Gidget (Paperback)

~ (Author), Kathy Kohner Zuckerman (Foreword) "I'm writing this down because I once heard that when you're getting older you're liable to forget things and I'd sure be the most miserable..." (more)
Key Phrases: bitchen surf, beach bag, Don Pepe, Lord Gallo, Hot Shot Harrison (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If all American literature comes from Huckleberry Finn, all American surf culture comes from Gidget, the ostensible diary of Kathy Kohner, a teensy, gutsy teenage girl who crashed the all-male scene at Malibu Beach north of L.A. in 1957 and earned, from Moondoggie and others, the nickname Gidget, which meant "Girl Midget." Her father, the German immigrant screenwriter Frederick Kohner, fascinated by the beach-shack counterculture, interviewed his perky daughter at length, eavesdropped with permission on her phone calls, fictionalized her adventures, and batted out this influential bestseller. He nailed a tiny subculture's new form of speech ("If you want to know what goes on in Loveville ... Dig Number One: being gone on a boy is more important than having a boy gone on you.") and made it a pop-culture staple. Newly reissued with the real Gidget's picture on the cover (as on the original hardback), the book is very slim (appropriately enough) and historically beguiling. You'll like her--you'll really like her! --Tim Appelo

From Publishers Weekly

"I'm not quite five feet but if it hadn't been for that year-round swimming I'd have probably stayed a dwarf," writes the teenage surfer chick in the upcoming reissue of Gidget by Frederick Kohner. The kitschy, American pop culture classic was written in 1957, hit Hollywood in 1959 and returns for summer 2001, brimming with tales of guys, waves, hopes and dreams. Kohner based the novel on the life of his then 16-year-old daughter, Kathy Kohner Zuckerman, the charming young thing who penetrated what was previously a male-dominated sport with gusto. She writes a foreword for this version, which has a splashy cover that will appeal to teens and older fans alike.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (June 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425179621
• ISBN-13: 978-0425179628
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #308,644 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge a book by its... movie?, July 7, 2002

By	Tracey L. Satterthwaite "Gatos Locos" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When my mother thrust Gidget at me about ten years ago, I shuddered. My only experience with the perky California teen was the movie (no dis intended to fans of the flick). Frederick Kohner's novel is a whole other ball of wax (board wax, natch!). While not particularly deep or philosophical, this novel is a delightful coming-of-age story.

Gidget's trials and tribulations convey all the horror, delight, confusion, and wonder of the teen years, from finding a pastime for which she has a passion (surfing), to the exultation, heartache (and, again, exultation) of her first real crush.

As Gidget takes the reader along on the magical summer of her fifteenth year, she also provides an in-depth tour of the California surf culture in the mid to late 1950s. Every sub-culture has its own lingo, and Kohner gives the reader a colorful, entertaining look at what has become an American Icon: the professional beach bum.

Each time I reread my faded, old copy of Gidget, I prayed that it would hold together for one more perusal. Imagine my delight when I found that it had been reissued! It may not be Shakespeare, but Kohner's "bitchen" novel is a classic of American pop culture!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book to remember, June 13, 2001

By	Heidi L. Marshall "A Librarian" (Belle Vernon, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book when I was a teenager, and have hung on to it for 30 years! It is definitely one of my favorite "feel good" books. Gidget is the type of girl that every red blooded American teenage girl wants to be. She lives the kind of life that most of us dream about. The sand and surf of Malibu Beach come alive in this book. Moondoggie, and the other surfers are really fun to read about, and get to know. This book is recommended as a great summer read for teenagers, and adults. I am so glad to see that it has been released again for an entire new generation to read and enjoy. It is great fun!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Fun, Fun, January 30, 2003

By	Jeff Richardson (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's true this is not a work of a profound and philosophical nature. On the other hand, it is a fun and quick read. The fact that it is at least loosely based on the life of Kathy Kohner and that it was written by her father, who picked up some ideas for the book by eavesdropping on her telephone conversations, only adds to the enjoyment. The beach culture/counterculture presented in this book ushered in not only the Gidget movies but also all of the beach-oriented movies from the early and mid-60s. It's easy enough for anyone who recalls being a teenager to identify with at least some of the teenage angst contained within Gidget. If you're looking for a light, sunny read on a dark winter's day or at any other time, give it a chance.