Hello literary wanderers…I know…it has once again been quite awhile since I posted. Life gets so crazy it seems and although I am reading more than ever lately, I feel my time for writing has gotten less and less. Or maybe I just have less energy for it.
Anyway, this one will be pretty short because the book I am writing about is incredibly hard to describe: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. This is the first book I have read by Thompson and I must admit, I was not prepared for what I encountered.
Now, many of you might be familiar with the movie starring Johnny Depp. I, for one, have never actually seen it. However, given my love of beat writing, I was intrigued by Hunter S. Thompson. When I picked up the book, I knew it involved a lot of drugs and alcohol but I really had no knowledge beyond that. I wish I could say there was more to the book and I was shocked by its depth. But, honestly, I wasn’t. I am not saying it wasn’t a good book. In fact, I absolutely loved it. However, it is really hard to nail down an actual detailed plot to the story. The most I got out of it was that it was about a journalist and a lawyer who go to Las Vegas to cover a story but spend most of the time doing a numerous amount of dangerous drugs, drinking far too much, and breaking the law. Like I said, I loved the book and absolutely adored the style in which it is written. However, I did not find a lot of deep meaning in it.
But I do not want to completely dismiss it. As I have discovered on this literary journey, there are so many books out there that require more than one read to get their full meaning. And I truly believe this book could be one of them. Honestly, I plan to read it again sometime and I would love to do an actual study of the history behind both the book and the time period in which it is written. Furthermore, I am eager to read more of Thompson’s writing to get a broader perspective of his work.
So, should this book be on THE LIST of books to read before you die? Absolutely. It is iconic in American Literature and is a great read. Also, as I said, I think that it is one of those books that you have to read multiple times to get the full depth and value of it. Hopefully, in the future, I will be able to read it again and get more out of it than I did the first time. However, I am sorry that I do not have much else to say about it right now. The best thing I can do is recommend that you read it for yourself. And brace yourselves for a crazy, drug-addled ride.
