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A review by jannyslibrary
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
5.0
I was born in the ninties and grew up in Canada so I went into this book as someone who knows next to nothing about American history and basically zilch about American politics. All I know I've learned from the past couple years living in the States (under President Trump) and watching this past democratic nomination process (Bernie Sanders vs Joe Biden).
It's funny (not ha ha) to see other reviews that draw parallels between other election years and the 1972 election between Nixon and McGovern. I definitely saw parallels even with my limited knowledge.
I really enjoyed Thompson's writing style (gonzo journalism!), I didn't know any of the "characters" or a lot of the cultural events from the time and I spent a lot of the book asking my American boyfriend if he knew so and so and asking for context of the time. I feel like I learned a lot about what was going on during that election and how American people felt.
There are so many good passages, stories and speculations. I'm inspired to learn more about American history and read more of Hunter Thompson's work.
Some of the things I made notes to Google later;
Shirley Chisholm
Bussing
Captain Queeg
Altamont
Kent State
Bobby Kennedy's speech at Vanderbilt 1968
Chief Sitting Bull - Powder River Conference
Screeds - a long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious.
Atavistic - relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
Ersatz - (of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else.
Pyrrhic - (of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor.
Klatches - a social gathering, especially for coffee and conversation.
Glassine - a smooth and glossy paper that is air, water, and grease resistant.
Sybarites - a person who is self-indulgent in their fondness for sensuous luxury.
It's funny (not ha ha) to see other reviews that draw parallels between other election years and the 1972 election between Nixon and McGovern. I definitely saw parallels even with my limited knowledge.
I really enjoyed Thompson's writing style (gonzo journalism!), I didn't know any of the "characters" or a lot of the cultural events from the time and I spent a lot of the book asking my American boyfriend if he knew so and so and asking for context of the time. I feel like I learned a lot about what was going on during that election and how American people felt.
There are so many good passages, stories and speculations. I'm inspired to learn more about American history and read more of Hunter Thompson's work.
Some of the things I made notes to Google later;
Shirley Chisholm
Bussing
Captain Queeg
Altamont
Kent State
Bobby Kennedy's speech at Vanderbilt 1968
Chief Sitting Bull - Powder River Conference
Screeds - a long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious.
Atavistic - relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
Ersatz - (of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else.
Pyrrhic - (of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor.
Klatches - a social gathering, especially for coffee and conversation.
Glassine - a smooth and glossy paper that is air, water, and grease resistant.
Sybarites - a person who is self-indulgent in their fondness for sensuous luxury.