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A review by gheneks
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Having seen the movie, I expected a drug-fueled, masturbatory elegy from a sad white dude. It was certainly part that. But the real surprise (which I don’t think the movie did justice) was the critique of the “rags-to-riches” American mythos, the war on drugs, drug culture (yes, Thompson is critical of the naysayers and the believers), and the Nixon administration. I also found myself laughing out loud at several moments and loved Ralph Steadman’s illustrations. Thompson’s depiction of the cops at the illegal drug conference was so funny and Steadman’s illustration of all the cops was ☠️.
I did not like the racial slurs or the epithets directed at gay and lesbian people. This book is definitely outdated and a product of its time. For someone like Thompson (who claims to be so progressive) to use this sort of language just made his message less powerful, like only certain people will be able to take advantage of the change he so desperately wants, which is exactly the problem with existing structures.
I did not like the racial slurs or the epithets directed at gay and lesbian people. This book is definitely outdated and a product of its time. For someone like Thompson (who claims to be so progressive) to use this sort of language just made his message less powerful, like only certain people will be able to take advantage of the change he so desperately wants, which is exactly the problem with existing structures.