 ""Gonzo" would be an understatement" | 2009-10-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1CUZCL7AY05DL |
I'd already seen the movie (and couldn't have been happier with the casting of Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro), so I knew approximately what to expect, but as is often the case when books are adapted for the screen, what movies gain in literal representation they lose in flavor of language. And that, I would say, was the best part of this book: Thompson's rollicking, piquant wordplay that both lives up to and brings to life the outrageous escapades described over the course of 200 breathlessly rambling pages.
If Thompson and his nameless attorney consumed even half the drugs he says they did, it must've been a bender of frightening proportions, that much is clear. But amidst the staggering amounts of illegal substances, boorish behavior, and assorted misdemeanors, what comes out through it all is Thompson's keen eye for human nature, mordant wit, and ability to turn one colorful phrase after another. Countless times I wanted to reach for my pencil to make a note or copy down a particularly choice quotation, but instead let myself be carried along by the rushing, post-Kerouackian current of Thompson's prose, figuring that blasting along without stopping was more in the spirit of the thing anyhow.
Kids may not be reading it in school 100 years from now (in fact, I hope they're not!), and anyone looking for character development or serious philosophical reflections is looking in the wrong place, but for sheer joy of language it has lessons that a lot of writers could learn from. |
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| "A entertaining read" | 2009-10-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3MLY0VBMP0RSI |
| I had the seen the movie over 5 times before I decided to read the book, and let me tell you that even though I knew what was about to happen most of the time, I found it exponentially better than the movie. One of my favorites thus far. |
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| "One of a kind!" | 2009-08-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2ZATPER188K3J |
This book is labeled as journalism / nonfiction. I am not sure that I believe it is fully either, but it is none the less a very interesting read.
Fear and Loathing claims to be a "savage journey to the heart of the American Dream" but I find it hard to believe it was all that honest of a search if one set out to pursue it as Mr. Thompson and his attorney claim they were. There is more drug use and hallucinations in this text, then I hope, most are used to. However, that is an integral part of the book, and works for what seems to be Thompson's ultimate goal.
Although I don't approve of the lifestyle of its two main characters, they are in fact disgusting people, they are still intriguing, and I found the text to be an easy and enjoyable read. The last 100 pages are far superior to the first 100, as it is in the later half of the book that Mr. Thompson seems to be getting to his point.
The "American Dream" really lives in the hearts and minds of those who pursue it, and thus if the heart and mind pursuing it are not all that together, then the dream seems to be lost. This book is peopled with such characters. Most are fearful of the world that surrounds them, and most also loathe themselves and the world around them. The book is an interesting exploration of our self destructive tendencies, and how we are the biggest inhibitors of our own happiness. Thompson laments the lost spirit of the 60s in this text, all the while truthfully acknowledging the only people to blame for that are the very people who preached and practiced it.
Thompson has a very unique writing style. The man had talent and deserves to be praised for it. His sense of irony and wit are immensely enjoyable, and the prose fits the story and the personality of the text's main characters. These outrageous characters and circumstances come across as totally believable, and that perhaps is Thompson's greatest achievement with this book.
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 "funny as hell" | 2009-08-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1TYKRLQC947GZ |
| Hunter Thompson was the founder of Gonzo journalism and he will be deeply missed. Pick any one of his books and you won't be disappointed. If you have seen the movie, it is very similar. Hunter Thompson and his attorney become locked in a drug induced mania while in Vegas to cover a motorcycle race that they completely miss altogether. They rip off (and destroy) every hotel they stay in, they run from the police, and get into every possible bad scenario imaginable. Great read. |
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 "I don't see what the big deal is..." | 2009-07-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1DJQTROA65VAP |
| As a recent college grad with time to kill unemployed, I wanted to like this book, I really did. Many of my friends have recommended I read it, although I am beginning to think they never read it either. I had no problem putting this book down, and was kinda relieved to get to the end of it. Don't get me wrong, the book certainly had its high points and interesting twists and stories. But for the most part, it was jumbled and fell far short of the legendary status it is given. Maybe I missed or couldn't relate to the drug culture of the 70s, but I could never quite grasped the preoccupation with finding the American Dream. With that said, I didn't waste too much time. It takes maybe 4 hours to read, but I don't expect to have any urge to re-read it like some other books. |
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| "From the opening passage..." | 2009-07-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3J16S5EGN4KF |
| From the opening passage, to the bitter end, Hunter Thompson's masterpiece, had me completely encased. This was so much like how I felt when reading Hemingway's 'A Sun Also Rises'. I was so blown away by both these books that I immediately gobbled up everything by Thompson and Hemingway I could find, with pretty much the same results: these two books were the best of the lot. With the exception of Thompson's 'Hell's Angels' (which was kickass) the rest of their work left me cold and flat. Even so, I became enamored with their personas. So much so, it became interesting enough to read about them, versus anymore of their work. But it matters not. Even if Fear and Loathing was the only book Thompson penned, he could have died a proud man. FALILV is that good. Life altering and amazing and with the rarity of the movie being JUST AS GOOD....I highly encourage devouring them both! |
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