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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson - 3* - My Review

Journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson appears in this memoir under the name of his alter-ego, Raoul Duke. Accompanied by his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, he travels to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race in the desert. They rent a Chevrolet convertible called “the Great Red Shark,” pack the trunk with a plethora of drugs, and head out “in search of the American Dream.” The race coverage does not go well, since it is near a gun range, and the customers do not stop their target practice. The two rent another car – this time a “white Caddy.” Ironically, they are redirected to cover the National Conference of District Attorneys’ Seminar on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. This does not go well, either. Suffice it to say they spend the majority of the narrative in a drugged-out haze, alternating between highs, paranoia, and “crashes.”

This book is outlandish and over-the-top. It is almost frenetic in its pace, mirroring the impact of the drugs on the two “heroes.” I knew beforehand that the content would probably not be my cup of tea (and it wasn’t), but I was curious. I found it humorous in places. Published in 1971, the book is a product of its times, documenting the demise of the late 1960s counterculture movement. It satisfied my curiosity and I now understand the term “gonzo journalism.”