I remember 1971 pretty well-it was the year I graduated from high school and started university. I thought that was as good an excuse as any to read it in 2021. It was 50 years ago that this book was published. Now, go read the damn book you filthy degenerate. No one will replace or can even emulate you. Sadly, he took his own life at the age of 67, leaving behind this note: "No More Games. Thompson has written a lot more since then and given fascinating interviews. There are also sequences that were complete fiction (understandable) though much of the story is true or exaggerated from what actually happened.
Thompson himself noted that much of the drug-fuelled rampages he and his attorney go on in the book is fiction and that they were sober at the time. Of course, as I read more about the book (and how it came to be), I understood why and where its gonzo style comes from. But more than that, I enjoyed his depiction of the police conference - the irony there was simply too much. Finding the elusive 'American Dream' is exactly that - a fading reality and a dream that was crushed much earlier. He knows what he's talking about he also knows what he's talking about is utterly ridiculous and nihilistic to the point Nietzsche would blush. The writing hit that sweet spot between being self-aware and absurd. The antics he and his 'attorney' get up to were hilarious and sad at the same time, mostly in the way they con their way through Las Vegas (and an assortment of characters).
So, here I am, more than a decade later, finally checking out the book the movie's based on, and damn, what a ride it was! Initially, it felt more like a fever dream than reality, especially the events leading up to the race. It was all over Reddit, and people would constantly gush over it.
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS BOOK MOVIE
I was also intrigued by the movie starring Johnny Depp. His 'gonzo' style of writing - mixing reality and fiction together in a journalistic style - was fascinating. I remember reading about Thompson way back during my O-levels.
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