iconic narcotic rant (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson)

Member Name: maz

Product:	Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
Date:	12/06/00 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ralph Steadman's illustrations

Disadvantages: none

The number of druggies in their late teens who describe their various experiences as 'just like Fear and Loathing' is enough to put you off reading the book. What these saps neglect to mention about the book however is that it's pretty much a bad trip from beginning to end, with Duke playing straight man to his Samoan attorney's more outlandish excesses, trying to stop him from pulling knives on waitresses, guns on hapless reporters and from covering the walls of whichever hotel they're staying at in technicolour vomit. But his efforts are to no avail, as the Samoan does all of this - and worse. That the novel (actually the book defies categorisation), and indeed the works of Hunter S. Thompson in general, have not been treated seriously by the critical establishment is a sign of criminal neglect - or you could see it as a backhanded compliment. The novel is as radical in structure and execution as most work by Burroughs, the enfant terrible of the literary establishment. The only way to get a real idea of how to measure Thompson's achievements as a writer is to read all of his published work - from the serious political commentary through the beserker speed rages - but failing that, this is a good place to start.

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