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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
this book follows around an alcoholic journalist doing essentially nothing with his life, all while making a plethora of observations that are vaguely holden-esque. it's no surprise that there isn't much of a plot, although that isn't to say that nothing ever happens - the sequence of events in this story is hardly unremarkable, and i'll admit i expected far less from this story when i was beginning to read. the side characters in this book, while many, were all distinctive and contributed to the story. there was action, imagery, and pondering. something to note: the novel is largely dominated by drunk male presences. this made reading range from intriguing to irritating to downright infuriating for me, given that if there's one thing i detest in writing it's a prominent male gaze. if you are the type of reader who needs at least one realistically written perspective of a woman to get through a book, this one may not be for you. however, for all that this gritty story lacked, i felt that i gained connection with it and the mildly unhappy residents of San Juan.
dark
slow-paced
dark
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol
I didn't finish this book.. I know, I love Hunter S. Thompson too, but this was written when he was twenty two.. it's AWESOME.. but different. The story is based on , and obviously written by, a young guy breaking into journalism.. you can see how he turned into the guy he was and that he really looked up to the older men "chasing tail, pursuing stories, getting drunk, etc.
It's weird to read cause you can tell he had this passion for it and nobody really, like, TRIES to become part of a JOURNALIST subculture anymore, do they? They're probably too busy sewing fluffy wolf tails to the back of their ex-girlfriend jeans, right?
I've got a couple books to pick up from the library, but then I'll be attempting, once more, to finish this.
It's weird to read cause you can tell he had this passion for it and nobody really, like, TRIES to become part of a JOURNALIST subculture anymore, do they? They're probably too busy sewing fluffy wolf tails to the back of their ex-girlfriend jeans, right?
I've got a couple books to pick up from the library, but then I'll be attempting, once more, to finish this.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Decent book if you're looking for debauchery and no plot. In other words, standard HST.
San Juan's Daily News is decadent and depraved. The story follows a drifting journalist and his colleagues in various states of personal disrepair. Deadpan funny, concisively edited and paced, bearing much resemblence to Thompson's non-fiction - an enjoyable read. Writing under the guise of fiction, there's arguably more room for Thompson to explore themes of depression - and these are sad characters despite the surface absurdities of their circumstances.
For the record, I bought this book because rum is my favorite hard liquor and the book didn't disappoint me or my favorite booze.
I really enjoyed this book. This book left me wholly satisfied and I haven't read a book like that in a while. Kemp is a 30 year old journalist who's losing his craving for ambition and on the edge of wanting to be a spunky kid adventurer like he was in his twenties, and wanting to settle down and be a homebody like an older person. I think I liked his character because we're on the same boat right now, emotionally. Not literally. I've obviously made the choice to settle down.
At the start of this book, he landed in Puerto Rico at a failing English language newspaper. It is here that he enters into the romp of the newsroom gang and the adventures that follow. This includes sleeping with an exotic local on the beach, fighting locals at a bar and ending up in jail, finding a peaceful beach that he wished it would remain untouched yet he was to write an article about it to attract investors and the masses to come rape it's beauty, and finally losing his friend and former colleague's girlfriend in a party during carnival season, only to end up with her back at his apartment a few days later, subsequently betraying his friend. It wasn't the final thing, though. It was jam packed with stories that one would hate to live through in the present, but then reminiscence in those memories as the "good 'ol days."
I can't find any fault in this book. It captivated me from beginning to end. There was nothing slow about it, which is why I finished it in five days when it normally takes me a month to finish a book. Paul was internally torn between the worlds of adventurous youth and stability.
To Paul, I say, youth is meant for adventure. Wait 6 more years, then choose stability.
I really enjoyed this book. This book left me wholly satisfied and I haven't read a book like that in a while. Kemp is a 30 year old journalist who's losing his craving for ambition and on the edge of wanting to be a spunky kid adventurer like he was in his twenties, and wanting to settle down and be a homebody like an older person. I think I liked his character because we're on the same boat right now, emotionally. Not literally. I've obviously made the choice to settle down.
At the start of this book, he landed in Puerto Rico at a failing English language newspaper. It is here that he enters into the romp of the newsroom gang and the adventures that follow. This includes sleeping with an exotic local on the beach, fighting locals at a bar and ending up in jail, finding a peaceful beach that he wished it would remain untouched yet he was to write an article about it to attract investors and the masses to come rape it's beauty, and finally losing his friend and former colleague's girlfriend in a party during carnival season, only to end up with her back at his apartment a few days later, subsequently betraying his friend. It wasn't the final thing, though. It was jam packed with stories that one would hate to live through in the present, but then reminiscence in those memories as the "good 'ol days."
I can't find any fault in this book. It captivated me from beginning to end. There was nothing slow about it, which is why I finished it in five days when it normally takes me a month to finish a book. Paul was internally torn between the worlds of adventurous youth and stability.
To Paul, I say, youth is meant for adventure. Wait 6 more years, then choose stability.
Read in a few hours in an airport in Sri Lanka. A real page turner.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes