Gonzo journalism pre-dates Gonzo the Muppet and Jim Henson was totally into that subversive, rebel shit, so you knows Gonzo the Muppet is an homage to the original in all his glorious and twisted madness. Whatever you may think of Hunter S. Thompson the man, his writing's influence is undeniable. In bat country and beyond, this one's a classic.

Thompson hiding out from the law while reporting on a racing event in the middle of the desert flees Los Angeles in search of adventure and asylum. After an injection of cash from the money man and a few too many illicitly ingested narcotics he finds himself in a world of strange hallucinations, and even stranger circumstances all fueled by his love for drugs, and the freedom of the open road.

I love this story of a drug addled journalist experiencing a thrilling time in Las Vegas as he fights through drug addiction, money problems, death threats, the looming long-arm-of-the law, and the unusual characters populating a seedy mid-century Las Vegas.

The prose is fantastic at pulling readers in. The development was brisk, quickly coming to a head, despite the fact that characterization reigned over plot progression. Thompson as the anarchist, law-enforcement-loathing, binge-partying reporter shines as an unlikely hero in a story about how the things that may destroy us, may also make us free.

This book was certainly a Goodread!

This book is great due to its anarchy and honesty. It feels like Thompson is just firing from the hip, but you can tell he’s not. It’s a very fun and wild book that makes you wanna speed down the road with a joint in your mouth, passing bumps of coke back and forth between you and a buddy while you disregard the future and live inside every second. Definitely recommend for those adventurous devils who wish they lived in the 60s or barely lived through them.

There are some really very funny and disturbing moments in this book, but what stands out is the melancholy. The more Hunter S. Thompson spirals into the decadence around him, the more he sees the folly and sadness of what the 60s became. That's where Thompson shines. He doesn't criticize the drugs, he criticizes the naivety of the drug culture evangelists. He doesn't call those opposed to drugs stupid, he just shows the stupidity of their stereotypes about the drug culture. It's caustic, it's dirty, but it's one of the finest works ever produced.

This book also has other pieces by Thompson included, but the highlight of the book is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.