages later he creates a young hard-luck housesitter who keeps flunking her truck driving road test. There is a seemingly normal cake maker who jealously veers into Crazytown while her daughter OCD's herself into male-pattern baldness, and best buds on the lam from the law who come into possession of a ... baby.
There is so much treachery involved. At least twice I started a chapter, fully prepared to be bored by the subject. His story "La Fiesta de San Humberto el Menor," which is based on the song "Paradise" by Alejandro Escovedo, seems like it is going to be the stuff of dime-a-dozen Western fare starring a suicidal fruit stand owner with a taste for tequila and a wife who ran off with the rich white asshole who owns the town. Read a little closer and it has more in common with the 80s comedy "The Three Amigos." The formula is there, but the common and age-old language of the genre has been replaced with the absurd. And, yet, Dorst never cracks a smile, oh he of the proverbial poker face.
In "Twelve Portraits of Dr. Gachet," the language is so 1889 that to read it without an accent is damn-near impossible. It is the story of a wanna be artist doctor, and the Van Gogh-ish painter he is treating with his special brand of medicine.
Just Dorst's experimentation with "Splitters" a series of portraits of characters in the world of botany -- what the writer might consider his flagship of the book -- fails to hold attention, even with its portrait-style photographs, and maybe because of the footnotes.
Dorst's debut was the novel "Alive in Necropolis," a mix of police jargon and other-worldly gangsters set in a town heavily populated with ghosts. What made "Necropolis" such a pleasure is also what works in this collection: A wit so dry that it could be used as kindling. You might not even notice what he is doing, or how much fun he must have had rearranging these sentences on the page. His novel fell flat in the finale. The short story form may be Dorst's forte. Think Neal Pollack, but a less concentrated, far less overwhelming Neal Pollack. He is the writers' writer, and he makes the trickiest tricks look so damn easy.
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August 18, 2010Read most of it and found it well written but kind of arbitrary and heartless. Kind of like an alien trying out different human personalities than real attempts at story or connection.
June 15, 2017
This book is not about surfing - either the ocean or the web! It is a collection of sex riddled short stories that I failed to "get". It makes me wonder what kind of a mind is behind this weird writing???
July 14, 2010
First off, to mention the good: there is nothing technically wrong with Doug Dorst’s writing. There are a few spots in the book where a section of a sentence gets repeated, but as this is an uncorrected proof I can only assume that this was not an intentional choice on his part.
Unfortunately, that’s about all I can truly say in praise of Surf Guru, an anthology of short stories that for the most part were originally published elsewhere in various periodicals and collections. The subjects of them men and women, often but not exclusively in the late-20s/early-30s age bracket, attempting to come to grips with failures, disappointment, alienation, and figure out their place in the world. Fairly standard stuff, in other words, which is the first problem: there’s simply nothing subject-wise that’s particularly noteworthy. A number of the stories ("Vikings", "Little Reptiles", "The Candidate in Bloom") hint at an undertone of potential wierdness which is never successfully built on, while others ("The Monkeys Howl, The Hagfish Feast", "La Fiesta de San Humberto el Menor") suggest a larger story that’s never elucidated upon.
Among the things that Dorst appears to like attempting is stories in distinct, fragmentary blocks, jumping ahead or behind, from character to character, in order to present the important scenes and images. When it works, it’s enjoyable enough ("Surf Guru"), but when it doesn’t ("Little Reptiles") it leaves the stories feeling underdeveloped and more like outlines than fully formed pieces.
All of the above would be at least somewhat more excusable if the artistry was unique and noteworthy. Unfortunately, Dorst appears to have yet to find a voice of his own. The back cover calls him "a Northern California Haruki Murakami," and in many ways it’s fitting, though not necessarily in the complimentary manner intended. Too often his writing feels like a perhaps unconscious attempt at aping Murakami’s style, though at times other authors’ voices take centre stage. ("La Fiesta de San Humberto el Meno," for instance, reads alternatively like a pastiche and parody of Marcía Márquez.) There was, truly, only one section where I felt intrigued by the writing style, by the authorial voice: in "Vikings", an otherwise unremarkable story about one night in the lives of two friends in their 20s, the narrator describes his friend telling the story of his first kiss. In that brief description, I was more intrigued by the writing than anywhere else in the book.
Overall, though there’s nothing technically wrong with the work, the lack of depth to pieces and lack of a distinct voice leaves me feeling unsatisfied and unable to recommend the work as anything more than a time filler.
(Favourite story: "Astronauts." Dorst at perhaps his most Murakami-esque.
Least favourite story: A tie between "Twelve Portraits of Dr. Gachet" — I have an irrational hatred of Van Gogh, and this colours my opinion of the piece — and "Little Reptiles." The latter is fragmentary, alternatively unfocused and unsubtle. It even includes a section about a writer who is unable to complete a story.)
Unfortunately, that’s about all I can truly say in praise of Surf Guru, an anthology of short stories that for the most part were originally published elsewhere in various periodicals and collections. The subjects of them men and women, often but not exclusively in the late-20s/early-30s age bracket, attempting to come to grips with failures, disappointment, alienation, and figure out their place in the world. Fairly standard stuff, in other words, which is the first problem: there’s simply nothing subject-wise that’s particularly noteworthy. A number of the stories ("Vikings", "Little Reptiles", "The Candidate in Bloom") hint at an undertone of potential wierdness which is never successfully built on, while others ("The Monkeys Howl, The Hagfish Feast", "La Fiesta de San Humberto el Menor") suggest a larger story that’s never elucidated upon.
Among the things that Dorst appears to like attempting is stories in distinct, fragmentary blocks, jumping ahead or behind, from character to character, in order to present the important scenes and images. When it works, it’s enjoyable enough ("Surf Guru"), but when it doesn’t ("Little Reptiles") it leaves the stories feeling underdeveloped and more like outlines than fully formed pieces.
All of the above would be at least somewhat more excusable if the artistry was unique and noteworthy. Unfortunately, Dorst appears to have yet to find a voice of his own. The back cover calls him "a Northern California Haruki Murakami," and in many ways it’s fitting, though not necessarily in the complimentary manner intended. Too often his writing feels like a perhaps unconscious attempt at aping Murakami’s style, though at times other authors’ voices take centre stage. ("La Fiesta de San Humberto el Meno," for instance, reads alternatively like a pastiche and parody of Marcía Márquez.) There was, truly, only one section where I felt intrigued by the writing style, by the authorial voice: in "Vikings", an otherwise unremarkable story about one night in the lives of two friends in their 20s, the narrator describes his friend telling the story of his first kiss. In that brief description, I was more intrigued by the writing than anywhere else in the book.
Overall, though there’s nothing technically wrong with the work, the lack of depth to pieces and lack of a distinct voice leaves me feeling unsatisfied and unable to recommend the work as anything more than a time filler.
(Favourite story: "Astronauts." Dorst at perhaps his most Murakami-esque.
Least favourite story: A tie between "Twelve Portraits of Dr. Gachet" — I have an irrational hatred of Van Gogh, and this colours my opinion of the piece — and "Little Reptiles." The latter is fragmentary, alternatively unfocused and unsubtle. It even includes a section about a writer who is unable to complete a story.)
October 24, 2010
I usually read single-author short story anthologies interspersed with other fiction because reading too many short stories back-to-back tends to emphasize the commalities of the stories to their detriment. That wasn't the case with The Surf Guru; I read this book slowly because I wanted to draw it out.
The Surf Guru's range is impressive, encompassing an impressionistic portrait of Van Gogh's physician (and portrait subject) Paul Gauchet; a tale set against the backdrop of an unspecified conflict with dreamy, almost Garcia Marquez-like, overtones of magical realism; a slipstream story; a satire of an academic history; and a brief piece possibly inspired by John McCain's campaign.
The stories I liked best were contemporary, predominantly naturalistic stories of people whose lives are not quite staying on the rails, but everything more than held my interest. Dorst has a particularly strong line in first sentences, like "The candidate is so tense he cannot walk without crutches," and "I drove Trace to the hospital the day they tried to fix his eye."
The Surf Guru easily lived up to the (high) expectations set by Dorst's debut novel Alive in Necropolis , and leaves me similarly impatient for his next book.
The Surf Guru's range is impressive, encompassing an impressionistic portrait of Van Gogh's physician (and portrait subject) Paul Gauchet; a tale set against the backdrop of an unspecified conflict with dreamy, almost Garcia Marquez-like, overtones of magical realism; a slipstream story; a satire of an academic history; and a brief piece possibly inspired by John McCain's campaign.
The stories I liked best were contemporary, predominantly naturalistic stories of people whose lives are not quite staying on the rails, but everything more than held my interest. Dorst has a particularly strong line in first sentences, like "The candidate is so tense he cannot walk without crutches," and "I drove Trace to the hospital the day they tried to fix his eye."
The Surf Guru easily lived up to the (high) expectations set by Dorst's debut novel Alive in Necropolis , and leaves me similarly impatient for his next book.
December 2, 2010
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. The first story was quite a surprise as the main character was obviously (blatantly?) based on Jack O'Neill, a surfing pioneer and legend who has lived in my hometown since the 60s. I was always fascinated by his impossible house on the cliffs in Capitola. He also wears an eyepatch. It is rare that I enjoy a book that my dad is likely to be mildly interested in -- I ended up gifting this to him for his 63rd birthday and he loved it. I also received an email the day after I gave it to him simply asking "Do you think the guy in the first story is Jack O'Neill?"
September 25, 2012
I'm beginning to think that one has to be a bit leery of listening to Goodreads authors when selecting books to read. This isn't the first time I've been disappointed by rave reviews. Dorst's short stories can be fine "Splitters" is funny, dark and clever but for the most part the rest of the collection is just boring, certainly not "Daring and big-hearted" Robin Romm, "Virtuosic, wildly original and frequently hilarious", Julie Orringer, or "utterly unique and visionary" Dan Chaon.
Oh, well what do I know I'm just a reader.
Oh, well what do I know I'm just a reader.
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July 29, 2024Doing this thing where I am sampling short story collections rather than reading them front to back. The stories I read out of this one, were okay. A requisite craftsmanship is on display, but nothing that will knock you out of the park. Browsing others' reviews and recommendations, I'm wondering if I chose the wrong stories.
The style/settings/vibes of this one were all over the map. I've come to the conclusion that I prefer single-author collections to be more curated, with the stories sequenced and selected the way a band would for an album.
The style/settings/vibes of this one were all over the map. I've come to the conclusion that I prefer single-author collections to be more curated, with the stories sequenced and selected the way a band would for an album.
October 29, 2024
¿2.5?
Me gustaron los cinco primeros de los doce cuentos incluidos. Hay su dosis de realismo mágico ("El candidato en flor") o de lo real maravilloso ("La fiesta de San Umberto el menor") en esos relatos, pero los más de los personajes en conjunto resultan antipáticos.
Me gustaron los cinco primeros de los doce cuentos incluidos. Hay su dosis de realismo mágico ("El candidato en flor") o de lo real maravilloso ("La fiesta de San Umberto el menor") en esos relatos, pero los más de los personajes en conjunto resultan antipáticos.
December 30, 2018
Some good shorts and some that didn’t hold my interest.
August 27, 2021
Mildly entertaining short stories
October 30, 2024
Flores sin ningún aroma. O, peor aún, con aroma artificial bastante insoportable. Supuestamente, graciosa, la cosa.
November 8, 2010
Part of the fun of this collection of short stories is they’re all over the map, both form and content.
My favorites were “Dinaburg’s Cake,” about an overzealous pastry chef trying to land a prime client while her family is falling apart; and “The Monkeys Howl, the Hagfish Feast,” about a group of savages camped outside a Queen’s fortress, the general she has spurned, a boy guarding a severed head, and the general’s insane right-hand man.
One gripe I have to pick: Dorst uses repetition in his sentences, but instead of doing what repetition does best—bringing the reader closer to the rhythms of the story, reinforcing a theme—it becomes distracting, like a movie with bad editing. The second he repeats a word I’m thinking, “Oh shit, he’s going to do it again,” and then sure enough he does.
Nevertheless, I am interested in Dorst’s novel, Alive in Necropolis. I also want to re-read Jon Raymond’s review of this collection now that I’ve finished it.
My favorites were “Dinaburg’s Cake,” about an overzealous pastry chef trying to land a prime client while her family is falling apart; and “The Monkeys Howl, the Hagfish Feast,” about a group of savages camped outside a Queen’s fortress, the general she has spurned, a boy guarding a severed head, and the general’s insane right-hand man.
One gripe I have to pick: Dorst uses repetition in his sentences, but instead of doing what repetition does best—bringing the reader closer to the rhythms of the story, reinforcing a theme—it becomes distracting, like a movie with bad editing. The second he repeats a word I’m thinking, “Oh shit, he’s going to do it again,” and then sure enough he does.
Nevertheless, I am interested in Dorst’s novel, Alive in Necropolis. I also want to re-read Jon Raymond’s review of this collection now that I’ve finished it.
October 9, 2012
Could not finish this: the question from somewhere near the beginning is whether Dorst is primarily interested in playing surrealist, literary, McSweeny-style, Oulipian, linguistic, retro, Borgesian, and other sorts of more or less exhausted but intermittently diverting games, or whether he wants to be a full-scale, traditional, psychologically adroit, and therefore potentially old-fashioned narrative storyteller: and soon it becomes clear he has not formulated that difference clearly enough to make the reading rewarding. The fact that the choice does not appear to him as such shows that his understanding of contemporary fiction is not yet decisive.
April 22, 2014
This book was given to me as a gift from a friend who had not read it yet herself but had heard many good things about it. Well I have to say I had never heard of the book and knew nothing of what it was about, but having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. The book contains 12 short stories, all of which are good in their own right. I specifically enjoyed 2 stories above all the others but the remaining 10 were entertaining and interesting as well. A good read for sure.
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September 1, 2010I am feeling this book . . . walking away from something that has been your life as you know it and handing it off/over and just stepping out. Wow. Doug Dorst hit a home run with the Dynaburg's Cake too. The mother daughter relationship was nicely told and crafted. Their adventure sneaking a piece of wedding cake at the end of the story was brilliant. Alot like wedding crashers but wedding cake sample stealers instead - clever.
February 12, 2011
[Author:Dorst] has a way with image and precise flow; while I didn't always love the stories {"Splitters" in particular} or identify particularly with characters {just about everyone is drunk and/or high}, he's terribly nuanced and specific to each person, each story they find themselves in. He is also, like Skip Horack, great at the flash-fiction kind of story--get in, get out, leave you ringing. [Recommended]
July 29, 2010
This is a neat short story collection--just read it as part of the Rumpus Book Club. A few of the stories are five-stars for me, a couple I didn't really get into, but most were interesting and satisfying. I think I'm warming to the short story collection as a form. Can't wait to read his first novel!
January 22, 2011
Hmmm...well...you know how you are hungry and you keep eating and getting fuller but just aren't satisfied? You just end up bloated and angry? This is how "The Surf Guru", reads. Each story seems like a fragment of something bigger that never satisfies. Maybe that was Doug Dorst's intention. To give us just a taste. Hmmm...well...
January 2, 2012
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. There was everything in the book from quite dark to humorous. The author, Doug Dorst has a great way of describing things and seems to be able to articulate the human condition in a way that I haven't seen before. He is not afraid to tackle the difficult emotions which make his characters more real.
July 1, 2016
Doug Dorst was my teacher in an on-line writing course while he was at Stanford. He was a good teacher, with our class of thirteen of so people spread around the US, Europe, and South Africa. The book now is a bit hazy for me, but it was a pleasant read. Dorst now is at Texas State in San Marcos, Texas.
August 8, 2015
Not a bad series of short stories - Doug Dorst provides enough variety that if you don't like one tale it is likely the next one will provide a little illumination. No heir to TC Boyle as the publisher claims, but well worth a beach read.
March 1, 2016
Ugh. wow, the same guy who wrote "S" wrote these stories? Somewhat difficult to comprehend, but then again "S" was a complex, well-thought out, and collaborative project, whereas the "Surf Guru" stories felt dashed off and unedited. Not a fan, clearly.
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September 9, 2012I just got this book from the library - short stories. The first two were great!
November 30, 2010
A good collection of stories. Wide variety of styles, voices. Funny and touching.
March 15, 2012
I don't always find the actual subject that interesting but I finf his writing very good so it has kept me interested.
December 14, 2010
good stories. i would still read anything this guy writes.
February 1, 2011
Short stories, some with few recurring characters and occasionally odd/experimental writing.
July 21, 2011
A fantastic collection of short stories. The subjects are varied and intricate, the characters are nuanced and wonderfully flawed. Redemption is never the goal, remembering is often the by-product.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews