Reviews

The Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo by Robin Desser, Hunter S. Thompson, Oscar Zeta Acosta

cowgirltings's review against another edition

2.0

It's difficult to say what I think of this book...I have recently been trying to rate books holistically, not just based on the end. The end was satisfying, important, and beautiful, but it took me months to get to because of how many deep discomforts and questions about incongruities the book raised for me. Maybe those things are mostly good. Some of it was still just hard to read because it seemed repetitive, the supporting characters were constantly rotating but almost identical, and much of the plot felt stagnant. And yet the moments that shone shone brightly. Definitely a trudge of a book, but with vital and important moments. Big project, also interesting to have read this "autobiography" in conversation with other pieces of evidence of his lived experience his Uncollected Works. Overall, I wouldn't consider it a must-read, but valuable.

lennatheunicorncat's review against another edition

medium-paced

0.25

If I could give this 0 stars I would. This was one book that I hated having to read and would have quit on my own if it wasn't required for one of my classes. Acosta depicts himself as basically the most repulsive man alive and many times I had to put the book down with how gross this book made me feel. Rasquache is definitely a term that fits him as a person, as well as the fact that he constantly runs away from his issues via substance abuse. I was done with him by page 4. Also there was too much puking in here for me to handle. Either way, I can see the possible importance this book may have, but that importance was hidden under a lot of crap that wasn't worthwhile. It may also be that I'm not a fan of Hunter S. Thompson, and Acosta is great friends with him, so much so that his personality inspired one of Thompson's characters in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Either way, this book was not for me and I'll be donating it promptly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Addiction

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Antisemitism, Excrement, Homophobia, Bullying, Classism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

salvatorer2's review

maybe i shouldn't order more books from the library and finish the ones i already borrowed.....nah 😂

emilia_18's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Drug use, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism

Read this book for my Mexican American literature class. Loved this book. Acosta writes about his life and real experiences with raw detail. Not a light read you have to be in a specific place in your life to read through the slurs, self harm, and trauma within the book

juicydsalinger's review against another edition

3.0

The ultimate search for an identity, that ultimately incomplete without the sequel, The Revolt of the Cockroach People, and left even more incomplete by Oscar Zeta Acosta's untimely disappearance and lack of a third book.
This book is not as good as its sequel - but it is hard to be. Most of this book ventures into a drug-influenced road novel, reality and fantasy struggling. But it starts and ends incredibly strongly and really showcases Acosta's shocking amount of talent and the tragedy that was his disappearance.

jenenglish's review

3.0

I almost didn't read this because I was not in the mood for another book set in the 60s and compared to Hunter S. Thompson. However, I was pleasantly surprised - it was refreshing to read something that was definitely not a typical hippie account of this time period. Three and a half stars.