June 19, 2013
I would have read this book straight through in one go, but my reading was interrupted by a three-hour shift at one of my jobs. Regardless, Fear and Loathing... was a fast-paced read, and while it kept my interest throughout, I sometimes found myself wondering why Thompson had written this novel. You see, it's pretty clear that this is a somewhat autobiographical work. Thompson, going under the false name "Raoul Duke" (though his real name is revealed a couple of times), and a character that he refers to only as "my attorney" (a big Samoan who is just as insane as he is), spend a few days in Las Vegas having various drug-induced adventures. The overall tone of the novel is described right in the title: fear (drug-induced paranoia) and loathing of all of the people around them, whom they imagine (sometimes with good reason) are "after them." Thompson describes in detail all of the drugs that they brought along for their trip from LA, including mescaline, cocaine, weed, acid, and some crazy-sounding shit that I've never even heard of. From how paranoid and jittery they were, and with all of the crazy hallucinations they were having, it didn't make doing drugs sound very fun.
So I had to wonder: was Thompson trying to send some kind of anti-drug message with this work? I doubt it..."Duke" doesn't have any sort of personal revelations about his dangerous lifestyle as his disastrous trip to Vegas ends and he heads off for more adventures in Colorado (his first time: a pharmacy, where he cons the woman behind the counter into giving him pills). The novel, which many acknowledge as an American classic, presents a slice of American life from the early '70s, a tumultuous time in our country, indeed. Thompson includes snatches of news stories that "Duke" reads at various intervals in the story; whether these were real stories or based on real events, they still tell an important story about what was happening in our country at that time. Lots of stories about drug addicts (one that stood out to me was about a young man from a prominent family who, while tripping on PCP and LSD, tore out his own eyeballs in a holding cell); mentions of Richard Nixon (the Watergate scandal was going on during the time that this novel takes place/was published); more than a few mentions of the Vietnam War and veterans who came back messed up. It makes sense that Thompson would also mention the incident at Altamont with the Hell's Angels attacking an out-of-control crowd, killing one drugged-out young man; Thompson had previously interviewed and written about the Hell's Angels before Fear and Loathing...
I also couldn't help but think that "Duke" and his "attorney" couldn't have been the only ones around them, in LA or Vegas, tripping out as badly as they were, considering the times. Though they were so convinced that everybody was watching them and waiting to bust them, I imagine that many others around them were just as fucked out of their heads. Since the drugs made them so paranoid and crazy, I found myself constantly thinking, "Why take them?" Most of the drugs (except, perhaps, the weed; I will simply say that the arguments for marijuana legalization seem more logical than the arguments against it) that they were taking were extremely dangerous, not anything that people should mess with. And they didn't even like taking them...they were addicts, I'm sure, but besides cocaine (which, admittedly, they actually lost when the "attorney" spilled it in the convertible as they were speeding to Vegas), I guess I don't really know how addictive acid or ether or any of those other drugs really are...
Since the characters were on drugs throughout really the entire novel, this was another case of having unreliable narrators. But there isn't really much of a plot to follow, per se; but, once I got through the first couple of chapters, I found it relatively easy to wade my way through "Duke's" sometimes incoherent storytelling, and could tell the difference between what he was imagining in his drug-addled mind and what was actually happening (at least, I felt like I could...who's to say?). Thompson's writing style is interesting in that way, and I guess it's appropriate for the subject matter.
What did I get out of reading this book? It was entertaining, and...I guess that's the extent of it. Perhaps when it was published in 1972, it was innovative in its descriptions of drug usage and in Thompson's writing style...or maybe not. Regardless, as previously stated, it shows a slice of America during an essential time of change. It's certainly a novel of its time. And of course, it was adapted into a film (starring Johnny Depp, a personal friend of Thompson's until his death in 1988, as the main character), which is considered a cult classic. I've never seen it, though I may watch it just to see how "Duke's" drugged-out mind and paranoia are translated to the screen. The line "why are you stopping here? This is bat country" has become famous, as that beginning scene from the book is probably the most recognized of the film, even by those who have never seen it. Personally, I may not watch it, just for the fact that I really don't like Johnny Depp. I don't. I'm so over his shtick; what is the deal with him being cast as Tonto in this new movie version of The Lone Ranger? Aren't there any Indian actors out there who would be able to do the role? I have to wonder what someone like Sherman Alexie would have to say about that...
However, I've very glad that I read this novel. After all, my goal here is to read different authors, to get different perspectives, to be exposed to different styles of writing. This book is an essential part of accomplishing that mission. It would certainly not be one of those books that I would say "if I could only read one book for the rest of my life, this would be it." But when I think about it, I can't really think of any books that I would say that about. I had a conversation with a coworker of mine recently, as she'd brought a book to work to read during her downtime. I said something like, "There's so many good books out there, and I know that in my lifetime, I'll never be able to read all of the ones that I want to read." But if I'm able to spend a day just reading, like I was mostly able to do today, and mark another book off of my list...well, I'm come pretty damn close.
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| A retouched photo of Hunter S. Thompson, complete with his signature cigarette holder. Okay, he does look pretty damn cool in this picture...but I'd hate to see what his eyes looked like behind those sunglasses. |
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| Fear and Loathing...(especially the film) has a popular following of drug users (every freaking stoner in every freaking college dorm in America probably has a Fear and Loathing... poster with Johnny Depp's annoying face on it), alongside a picture such as the one above, meant to represent an acid trip or something. Being on acid doesn't seem like a bunch of rosy colors and wavy lines, though...hugs not drugs, people. |
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