Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 50
A book about the savage journey to the heart of the American Dream! June 14, 2008 Jack A. Lana (San Diego, CA USA) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of the most powerful most inspired and most read books off all time. I bought this book after seeing the movie starring Johnny Depp. After reading it I as quite please the the movie version of this novel was pretty well adapted to screen. If you guys like a book/movie about psychedelics drugs, and a head full of acid this is the book for you. From a reviewers note, it might be hard reading the whole book in one setting, I spaced mine out. And got more satisfaction with my buck. Enjoy Hunter S. Thompson fans. This is one book that you if a fan or just a reader don't want to miss.
A Virgin Jewel June 5, 2008 Thomas Chaves (Brooklyn, NY USA) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm about half way through this story and I don't give a darn how it will end. All I know is that it is one long, twisted, story where everything you expect to happen, doesnt. The characters are well written and the situations they get into are hillarious. I can't wait to see where their Great Red Shark will take them next. "Kill the head and the body will follow." Thanks
Old Hippies Don't Die, They Just Get More Pathetic June 3, 2008 David B. Roberts 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I suppose there are basically two ways to summarize this book:(1) Wow! Thompson is this really cool guy who gets wasted all the time and sticks it to the Man whenever he can, or (2) Thompson is a delusional icon of the counterculture, wasting his enormous talent trapped in a self destructive lifestyle. I happen to agree with the latter. Being a child of the Sixties myself, I and many others soon realized that the idealism of "peace, love, and rock and roll", while very nice in theory, didn't work very well in actuality. (Especially while trying to raise a family and earn a living.) Thompson acknowledges this himself in one of his passages, stating that the "High water mark for the hippie movement" had already occurred several years before his current escapades in Las Vegas. However, Thompson seems trapped in the Sixties motif, unable to escape the stereotype of the counterculture hero which he has become. On his ill-fated adventure through Las Vegas, he (and his lawyer) continuously commit acts of antisocial behavior against any and all types of citizenry they come into contact with. Thompson appears to realize that his avant-garde life style is no better, and probably worse, than the bourgeoisie that he is rebelling against. Sadly, he seems powerless to break out of his paranoiac state of drug abuse, even though he knows it's a dead end. Overall, I really enjoyed Thompson's writing style, although I certainly can't condone his behavior. I was hoping that there would be more to the book, but then I realized there couldn't be- the "trip" was over. I would also recommend watching the movie. I found that it complemented the book well.
What the....?! May 29, 2008 Franklin the Mouse (Gorham, ME USA) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
First things, first...the late Mr. Thompson's earlier published book about the Hell's Angels was highly entertaining and informative. Well worth reading. As for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", well, that's a different story. There are a few funny moments, but for the most part the author and his attorney sidekick just come across as self-absorbed, drug-addled A-holes. The book is kind of like driving by a horrible car accident that you just can't seem to tear your eyes away from looking at the carnage. A potentially useful book if you want to discourage someone from taking drugs. The reader is exposed to a boatload of cruel and irresponsible absurdity. There's nothing remotely romantic or positive about the adventures in this book. Maybe that was the point.
War and Hate May 19, 2008 Ryan E. Doyle 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book shatters any illusion of what a hippie book should be. Not a drop of peace and love to be found here. Behind the partying and humor, this is a book of profound dissillusionment and cynicism. But Thompson does a good job at not turning it into a bitter rant: he approaches chaos with a wry grin. But if you want Flower Power hippie slogans, forget it. These are gun toting, con artist hippies. And even the drugs don't seem much fun. Poking a hole through stupidity and hypocrisy is the only way these guys still know how to get high.
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