Hunter S Thompson

Do you love Hunter S Thomspon and all his writing, and all that he stands for, like I do? Or do you think he's "overrated" in which case G)DOjsgolsdj. My English teacher Senior year in High School said "No, but...I'm NOT a Hunter S. Thompson FAN" and then I was all like, "But have you ever even read an entire work of his?" and he was all, "I've never finished ANY work of his" and I was like, "Okay, I know you're trying to be funny but how can you judge an author if you've never even read an entire book or short story/essay of his (I'm para-quoting)?" and he was like "you don't need to finish something to get an entire impression" so I was like "Okay then, we're done here. This conversation is over.", the entire class LOLED at how funny I am, then he moved on.

But I think Hunter was a literary genius and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas remains a very favorite book of mine, and I've read and enjoyed a lot of books.

Do you own Curse of Lono? No? You're not a fan. Conversation over.

  On 10/26/2011 at 10:06 AM, Gary C said:

Do you own Curse of Lono? No? You're not a fan. Conversation over.

Reprint doesn't count.

The Rum Diary is absolute genius, my favourite book. Shame the trailer for the film doesn't look great.

I own a signed copy of The Proud Highway and a first edition of Fear and Loathing.

Though I dont enjoy his work as much as I used to. I seem to admire that culture from afar now.

I can't read.

"Never turn your back on fear, it should always be kept in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed..." - Hunter S. Thompson

... I've never read any of his books, what's the absolute craziest most entertaining one? I love all the excerpts I've read of HST and have watched a lot of stuff about it him, to be honest between working on music, learning about production, video games, girlfriend and trying not to be a piece of shit I have told myself not to take anymore hobbies like reading books. I think I should make an exception and finally read some Hunter S Thompson in full

  On 10/26/2011 at 11:35 AM, Etch said:

Though I dont enjoy his work as much as I used to. I seem to admire that culture from afar now.

I was originally going to post something like this. I really enjoyed Hunter in my late teens; had a couple of years in which I read everything I could and although I think I could re-read any of them now, I just don't feel the same drive as I used to.

His style is fresh and rebellious when you're at a similar stage in your life and some of his more solid journalistic output is still remarkable, but it kind of feels juvenile once you're old enough to have been broken by society already.

Hell's Angels is probably my favourite though. Really vivid.

I've never read the rum diary but from what I understand it is quite different. he is not even in it right?

  On 10/26/2011 at 1:15 PM, jules said:

I've never read the rum diary but from what I understand it is quite different. he is not even in it right?

It's basically a young Hunter playing at being Hemingway. It's decent enough, nothing special. I think Hunter split aspects of his own character between Kemp and Yeamon.

Playboy recently (two weeks or so ago) released its correspondence with Hunter S. Thompson. That motherfucker be ballin' outta control.

http://www.playboy.com/magazine/correspondence-with-hunter-s-thompson

tbh Fear and Loathing (film) got me to reading the book. I'm not a complete bookworm but there was something there that kept me reading all the time. I then got another one, I forget the name, that was about the US elections and him reporting on it. That too was an excellent read but I'm not sure if I ended up finishing it for some reason. This was a few years ago now.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail? I've been meaning to read this, nice to know it's probably worthwile.

I'm totally with the OP on this. I've read everything I've managed to get my hand on by HST. If I were new to Hunter and not sure if it was for me, I'd start with Fear and loathing in Las Vegas and go from there to Hells Angles and The Rum Diary. All fantastic books, and an easy way in. If you like to read I think I'd read them chronologically though. I wish I had done that, but it's not crucial.

The BBC documentary "Fear and loathing on the road to Hollywood" is great as well.

  On 10/26/2011 at 12:49 PM, Gary C said:

  On 10/26/2011 at 11:35 AM, Etch said:

Though I dont enjoy his work as much as I used to. I seem to admire that culture from afar now.

 

I was originally going to post something like this. I really enjoyed Hunter in my late teens; had a couple of years in which I read everything I could and although I think I could re-read any of them now, I just don't feel the same drive as I used to.

His style is fresh and rebellious when you're at a similar stage in your life and some of his more solid journalistic output is still remarkable, but it kind of feels juvenile once you're old enough to have been broken by society already.

 

Hell's Angels is probably my favourite though. Really vivid.

Hells Angels is surely one of the finest pieces of reportage in the history of journalism. And I agree with your 'broken by society' comment.

But also the mystique of drugs is lost on me now. Once I had experienced them enough to see them for what they are, I realized that a lot of what has been written about/whilst on them is complete and utter bollocks.

Like Don Van Vliet said, "It's not worth getting into the bullshit to see what the bull ate."

  On 10/26/2011 at 10:06 AM, Gary C said:

Do you own Curse of Lono? No? You're not a fan. Conversation over.

Can't say as I own it but I've certainly read it.

  On 10/26/2011 at 12:21 PM, Blanket Fort Collapse said:

...what's the absolute craziest most entertaining one?

You'd probably want to read Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

ive just finished his whole 'gonzo anthology' and i thoroughly enjoyed it. occasionally a little boring hearing about 70's american politics, because of my complete ignorance on the subject, but occasionally hysterically funny aswell.

I've read The Rum Diart, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Hell's Angels. All of them were amazing. I couldn't get through Generation of Swine Gonzo papers volume 2 though, was way to boring.