Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Other American Stories (Modern Library)

When I was in college in the early 1970's a friend turned me on to Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and his Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Little did I know then that in 1979 I would be moving to Las Vegas because of a job. I had the book with me on the plane and I remember reading it, and people around me looking at the title and freaking out a bit. What were they, and I getting into?32 years later, the views that Dr. Thompson expresses about Las Vegas hold mostly true. Yes we have gone from a mob run city to a corporate run city, but the reality is there is little difference. We just dress better now and can use credit cards. The population has gone up 200+%, but life is the same. The same characters are still here, just better dressed and slightly better educated. It's still hot and dusty and the use and availability of mind altering substances is still here. We just don't have the crazed attorneys and the Great Whale cars. We do have Hummers though.What was true in 1971 is true in 2010, "There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible than a man in the depths of an ether binge."Thank you Hunter for a book that is as good now as it was 39 years ago. A classic.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a story of the drug-induced delusions of a reporter while on assignment in Las Vegas, Nevada. The author arrives in Las Vegas in a red convertible, riding along with his lawyer, to cover a three-day car race in the desert. You'll have to take my word that he's covering a car race, because he doesn't really talk much about it in the book, except to mention that he went to it a couple of times. After the car race, the adventures continue, as he gets another assignment; this time to cover a police drug enforcement conference. He trades in the 'Gread Red Shark' for a white Cadillac, the 'White Whale' and sets out to find the American Dream. What that has to do with the drug conference, I'm not sure. In fact, I'm not sure of a lot of things, like is the lawyer really even there?Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is followed by two short stories. The first is the story of the death of Ruben Salazar, which I believe may have been included simply to prove that Hunter S. Thompson was capable of sane, real journalism. That is followed by a story of a trip to the Kentucky Derby, which falls somewhere between Fear and Loathing, and Strange Rumblings in Aztlan. I did notice that the phrase 'fear and loathing' was slipped somewhere into each of the short stories. That makes me want to read more of Thompson's old magazine articles to see if he did that in all of them. The Kentucky is Decadent and Depraved leaves me wondering, also, if Ralph Steadman is a real person and was he actually with Thompson at the Derby, or was he another delusion similar to the Samoan lawyer in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?Easy to read; impossible to follow. But that's Hunter S. Thompson, right?

A nice copy of his greatest work.

Not the same cover art as the description shows

The binding on the spine was broken. Not usually an issue when thrifting but this was a premium price. The size is a little smaller than I'd like and has some smudging. At a premium price another painful little prick.That being said its a fine harcover that includes 2 extra stories and a forward for the 50th anniversary and cover copy for the original story. And all that is fantastic! Just dissapointed in the quality for the price.

Why are you reading reviews for this book? Surely you've at least heard of it, as its masterful telling of a tale of a drug-addled quest for the American Dream (in Las Vegas, of all places) is branded into the very fabric of our culture. This is an absolute must-read for anybody.

Join the search for the American dream in the dust and neon of the desert.

The book itself is a classic in it's own right. My major complaint is that I ordered a new hardback copy and was disappointed when I found several pages with black ink stains from the printing process. Most stains were near the top and some pages had some on the printed words themselves. Not enough to ruin a page and read what the words were, but for a book of this quality, I should not have paid the full $16+ for it. If I experience this again with another book, I will return it. Sorry you Kindle freaks if you bash me for getting a real book. I like having a library of books for my den. Shows a resemblance of class and not a slave to technology. But I digress.

Ok

I read the book. I loved it! The fact I read it right as COVID kind of was at it’s worst in Canada led me to draw parallels. I was able “to take the trip” without having to leave the confines of my condo. I loved the writing and several of the music references.I had ordered this version as a Hardcover version of the book I read. The artwork is pretty incredible and my version is small and is smeared. I probably need eyeglasses or an eye check at minimum. I looked to buy this hardcover copy wanting a better version and larger font and hopefully better artwork. The book is all of those things my only caution is the cover is different than how it appears on the Amazon site. It just has Hunter Sitting on the front it is Not the movie shot from the film with Johnny Depp in it.

Can't help but hear Johnny Depp's voice in my head when reading this. Great book and awesome movie.

Pungente satira della società americana da ino dei più grandi giornalisti della seconda metà del Novecento

I purchased the Modern Library Hardback edition of Fear and Loathing, and was happy with the quality and print. However, it was quite expensive in my opinion. I was lucky to purchase it when the price drastically dropped, but full priced books in this edition can run between £15 - £20. I feel they are overpriced in that range and should be under £10. That being said - I loved Hunter S Thompson. He was an imaginative, gifted, brilliant writer. I recommend researching all he has written - both fiction and none fiction - you will rarely be disappointed with anything he wrote. It is crazy, manic fun; often absurd; usually brilliant.