bookish_bry's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...