I’ve been thinking of tracking down a THIRD copy of Fear & Loathing to enjoy it all over again, but then I remember just how surprisingly prolific he was as an author, which I guess is just part of constantly punching out weekly/monthly articles.
I’m surprised by how artiuclate and well-written his early period was in the early sixties. It’s easy to imagine he just came out of the woodworks writing gonzo like some crazy madman and people just latching onto it. But he was able to weave a straightlaced and straightforward article together.
How much of Thompsons work from say, his prime-insanity Gonzo days do you think is true, even if through the distorted lens of drug-use?
What’s your favourite Hunter articles, books, collections, quotes, letters, anecdotes, lessons, etc.?
by Flampadamp
3 Comments
He never let the truth get in the way of a good story. That said if it’s even 50% true it’s still completely bonkers. Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail ‘72, Hells Angels, Kingdom of Fear, The Great Shark Hunt, and Rum Diaries (one of his only fictions) are among my favorites. I also enjoyed his sports columns a lot!
I loved the period when he was doing sportswriting for ESPN Page 2. That site was wonderful and mad.
I think his last published piece was a story about getting shit faced and inventing shotgun golf with Bill Murray.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie are the ones I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.
I’m not sure how much of his work was true to life. He certainly embellished, that’s for sure. To be honest, I never really put much consideration into how true the stories were. Reading Thompson was just a form of entertainment to me, and that’s how I would recommend viewing his work.