Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Hunter Thompson does modern take on Hell. The wolf was seen in Inferno Cant I. Translation from https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/inferno/inferno-1/: “Maladetta sie tu, antica lupa, / che più che tutte l’altre bestie hai preda / per la tua fame sanza fine cupa!” (Cursed be you, ancient wolf, who more than all the other beasts have prey, because of your deep hunger without end! [Purg. 20.10-12])

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moranguinhos's review

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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cwzw's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A proper caper and a riot

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sarahuwu's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

If this is the American dream, I want no part in it. Thompson comes across as totally unhinged in the worst possible way. As a look into the drug culture of the early 70s, it works almost as a cautionary tale of paranoia, violence, and filth. This book is completely bizarre and probably makes more sense to people who lived through the time it was written than it ever will to me.

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bookish_bry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a well written and good book, but I personally didn't derive much enjoyment out of it. It's a pretty pessimistic book and the characters are all deplorable which doesn't make it a bad book, but one that doesn't really catch my attention.

That being said, the themes were on point and it was an interesting look into a very specific subculture in the US during the 1970s. It's the optimistic free love culture from the 60s soured by pessimism during the Vietnam war, but the main character (the author himself really) still can't quite let it go. It also takes an interesting look at the main American culture as well.

The writing style was always intriguing and well done even when I was slightly bored or frustrated with the content. Overall it's a solid book. I probably won't be reading it again anytime soon, but it was a very valuable reading experience. I may even look into more of Thompson's books since I really did enjoy the style.

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