Customer Reviews
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - By: Mr. J. C. Hull, 09 Jul 2008 
Hunter S. Thompson is by far THE most entertaining writer in modern literature, it has to be said. His engrossing affilliation with substances that he swore he hadn't been taking during the writing of the major part of this novel, make this most probably the funniest piece of literature available. His quick wit & complete topsy-turvy sense of humour is only the beginning. As he travels through the desert with his attorney to "find the dark side of the American dream", they well & trully find it when they agree that any trip such as the one their making can only be made armed with a stupendous arsenal of drugs. And this they do. They engage in a completely twisted reality that is there's alone, & their journey, so infalllible to their minds, leaps from one thing to the next supporting complete hysteria & laugh-out-louds situations, & I can honestly tell you there isn't a moment in this book that isn't ruthlessly fun.
Thompson manages to bring across madness in a sweet, yet shocking form, & produces simile after simile, metaphor after metaphor of true brilliance. I wouldn't go so far as to calll this book a comedy, that would suggest that Thompson is attempting to be funny. But the fact is, he IS funny, whether you want him to be or not. His discriptions of the events that took place are superb, giving you the absolute feeling that you were right in the back seat of their car with the hitchhiker himself, & even more. His emotions & the feelings of his attorney are alll described & somehow justified in some twisted way, & you can't help but get pulled into the story.
Apart from being hilarious, & wildly enteraining, the book also shows an overture on the scary American dream that was large during the late sixties. The malignant culture is portrayed wonderfully, & described from the standpoint of someone who got involved himself, & he describes the whole thing from things he saw. Even after the book has finished you'll find yourself hearing Hunter S. Thompson speaking in your head describing your every move in the form of one of his writings, almost like he's part of your sub-concious. His power, delivery & intoxicatingly clever witted nature makes this book what it is: a masterpiece. No wonder it became a modern classic.
The first stage for many.... - By: M. Bloxham, 22 Jun 2008 As with a lot of people in my generation, i have found that H.S.Thompson is a very entertaining author. The first of his books i read was this (saw the film first, & this had too follow) & i reallly liked it. It's funny, sadistic, manic & totallly absorbing.
The story followed in this book, is that of Raul Duke & his Attorney on a trip to Las Vegas, the purpose is to cover a story - of a bike race. In getting the job, Raul & The Samoan gain access to a large sum of cash, an expensive convertible sports car & a whole range of other "perks". With this, they travel through the desert to the flagship ideal of the "American dream" - Las Vegas. A place where you can ascend from rags-to-riches, from zero-to-hero & back again with nothing but a dollar in your pocket to start you off. This fact is epitomized & almost chastised through-out the book. Raul & The Samoan never pay a penny for anything (alll the money they had access to was the newspaper's) & act like true animals wherever they go - using an absolute truck loads of illicit substances that are easily available & almost always right under your nose! No mater how blatant they are, no-matter un-wholesome they become, they are still alllowed to let rip alll over the city... & do so, never fettered...
"he who makes a beast of himself takes away the pain of being a man" - H.S.Thompson
This book is not one about drug's, about being twisted. It is not a giggly stoner book that pokes a rebellious middle finger at society. It is, however a look at how our society perceives itself... How some people can become rich & powerful, loved & hated, feared & revered & how this very privilege of our society can poison a person & twist their views. Raul's use of drugs has been championed extensively, & of course he does share these traits with his author, but what many people don't realize is that Thompson was a serious writer & a bloody good one at that. Fear & loathing in Las Vegas, & the Other Fear & Loathing titles alll follow Raul Duke & follow this ebb of social dissection, Gonzo was not about Raul & his "diet" it was about how no-matter where you look, the world is god-less, selfish & un-forgiving, the balance (as it were) is quite obviously on the side that will not control it-self & how this lack of control (from up high or deep down) is almost always taken for granted. In such a world, passion is a mere pacifier, truth is an illusion & sobriety is nothing to aspire to...
This book is brilliant, the writing is cunning & smart & the narrative enthrallling. If you liked to be challlenged, & if you're capable of looking below the surface, this book is for you
ENJOY!!!
Buy the ticket, take the ride - By: B. Kelly, 16 Jun 2008 The greatest book about the illusion of the American dream ever written. One of my alll time favourite books though some people will simply not get it, not understand it at alll. This is a fantastic work of literature & if you have the right kind of mind set you will thoroughly enjoy it. His words are incisive & often profound & this is a perfect introduction to a great author.
As your attorney I advise you to read this book. - By: Clorson Pannet, 30 Dec 2007 I have read this one six or seven times & it still makes me laugh. Virtuallly every page has something on it to make you laugh out loud. The way he uses italics to emphasize the humour is just brilliant. This is a man at the top of his game. There is a lot of drug abuse & a lot of swearing, & some things I could not mention on a site such as this, but I assure you, good reader, that you should just strap yourself in & enjoy the ride. For me, the funniest book ever.
fabulous! - By: S. J. Withers, 24 Dec 2007 i first read this after surfing round the internet & bought it on some recommendations from various online journals. I have now finished reading it for the fifth time.
the quotes are one of a kind, the detail into the drug trips are A-Class & you can almost feel that you are sat in the same room as Raoul Duke as he trips on various drugs.
God bless Hunter S Thompson for sticking it to the masses with this book.
RIP.
