What do you think?
Rate this book
Hunter : Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S. Thompson
"Deliciously funny and revealing." -- Financial Times
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
47 people are currently reading
1620 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 3, 2012
This just might be the book that sends me back to watching reruns of the Three Stooges during my spare time. I'll admit that I wasn't particularly interested in Hunter S. Thompson. But hey, there was a neat photo of a man with a gun on the cover so I took the plunge.
Now I had never heard of the author, E. Jean Carroll, before ....and with any luck I never will again! What she has done here is gather a bunch of anecdotal information, apparently from interviews, some of which were possibly conducted by her, although I see that she is listed in the book as the interviewee on a number of occasions! What a great ploy that would be! Imagine interviewing yourself! You could tell yourself anything and write it down as anecdotal information! Now Ms Carroll has mixed the information gleaned through interviews and supplemented it with some documentary details and basically edited the works into rough chronological order.
I'm not too sure why she did this, but Ms Carroll has interspersed the apparently factual chapters with chapters written by a fictitious character, one Laetitia Snap. Does that make you want to laugh? I didn't either. The
Laetitia Snap chapters are certified BS, so who knows about the rest of it? Anyway, I think Ms Carroll had to write the book this way because she can now take credit as being the author, rather than just the editor. I could be wrong, but who gives a hoot anyway? The real mystery is this: why would anyone write this man's biography in the first place? Hunter Thompson is a certified knob who beat his wife and mother! Repeatedly! Who beats their mother? I don't care what your BS excuse is, you don't hit women. Except Rosie O'Donnell. And maybe the blonde woman with the short hair who sits on her ass talking to other women on TV all the time.
Maybe someday I'll read a Thompson biography written by someone who wants to make a career as a writer, but probably not. I knew the guy wasn't a saint, but I wasn't prepared for someone who was as totally depraved as HST. I can't understand what is wrong with women, either. This guy had scads of women throwing themselves at him and he was a totally depraved junkie. I could have forgiven him most of his transgressions. But he hit his Mom.
Now I had never heard of the author, E. Jean Carroll, before ....and with any luck I never will again! What she has done here is gather a bunch of anecdotal information, apparently from interviews, some of which were possibly conducted by her, although I see that she is listed in the book as the interviewee on a number of occasions! What a great ploy that would be! Imagine interviewing yourself! You could tell yourself anything and write it down as anecdotal information! Now Ms Carroll has mixed the information gleaned through interviews and supplemented it with some documentary details and basically edited the works into rough chronological order.
I'm not too sure why she did this, but Ms Carroll has interspersed the apparently factual chapters with chapters written by a fictitious character, one Laetitia Snap. Does that make you want to laugh? I didn't either. The
Laetitia Snap chapters are certified BS, so who knows about the rest of it? Anyway, I think Ms Carroll had to write the book this way because she can now take credit as being the author, rather than just the editor. I could be wrong, but who gives a hoot anyway? The real mystery is this: why would anyone write this man's biography in the first place? Hunter Thompson is a certified knob who beat his wife and mother! Repeatedly! Who beats their mother? I don't care what your BS excuse is, you don't hit women. Except Rosie O'Donnell. And maybe the blonde woman with the short hair who sits on her ass talking to other women on TV all the time.
Maybe someday I'll read a Thompson biography written by someone who wants to make a career as a writer, but probably not. I knew the guy wasn't a saint, but I wasn't prepared for someone who was as totally depraved as HST. I can't understand what is wrong with women, either. This guy had scads of women throwing themselves at him and he was a totally depraved junkie. I could have forgiven him most of his transgressions. But he hit his Mom.
January 25, 2019
Book 3 of my #2019readingchallenge is "Hunter" by E. Jean Carroll. Yep, THAT Hunter and yep, THAT E.Jean.
This book is a hot mess. E. Jean has a gonzo alter ego and the chapters alternate between her vulgar gonzo attempts to write just like HST and then chapters of compiled quotes from different friends and Thompson himself. It's lazy and poorly executed.
Did I learn anything? Yes. 1. Don't ever try to imitate Hunter S. Thompson. You will not be good enough at it. And 2. E. Jean Carroll is a terrible bag of hot air and I never want to read anything she's written ever again. 3. Thompson sure as hell was cruel, privileged, shitty, interesting, and damn funny BUT WHY DID I READ THIS BOOK ABOUT HIM INSTEAD OF A BETTER ONE.
I told a friend that this was an arduous slog. Don't read it.
This book is a hot mess. E. Jean has a gonzo alter ego and the chapters alternate between her vulgar gonzo attempts to write just like HST and then chapters of compiled quotes from different friends and Thompson himself. It's lazy and poorly executed.
Did I learn anything? Yes. 1. Don't ever try to imitate Hunter S. Thompson. You will not be good enough at it. And 2. E. Jean Carroll is a terrible bag of hot air and I never want to read anything she's written ever again. 3. Thompson sure as hell was cruel, privileged, shitty, interesting, and damn funny BUT WHY DID I READ THIS BOOK ABOUT HIM INSTEAD OF A BETTER ONE.
I told a friend that this was an arduous slog. Don't read it.
June 19, 2010
I was excited to find this book in the $2 bin at the book store, but disappointed when I realized I paid $1.95 too much for it. The author weaves facts about Thompson with a fictional fantasy of her own imagining. If you are a serious fan of HST, steer clear of this lampoon.
March 17, 2009
Skip the faux "Gonzo" parts by E Jean Carroll and read the oral history of Hunter Thompson. This is actually a better book than the more recent "Gonzo" book put together by Jann Wenner.
August 9, 2016
I've read a few other biographies about Hunter S. Thompson but this one is by far my favorite for a number of reasons. Foremost, is the fact that the author actually doesn't attempt to write about the man herself but rather has compiled interviews and recollections of those that knew him best to do all of the talking.
I prefer this approach over the other books because the sheer mythology of the man and his famously depraved antics tend to overshadow the actual man himself. This was a fact that Hunter was well aware of and one that greatly disturbed him to the point that he once lamented that he might as well not even exist. The public had decided who he was and not even he could change it. Consequently, any attempt to make sense of his life in any narrative form would only fall prey to this phenomenon and I feel he deserves better.
Here the author, E. Jean Carroll, inserts herself into these assembled recollections in a (hopefully) fictionalized gonzo-like narrative as having been kidnapped by Dr. Thompson and is forced against her will to write this book. Initially, I wasn't all that happy with this device but in the end it was fitting because the rest of the book is a somewhat tame accounting of his life. This writer held hostage scenario gives it that much needed surreal edge that caters to those only interested in the man as a spectacle and the cult of personality that surrounds him.
In this way, a combination of facts are allowed to be assembled, both mundane and fantastic, without any worry as to continuity or content. I think this is the best way to approach such a subject as diverse as HST was. Somehow, I feel that this actually manages to get closer to the truth of who he was simply by not trying to reach a single understanding of him, if that makes any sense.
I prefer this approach over the other books because the sheer mythology of the man and his famously depraved antics tend to overshadow the actual man himself. This was a fact that Hunter was well aware of and one that greatly disturbed him to the point that he once lamented that he might as well not even exist. The public had decided who he was and not even he could change it. Consequently, any attempt to make sense of his life in any narrative form would only fall prey to this phenomenon and I feel he deserves better.
Here the author, E. Jean Carroll, inserts herself into these assembled recollections in a (hopefully) fictionalized gonzo-like narrative as having been kidnapped by Dr. Thompson and is forced against her will to write this book. Initially, I wasn't all that happy with this device but in the end it was fitting because the rest of the book is a somewhat tame accounting of his life. This writer held hostage scenario gives it that much needed surreal edge that caters to those only interested in the man as a spectacle and the cult of personality that surrounds him.
In this way, a combination of facts are allowed to be assembled, both mundane and fantastic, without any worry as to continuity or content. I think this is the best way to approach such a subject as diverse as HST was. Somehow, I feel that this actually manages to get closer to the truth of who he was simply by not trying to reach a single understanding of him, if that makes any sense.
October 8, 2012
Carroll proved, once again, that people shouldn't try to copy Hunter Thompson's writing style. This book is put together a little oddly for a biography. The good portion of this book, in my opinion, is the interviews done with people who knew Thompson throughout his life. There are many humours tales told by those who were witness to the events and a few touching memories told by those who loved him. Unfortunately, every other chapter of the book is a ridiculous attempt by the author to tell a bizarre, gonzoesque, tale of her time with Thompson. Carroll may be a fine biographer, but she should have left the Gonzo attempt on the editor's floor.
May 25, 2011
It was OK but nothing I didn't already know about him. I only bought the book for the rare pictures inside.
January 29, 2025
Not a bad book, has some really good spots, but it doesn't tell a lot that wasn't said elsewhere.
April 20, 2015
Probably one of the most strenuous and draining things I've ever read. The wackiness loses it's charm very fast and becomes almost irritating. Got to give credit though as the book reveals he was one of the most successful frauds in literary history and hardly contributed to any of his major works as he had major assistance from several friends who he blew off at his peak of fame, which also doesn't bear coincidence to how after Leaving Las Vegas he started becoming a flop. The pictures added slight charm but I can't see myself rushing to read anything else about him for a very long time.
September 29, 2010
Thompson is a crazy character, and the book weaves together a plausible seduction story with direct quotes from friends and family members. I have trouble with him a bit, because I enjoy his craziness, but only because I would never want it in my life in any real way at all. He was a druggie and a drunkard, and it ultimately ruined his life, but he was a brilliant writer, and I learned a LOT about his life and his interactions in politics and the like. Pretty good book.
November 15, 2020
I will disclose that I read this book in high school and further disclose that I absolutely loved it. I thought Carroll's humor juxtaposed perfectly with Thompson's--I didn't view it as her trying to emulate him as much as writing in a style that nicely meshed with what she was trying to to accomplish in her bio. I found it highly entertaining and for me, a wonderful biography of Hunter S. Thompson.
March 24, 2018
A lot of quotes with very little substance
April 18, 2024
The fictitious interludes separating the quotes-only biography was off-putting to me, partially because I wasn't used to it, and partially because the style reminded me of Netflix's in house style for documentaries, which I dislike. That being said, the format did grow on me, like the quotes are organized in a very clear manner to highlight certain topics or to contrast one another, i.e. putting Hunter's recollection of an event between two quotes from people who *aren't* lying. Mainly I just think this biography captured a more interesting side to HST than "when the going gets weird", like he's demystified and portrayed as more of a creep, despite the exaggerated/fictional chapters which kind of further heighten the myth.
October 17, 2024
Extremely entertaining for Thompson and gonzo fans, but Carroll's fictionalized chapters, which alternated with a factual oral history of his life, fell flat in almost every way other than shock value. Ms. Carroll's ambition appears to have been to write a gonzo sequel to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas based on their romantic and journalistic relationship. Where Fear and Loathing is brilliant, Hunter falls flat, other than the oral history chapters. Their interspersion with the fictional love story between Carroll's alter-ego and Hunter S. Thompson made for a choppy, stilted read. Nonetheless, Carroll writes well and with style, which made the book a lot of fun to read. Four stars.
April 24, 2023
Muy buena selección de testimonios y muy original la redacción. En cuanto al contenido... sí Hunter S Thompson, drogas misoginia y reviente y un genio de su generación... ya se dijo todo lo posible.
Rescato que se alumbró un poco más su situación familiar, siempre te pintan al "genio" al vacío y esta biografía le da lugar a todas las pobres almas sufrientes que sostenían su figura. En general fue una buena experiencia de lectura.
Rescato que se alumbró un poco más su situación familiar, siempre te pintan al "genio" al vacío y esta biografía le da lugar a todas las pobres almas sufrientes que sostenían su figura. En general fue una buena experiencia de lectura.
November 21, 2024
A good biography does not leave you wondering what was actually true and what was the bizarro fantasies of the author, its a better read if you skip the fictional chapters, but I can't rate a book I skimmed half of more than 2 stars. Also Hunter was a bad bad man and I'm glad he existed.
January 10, 2025
A huge fan of the Dr but this is hardly worth the effort. Interviews interspersed with some sort of fictional account of time spent with him. Some interesting interview statements and a coupla good photos.
June 28, 2020
This is really damn entertaining.
December 8, 2025
Horrifying. Not the stories, those are bad enough. It's the feeling that it was really much much... worse, than what was transcribed.
August 3, 2007
This book is entertaining, and it is an OK homage to the work of Hunter S Thompson.
This is a biography of Hunter S Thompson written in the Gonzo style. It has some interesting biographical information about Hunter. However, the Gonzo parts of the book are sorely lacking, they show just how short imitation can fall of the real thing and subject of the book. The book is structured with alternating chapters of biographical information and Gonzo interludes. It brings to mind the structure of Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I would recommend skipping the Gonzo chapters and just reading the factual chapters, they provide an interesting different (albeit not impartial) take on HST.
This book was long and dense, and I found it difficult to make progress through it.
I purchased this book from a half priced book pile on a college visit to the University of Iowa in 1998, I didn't get around to reading it for about 6.5 years later, after Hunter S Thompson died and I wanted to read as much about him as possible.
This is a biography of Hunter S Thompson written in the Gonzo style. It has some interesting biographical information about Hunter. However, the Gonzo parts of the book are sorely lacking, they show just how short imitation can fall of the real thing and subject of the book. The book is structured with alternating chapters of biographical information and Gonzo interludes. It brings to mind the structure of Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I would recommend skipping the Gonzo chapters and just reading the factual chapters, they provide an interesting different (albeit not impartial) take on HST.
This book was long and dense, and I found it difficult to make progress through it.
I purchased this book from a half priced book pile on a college visit to the University of Iowa in 1998, I didn't get around to reading it for about 6.5 years later, after Hunter S Thompson died and I wanted to read as much about him as possible.
March 7, 2008
twisted...sick...intriguing... I'd like to find time one day to research the authentication of the pretenses that it was written under. Former Miss USA pageant contestant/winner(don't recall, but realize all I need to do is google her name =P ) comes to HST's estate to see his peacocks (literally) and is "kidnapped" and forced to stay in a dirty cesspool in raunchy outfit until the completion of the biography. Includes primary accounts from family, friends, and business associates of HST. Plus a rather hilarious disclaimer by Jean Carroll.
January 27, 2013
I loved the way Hunter wrote and always wanted to emulate that. No one can though. That said, I thought this was a very entertaining book in that it was written by someone who was obviously a fan of his and the back and forth playfulness between the two was clear. In that sense it gives the reader a good indication of what it might have been like to hangout with one of the most entertaining personalities of the time, which is all any of us would have wanted to do: drink, smoke and shoot guns with Raoul Duke. I cried the day he died. And in his honor, got bombed on bourbon.
June 23, 2015
The biographical sections were well done and interesting, but like other reviews I recommend skipping the fictional sections. While they were a break between time periods of consisting solely of quotes, I found they through off the vibe of the story and the evolution of the character of HST.
I would give it a 3.5 stars if possible.
I would give it a 3.5 stars if possible.
February 20, 2025
A biography of the journalist who was the inspiration for Doonesbury's Uncle Duke features material culled from interviews with family, friends, ex-lovers, and such figures as Tom McGuane, George McGovern, Gay Talese, and others. 60,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo. Tour.
July 20, 2020
As long as you can get around the "story" interspersed through this book, the biographical quotes about HST are funny and interesting as hell. An absolute must read for any HST fan. Though don't read this as your intro to HST, it will just confuse you and maybe even put you off.
September 11, 2007
This book is as close as you can get to reading a HST biography in a style similar to his most frantic, drug-fueled work.
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 9, 2008
This could very well be the best biography I have ever read. I just had no idea the retelling of someone's life story could be so... ugh... perverse.
September 16, 2008
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was relentless in its pursuit of the man himself and did a good job. Sometimes filling in gaps with technique is more useful than fact.
October 14, 2019
Fabulous. Not sure if it was totally serious but good fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews