Whose Life is it anyway

[Nick Carroll]

Here's something I wrote for the Fin Review, published today

http://www.afr.com/p/lifestyle/review/c ... g1kouCR93K

wondered what you would all think of it? the subject not the piece. I like Malcolm but it weirded me out.

[alakaboo]

Interesting place to have the story published, Nick? The Fin Review seems to be getting into the coastal sphere more these days, wonder if that's a result of people like Malcolm?

I haven't read the book, and I'm not likely to. I am also too young to have had the MP story except via various histories and general osmosis.
From the reviews of the book, and the obvious similarities, it would appear to be lazy writing.
Kind of like true-crime books. Leave you feeling a bit empty and unfulfilled.
Scod would probably like it, it's fiction based on non-fiction.

But far more importantly, it would appear that the Fin Review has a more relaxed policy on swearing than Realsurf.

[steve shearer]

Long literary tradition of plundering real lives for material.

I can't see what is so remarkable about it: one more brick removed from the wall of surfing's self imposed sense of exceptionalism.

And I found this comment curious and oddly dissonant: "Perhaps ©afr.com ©afr.com these worlds were ©afr.com destined never to truly collide."

When talking about the surfing and literary worlds.

When in fact they have collided and they are colliding with increasing frequency.

Anyway, I enjoyed your review Nick.

I haven't read the book but my gut feelings were that surfing was being plundered by some late coming ho-dad.
Some pretender and phoney.
Maybe that's just a ruder and cruder version of your subtler and more finely expressed sense of un-ease.

[daryl]

Yeah, no that stinks.
Cough up a share of the royalties, mate.

I've had 2 blatant thefts of intellectual property, more exactly 1 was attempted, I withdrew the paper for lack of any input from the THIEF, and a third more thinly disguised, let's just say it was clearly 'lifted'.

What's the difference between intellectual and a life, dunno, not much imo.
No. This is way worse, take that back.

[BA]

Nice work Nick.

Knox is a shoulder hopper, no doubt about it.

[purple pyramids]

myth seems central to our culture. maybe mp was a coat hanger to cloak in myth. but maybe myth exists because of people like mp.

regardless to whether the chicken or egg came first here. it would seem unnecessary to include details, as you listed, that match mp's life. if you're already working with the mythical arc of the 'once great now fallen hero', then you've got a very solid form that all readers understand. that would seem to give you a lot of room to move with your details - while still being able to maintain the basic mythical form.
uuhh, maybe i need a few more drafts to work out what i'm trying to say.

anyway, nick certainly got my thinking. not necessarily coherently. good read.

[Skipper]

Shoulder hopper! Exactly. Well put.

Good piece Nick. Nicely handled too in the light of your own, as I assume, suitably questionable interpretation of Knox's book. Carefully worded, honest and thorough.
I'm with Joan on the book. Unfair though as I haven't read it, but two things that have stuck in my mind about Knox are that I remember reading his piece in the Herald years ago where he wrote about his first lesson and the buzz he felt, how he was hooked etc...Oh no.
And secondly, I read an early reference to The Life and straight away with just the scant details of it's protagonist, thought... ...and That's MP!
On the first point, and this'll get the tongues wagging, my first and only response was to think, 'oh fcuk no, not another hodad - come - lately!
There's somehing inherantly possessive in a surfer who's done it since childhood as opposed to the late starters. How often or how well is irrelevent. I just feel this way. Expect most of the older blokes on here are too.
Secondly, I'm the same age as you, and MP figured huge in the 70's for me. Considered him a hero and went wobbly in the arms when I came within a paddle stroke of him at Kirra in '78. He turbopaddled passed me on the way out. Ok, that's my gushing schoolgirl take, but you've gotta ask why? Why Knox couldn't come up with character of his own making. Plundering MP seems just plain lazy, and the result of his late to it infatuation with surfing and with one of it's more widely known cult figures.

Fin Review hey!

[2nd Reef]

Like Nick I felt conflicted when I read the book. Ultimately I enjoyed it though and thought it a great character study.

One thing I can say, I felt I learnt more about MP - his internal machinations and what motivated him -from Malcolm's book than Sean's bio. Simply, the novelist was able to explore places that the biographer wasn't able to go.

[Buff_Brad]

But far more importantly, it would appear that the Fin Review has a more relaxed policy on swearing than Realsurf.

Attention Trev G! To the front desk please....

Yeah I couldn't believe it when I opened my favorite Friday's Fin Rev and saw the NC article........yes to put it bluntly - a total fcuking rip off.

BTW Macquarie Bank shares are down 10% or thereabouts today. Cn.uts!! oooops sorry Trev.

[Buff_Brad]

Like Nick I felt conflicted when I read the book. Ultimately I enjoyed it though and thought it a great character study.

One thing I can say, I felt I learnt more about MP - his internal machinations and what motivated him -from Malcolm's book than Sean's bio. Simply, the novelist was able to explore places that the biographer wasn't able to go.

Yeah but be honest about it.

[Skipper]

I forgot to say , before I read the article, I thought Nick was refering to the other Malcom. Turnbull

Like Nick I felt conflicted when I read the book. Ultimately I enjoyed it though and thought it a great character study.

One thing I can say, I felt I learnt more about MP - his internal machinations and what motivated him -from Malcolm's book than Sean's bio. Simply, the novelist was able to explore places that the biographer wasn't able to go.

on that, I'd give it a go. Though I don't like novels much.

[Yuke Hunt]

Yeah, no that stinks.
Cough up a share of the royalties, mate.

I don't think Nick recieves royalties from the Financial Review ... more of rate per rant basis.

Oh ... the other guy ... yeah ... the other guy ... pretty sad really ... thinly veiled plagiarism at best.

Thats the second review I've read on the subject ... the other was in one of the girt by seas dirty three surfing publications I was perusing whilst winging it east to west or visa versa a few sleeps back.

That reviewer reached the same conclusion ... but still proclaimed it as a good read ...

Consider this though ... in a world wide market not everyone is aware of the MP story ... so unless they are a surfer ... or read the financial review ... this collection of words could easily pass as a well constructed piece of fiction ... and turn a tidy profit.

Like all good crime stories ... it all hinges on the motive.

[2nd Reef]

Like Nick I felt conflicted when I read the book. Ultimately I enjoyed it though and thought it a great character study.

One thing I can say, I felt I learnt more about MP - his internal machinations and what motivated him -from Malcolm's book than Sean's bio. Simply, the novelist was able to explore places that the biographer wasn't able to go.

Yeah but be honest about it.

Be honest about what...?

[steve shearer]

But so what if he wrote a novel which was a thinly veiled piece of historical fiction.

Thats been a writer/filmakers stock in trade since Day Dot.
Citizen Kane being a classic example.

Whats the big deal?

It's not like the life of MP is some secret.

[Buff_Brad]

Like Nick I felt conflicted when I read the book. Ultimately I enjoyed it though and thought it a great character study.

One thing I can say, I felt I learnt more about MP - his internal machinations and what motivated him -from Malcolm's book than Sean's bio. Simply, the novelist was able to explore places that the biographer wasn't able to go.

Yeah but be honest about it.

Be honest about what...?

Not u Stu .....the author Malcolm.

Otherwise it's less effectual and creepy.

[Buff_Brad]

But so what if he wrote a novel which was a thinly veiled piece of historical fiction.

Thats been a writer/filmakers stock in trade since Day Dot.
Citizen Kane being a classic example.

Whats the big deal?

It's not like the life of MP is some secret.

Doesn't sound that thinly veiled (Nick's point form prose in the article).....thereby lies the problem.

[2nd Reef]

But if he's 'honest' about it then he can't really say it. Much better to make enlightened, well considered assumptions and have readers connect the dots...

[Buff_Brad]

But if he's 'honest' about it then he can't really say it. Much better to make enlightened, well considered assumptions and have readers connect the dots...

Not "brutally" honest....but you know at least acknowledging........it just doesn't sit that comfortably that's all.

The film "The Boys" with David Wenham - a great film which most of you all will agree I hazzard to guess and it was generally acknowledged it was referencing the Anita Cobby tragedy.

Maybe that's a bad analogy......I don't know.

Maybe I should actually bother to read the book.