Tag: Hunter S. Thompson

Kurt Vonnegut – God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater | Review

Title: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 224

Rating: 9/10

 

Kurt Vonnegut - God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

Kurt Vonnegut – God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

 

This was the first Kurt Vonnegut novel that I ever read, and it really messed with my mind – every time I felt like I knew what was happening, the metaphorical rug was pulled from under my feet and everything changed again. And yet, it did also stay true to the central idea – the psychological differences between the rich and the poor, and the definition of insanity, as it’s imposed upon us.

For me, it was the sort of book that makes you constantly think, and that’s got to be a good thing. It’s also got me excited about reading more Vonnegut, and it’s not like this is one of his most well-known works – this just happens to be the one that my friend Amanda managed to find going second hand, and the first of the two books that she gave to me that I got round to reading.

The style here was like a cross between Graham Greene, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, and Hunter S. Thompson, only the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I’d recommend the hell out of this one, but then I have no baseline to compare it to. Maybe Vonnegut is consistent!

 

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut

 

Click here to buy God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.


Hunter S. Thompson – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Review

Title: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Author: Hunter S. Thompson

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 230

Rating: 8/10

 

Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Hunter S. Thompson – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

 

Fear and Loathing is the book which cemented Hunter S. Thompson’s reputation as a writer who challenged authority, by defying traditional laws of both literature and governance. He even created his own genre, called gonzo journalism, albeit presumably accidentally – you get the impression from Fear and Loathing that there’s no definitive destination in mind, and that Thompson just wanted to enjoy the ride.

I won’t go into the story line too much, but we can at least be sure that we’re in for a wild old time in one of the most notorious parts of America, and that there’ll be plenty of booze and drugs along the way. In some ways, it probably helps if you can relate to that lifestyle, but it’s not necessarily a prerequisite.

I quite like Thompson’s work, but I never fell in love with it – for that reason, and for that reason only, I don’t feel justified giving this book anything higher than an eight, but the beauty of it is that everyone seems to perceive it differently. Who knows what you’ll think of it? If you want to find out then the best thing to do is to read it – it’s a modern classic, after all.

 

Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson

 

Click here to buy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.