Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

By: Hunter S. Thompson

Format: Physical Book

Completed: 2/15/2023

What's it about: The true (true?) story of Hunter S. Thompson and his attorney renting a sports car, filling it with drugs and alcohol, and driving from LA to Vegas to cover the "Mint 400", a motorcycle race in the desert.

Main Takeaway: Hunter S. Thompson has a writing style all his own, that's evident. Somewhere between a dream, stream of consciousness, and an outside observer, Thompson clearly blurs the lines between reality and exaggeration. Although he contends that he has a tape recorder, some of the dialogue is clearly made up. I think Thompson's takeaway was that an era had ended in the United States. Gone was the days of freedom in the 60's and a new era was starting in the 70's; one more focused on law, order, and containing the drug culture. He and his attorney get obsessed with the idea of the "American Dream" that they are searching for (maybe it's a bar? A physical place? Maybe they had the name wrong), but they come to find it's not in Vegas. No, it is not in Vegas any longer if it ever was. Generally, just an entertaining book to read from one of the greats.