watched the movie before seein it, albeit like 6 years ago. ok, content wise entertaining but any longer of the shit and it woulda been drawn out. funny. deeper than surface level. dare i say, no bukowski?

The end of the '60s is something I've heard about in various forms of media. Typically the Altamont Free Concert is sited as the definitive end, and for good reason. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas does not document the death of the '60s, but rather the cadaveric spasms of that era.

Thompson does something in this unique blend of fact and fiction that just clicks. On its surface, this book seems to be about how far and out of hand a drug fueled rampage can get, but there's more to it. I found that Thompson's frequent mention of searching for the "American Dream" juxtaposed with Las Vegas highlighted precisely how depraved American culture can be (and has continued to become), and how the myth of the American Dream is typically just that.

What a wild ride!!!
Can't believe Hunter is still alive and walking. Well done

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I understood the references. Otherwise, I the idea of two people on a drug bender in Vegas was a pretty fun concept. That kept me reading.

What a trip! Thompson’s drug-ridden novel is a surreal joy into finding out what the heck the American dream even is. His essays toward the end were good too, but “Fear and Loathing” is a story I cannot forget. A total reread.

This was hands down the worst book I have ever read. Considering that I have read A Canticle for Leibowitz, that it quite a statement. My mind boggles when I think that this is 1) a classic book 2) the writer has made a living off of this verbal diarrhea 3) this story was made into a movie starring Johnny Depp??????????? The main story of this novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, is pure nonsense, utter trash. Talk about babbling about nothing. I really fail to see who could possibly enjoy reading 200 plus pages about two bad people on a drug binge doing a whole lot of nothing in one of the coolest places on earth. Granted this was circa 1971, but still. This story, along with the two other short stories that followed it in the book, were all semi-autobiographical. I personally would be ashamed to put pen to paper and produce this garbage, much less admit that I spent part of my life doing the things that the author describes. I have never read the word “vomit” so much in a book.

Thompson really needs to get a life. I hope he has. This guy seems totally paranoid to me. This book was boring, nothing happened, there was no plot, no points of interest, no conclusion and so on. The odd time, Thompson threw in some spin he had on politics and/or President Nixon. I can only guess he bothered to do that so he wouldn’t sound so mentally challenged and maybe someone would read this crap. Rolling Stone published this???? The Editor must have been doing some pretty hard drugs in 1971 to publish this poor excuse for literature. Gonzo journalism, my ass. I don’t understand how anyone could like this book. I will seriously never read anything written by this author ever again. I only finished this book because it was so bad, I had to see what a complete write off it was and so I could validate my comments on it. This book is not even worth 1 star, but alas, there is not a 0 star rating on goodreads.

Man, do I love reading books about people fucked out of their skull on drugs. Especially if the book is as funny as this one. Unfortunately, "out of one's mind on drugs" and "funny" do not always coincide in literature.

This book doesn't even deserve one star. This book was awful and it really felt like there was no point to this book. Just a couple of really stupid guys who have nothing better to do with their lives than get really messed up from drugs. This was definitely a book that I pushed through quickly just so that I could be done with it. Definitely not my typical cup of tea and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone!

Fraud. Drug use. Violence. Sexual Assault. More drugs. All the ingredients necessary for a wild trip to Vegas, right? On the surface this work appears to be a string of anecdotes for two guys, gorked out of their minds on drugs in Sin City in the early seventies. I have seen several people who have trashed this work as being pointless. Understandable, but really, isn’t that the point? That there is no point. Thompson refers to ‘the American dream’ and the pursuit of it often in this book. They never find it. Does it even exist? Is there even a point to life? Perhaps not. Take it for what it is worth and in context also. The events and attitudes of the characters by today’s standards seem pretty tame. In 1971 they were shocking and outrageous. I found myself amused at some of the themes, and embarrassed at myself for being amused at such depravity.

The best part of this work if what Thompson does not tell us. For example he notes when returning the car that the dials and interior were ruined when he tried a water test at Lake Mead. Wait. What? There was no prior mention of that escapade. Yet the way it was presented, in an offhand manner, made we want to know more. Several other examples of further intrigue that is all left to the imagination.

I want to have ten million of his furious, drug addicted, intellectual prose babies.

4.5⭐ I had a hunch I'd enjoy this novel, and I was right. The book almost perfectly mirrors the movie, delivering a wild, surreal, and drug-fueled ride from start to finish. Every page is a vivid portrayal of the 1960s U.S., capturing the era's chaotic spirit with remarkable fidelity. Beneath its bizarre narrative lies a subtle yet profound allegory of the American Dream, expertly woven into the story. The juxtaposition of the novel's outlandish events with its deeper themes creates a thought-provoking experience that lingers on after the final page.

This book is as singular and unique a piece of art as "Starry Night," "Apocalypse Now," or "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars" and as worthwhile to experience in its way
No reader's life is complete without having experienced it