Hitchhiking with Larry David

The man…

Even though he’s never seen a single episode of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dolman is able to slowly build a friendship with David over the summer, based entirely on an increasingly unlikely string of chance encounters as they both go about their business on the large island.  Dolman’s lifelong avoidance of television continues to serve him well as he meets more celebrities while he bikes and hitchhikes around the island.  Normally reluctant to engage with fans, particularly while on vacation, they seem to find it easy to engage with Dolman since he is so content to completely ignore their status as famous people.  In fact, the author is remarkably comfortable talking with anyone, probing into a host of weighty topics with all sorts of people, from a homeless woman to a wealthy hedge fund manager to Ted Danson.

In between his surprisingly interesting encounters with strangers, Dolman reveals many of the sources of stress in his own life, from a lucrative job that left him feeling empty and unfulfilled, to his strained relationship with his parents, to the recent demise of his relationship with a “perfect” woman.  Even though his story is full of plenty of self-deprecating humor, the author’s pity party gets a little tiresome at times, making it hard to care whether he manages to gain control of his demons in the end.

But that’s a minor quibble about what is really an enjoyable book.  From his many wanderings around his old childhood haunts on a beautiful island to his witty banter with one of television’s most famous neurotic bald guys, Hitchhiking with Larry David is a fun and relaxed read that doesn’t hesitate to delve into some deep philosophical waters from time to time.

— D. Driftless

LD photo by David Shankbone