Tapping the Source: A Novel

I've had TAPPING THE SOURCE in my "need to read" list since 1997 when I read and enjoyed Nunn's DOGS OF WINTER. So glad I finally got around to reading it. I'm actually shocked to see that this was published in 1984. Reading it today thirty years later it doesn't feel dated at all. This book wraps up a coming of age story, surfing, mystery, action, suspense in a nifty 300 page package. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I loved how pieces of the story were revealed over the course of the book as things were revealed about the characters or they just chose to come clean for one reason or another. The Ike character was especially well done. He starts out as this very noble and innocent kid, but really goes through the wringer over the course of the story. I did not realize that the book had inspired the movie POINT BREAK. But if you've seen that film, you'll recognize all of the things that they borrowed from here. I hope the author got paid for the "inspiration"! I noticed some other reviewers who complained about the ending being too "left field". I don't really agree with that at all. There was clearly some shady stuff going on at the beach and the ending is warped but not unexpected. Anyway, don't hesitate to take a look at this book you may have missed the first time around.

"Tapping the Source" is Kem Nunn's first novel, and it won critical acclaim. Ike Parker is growing up in a small town in the California desert, with no parents and only an older sister as friend and confidante. When she leaves, to follow sun and surf, Ike stumbles around for a long time until a stranger comes to town and tells Ike his sister had gone to Mexico with some bad dudes and never came back. He has some names, and a location: Huntington Beach pier. Ike is only sixteen, and he's not sure what he can do, but he has to do something. Thus begins the story of Ike's excursion into the culture of sun, surf and sin. Sounds simple, but it's not. Nunn understands surfing in a way that few writers do, but he also understands the weirdness surrounding it. He gets the reader so far inside the main character that you easily feel every thrill, disappointment, confusion or fear that Ike feels. It's all beautiful at the start, but as Ike tries to find out what has become of his sister, he is gradually drawn into a seamy underside of the surf culture, where older, has-been surfers prey on young girls. The main characters are strong; the supporting cast well drawn. The mystery behind Ike's sister's disappearance is complex and unfolds slowly. Maybe she's holed up somewhere and needs his help; maybe she's beyond help, but who, how? There are some twists and surprises as the novel concludes. Some may seem contrived to a reader in 2013, but considering it was written in the 80's, it makes total sense. Nunn continued to provide insight into the surf culture, but not in a sunny, Beach Boys kind of way. In each of his novels, there's a darkness looming just as heavy and sure as the crest of a wave behind your shoulder. In "Dogs of Winter" (2004), he explores the peculiar mystique of big wave riders. Now that we've all seen news video of a surfer on the face of a hundred-foot wave, what is mystifying and plain crazy to most people makes total sense to Nunn's readers. Even if you never surfed, but wanted to, Kem Nunn can help you drop in off the crest, take the long ride down the face, waiting, waiting, then turning sharply and shooting inside the curl and rolling over the shoulder of big waves. But there's a price - a lot of psychological drama goes on before you get there. Nunn became more of a TV writer, penning episodes for "Deadwood"; and other dramas. But his readers are hoping for a new novel.

A wonderful read and the paperback follows along just as well with the hardcovers. No quality difference other than the feel of the book.

Love the surf backdrop, love the mystery!

Great read with an interesting voice. I love the gritty look at the underside of a subculture. This is a page turner that takes you down a dark, dark road. The story is compelling and drives you forward, making it difficult to put down. Those readers who are fans of noir are going to really love this book. I like stories with surfing as a backdrop and this is definitely one of the best out there.

A newspaper columnist I follow really likes this author so I have purchased some of his books. This was a first novel so I read it first. This tells me a lot about surfing and a little about life in the Huntington Beach of 30 years ago. I have three other books and hope to enjoy them more. I can't recommend the author at this point and recommend this book as a starting point as I hope for better in later novels. It was a good story.

An amazing book. Kem Nunn has worked magic. It starts slowly, but then comes a LOT of action, mystery, love, sex, adventure, and anything that could be packed into one book. Extremely well written. I really enjoyed it! It does deal with sex, drugs, but no rock and roll.

Good story, but ending was a little bit out in left field. Very graphic, but not overdone. The descriptions of surfing capture the real emotions of surfing well.

Un livre qui part sur un bon suspense mais qui s’essouffle assez vite Au final On s’ennuie sur le bon dernier tiers

The shipping was fast and the book arrived ok. But the cover was not hard as it was said in the description.

Brilliant read. Everyone loves it.

何度、部屋の中のモノを減らしても、転居を重ねても、手元に残り続ける本が数冊ある。 その中の一冊がこれ。特に有名な作家の作品でもないし、巷で有名な評価の定まった名作でもない。 でも一度読んで、手放せなくなった。 最初に読んだのは25歳の時。 それ以来、一度も読み返していないし、最初の１行に眼を走らせてもいなかった。 ２回目の通読は、50歳を過ぎた頃。読み返してみても、話の内容はほとんど覚えていなかったので、 初めて読むのと同じ新鮮な感慨や興味を持って読み進めることができた。 25歳の自分がなぜそれほど強い衝撃を受けながらこの本を読み、 その後25年間も手放せずにいたのかがよく分かった。 冒頭、主人公のアイクはアメリカの砂漠の街にいる。乾いた街でバイクの整備工として働く少年の日常が 優れた映画を思わせる、無駄のない、叙情性を含んだ文体・文章で綴られる。 アイクは街を出る決心をするが、それは失踪した姉を捜す旅に出るためだった。 彼は姉に深い愛情を抱いていて、それは恋人に対するものと変わらない肉体性を含んだものだった。 彼がたどり着くのは、メキシコ国境に近い南カリフォルニア。海岸の街、ハンティントン・ビーチ。 ここは実在する有名なサーフスポットで、名画『ビッグウェンズディ』にも印象的な”うねり”と共に登場する。 そこでアイクは、波乗りと、性愛と、暴力と、人と社会の二面性を深く知っていく。 この作品には、観念的な文章や上滑りした箇所がいっさいなく、描写は具体的で、謎解きを含んだ物語は 興味をかき立て、最後のページまで緊張感が持続する。 小説というものを、今ではほとんど読まないが、物語が後半にさしかかったあたりから、時間があると、この本の ページを開くようになり、ラスト50ページは一気に読んだ。 人は、青春と出会い、それを体験し、味わい、決別する。そしてその時に、それが自分に深く刻まれたことを知る。 『源にふれろ』は、その全体をビーチの街を舞台に、ハーレーとサーフィンの上で書ききった一冊の本だった。 再読が充実していたので、原書も買った。原文は読みやすく、内容がすっと頭に入ってくる。その分、ややそっけなく、 日本語訳が乾いたハードボイルドな感じと、かすかに漂う叙情を原文以上にうまく表現していたことを知った。 自分がチェックした時には、「黄色い枠」があるペーパーバックが表示されていなかったので、青っぽい ざらついた表紙のものを買ったが、本文の文字組などを見ると、「黄色」本の方がいいようだ。

Don Winslow and Kem Nunn both enjoyable reads.