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leighhat's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
medium-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
fbroom's review
Not for me. I didn’t get the book or its message. I read a bunch of sentences that to me read like “We’re on on so much drugs we did that stupid thing or that even more stupid thing. We’re so cool blah blah blah”. I couldn’t get into it. I read about 40% and also read the last few chapters. I’ll watch the movie though, I bet it will be packed with so much action!
Also maybe I'll read it a second time and get it!
Also maybe I'll read it a second time and get it!
kidasquared's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
4.0
when the outside lights of Sphere imprinted on my strained and foggy eyes, exacerbating my inability to connect my thoughts to my body, I rescued my sober self and took the bus back to Excalibur. I showered then shoved a DQ Blizzard in my mouth while wondering the arcade in a clean t-shirt and basketball shorts. as I recounted the throes of my panicked overstimulation, I remembered Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. as a probably-too-young kid, I loved the film adaptation. I had the poster in my room, quoted its nonsensical lines, knew all the drugs by name. I haven't revisited the film in over a decade and never read the book. I wanted to better understand Vegas through an unhinged lens that was held by my own nostalgia. what better way to relax than to pick up a copy when I got home to Pennsylvania and continue the disturbing Vegas vibrations.
I could not unhear the voices of Depp and Del Toro—my copy even had the movie poster on the cover. it gave a familiar color to my reading, which was enjoyable. Thompson's paranoia and humor were a surreal delight, often twisting my chest into balloon animals. the adventures of Duke and Gonzo were told with surprising clarity, I never felt too far gone among these violent drug benders. the psychosis and deprivation is explained coherently rather than what I assumed would be—excuse my ignorance—beatnik poetry. my sober experience in 2024 is nothing like Thompson's in 1971, but it was reassuring to see the wild American nature of Las Vegas is consistently exhausting and bonkers decades apart.
B+
I could not unhear the voices of Depp and Del Toro—my copy even had the movie poster on the cover. it gave a familiar color to my reading, which was enjoyable. Thompson's paranoia and humor were a surreal delight, often twisting my chest into balloon animals. the adventures of Duke and Gonzo were told with surprising clarity, I never felt too far gone among these violent drug benders. the psychosis and deprivation is explained coherently rather than what I assumed would be—excuse my ignorance—beatnik poetry. my sober experience in 2024 is nothing like Thompson's in 1971, but it was reassuring to see the wild American nature of Las Vegas is consistently exhausting and bonkers decades apart.
B+
leo_seven's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
benharris's review
4.0
This book was a compelling read. The prose in which Thompson writes is exciting and puts the reader right into the action. I wasn't in love with the story line (your typical drug adventure yadda yadda) but I can feel Thompson's energy and enthusiasm right through his words. I'm glad I read this and got a taste of the American Dream.
justakid's review
3.0
3 ⭐️
i really wanted to enjoy the book as much as i enjoyed the film but it was very hard to understand for me lol. its not the book, its me. hunter s thompson was a brilliant writer and i did enjoy the parts that i understood.
i really wanted to enjoy the book as much as i enjoyed the film but it was very hard to understand for me lol. its not the book, its me. hunter s thompson was a brilliant writer and i did enjoy the parts that i understood.
dotorsojak's review
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.25
I’ve been hearing about this book since it came out (yes, I’m old enough to remember the early ‘70s), and I’m glad finally to have read it.
This is not journalism, though. It’s much more a comic novel. It is very, very funny. Also cringe worthy. There are almost no women in the book and the ones who appear are dismissed or treated badly—and we’re supposed to laugh. So that’s my main criticism.
Recommended.
This is not journalism, though. It’s much more a comic novel. It is very, very funny. Also cringe worthy. There are almost no women in the book and the ones who appear are dismissed or treated badly—and we’re supposed to laugh. So that’s my main criticism.
Recommended.