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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
A solid novel, depraved, bleak, funny, profound, one of the great American novels. It hits differently, of course, now that I am older and somewhat wiser than the last time I read this well over a decade ago. Still, it's a quick, jaunting read that has a lot to say about the nature of a lifestyle that maybe at one point was in vogue and no longer is, but also of a time and chance, an opprotunity to discover the beating heart of America and see it for what it is. For my part, I'm not sure Thompson discovered it, or discovers it at least in this novel, but he does find something else. Expression, and a voice that needed to be heard. He turned a simply task into a herculean feat and for what it is worth, he touches a nerve and finds something even if it isn't exactly The American Dream. But maybe that's where I see it from my vantage point of 2022, when Nixon is a long since faded memory for many, and that we may have come to see far, far worse and a side of America that remained dormant and hidden for such a very, very, long time has come to be prominent in our culture since then. Regardless, the book is powerful and I'm on the side of Cormac McCarthy in calling it a classic and great work.
His deep hatred for Tories and the military warms my little heart. There is no coherent plot. He is a good writer, but the constant cultural references are very dated. I enjoyed it.
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Had its bizarre and humorous moments in a sort-of Douglas Adams/Terry Gilliam style, but there wasn't much meat to the main thesis, nor did I find the story particularly gripping. Also they take a fuck load of drugs.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes