WL Rating
I actually read this book before Rensin’s Dora biography came out, and I had a tough time with it. It wasn’t meant to be a deep biographical piece the way Rensin’s book is, but it wasn’t a standard coffee table book either (despite the book’s unique mini-landscape format). After reading Rensin’s biography, I went back to my bookshelf and re-read Dora Lives. And I’m glad I did. With a solid base upon which to work, I was able to better understand the nuances of Pezman’s work on Dora. In addition to being able to glean more meaning from the character and event descriptions, I felt that Pezman’s book provided a deeper visual history than Rensin’s book. Of course, with Pezman’s long history in surfing (now the founder and editor at The Surfer’s Journal), I’m sure he had access to photos that I can only imagine. By itself, Dora Lives doesn’t seem to pretend to be the last word on Miki Dora, but in conjunction with Rensin’s piece, you’ve probably got enough information on Dora to last a lifetime. (September 2008)
