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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
 
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Paperback)

by Hunter S. Thompson (Author), Ralph Steadman (Illustrator)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Flamingo; New Ed edition (7 Sep 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 000655136X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006551362
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 202,384 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #23 in  Books > Fiction > Cult Authors > Thompson, Hunter S.

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the New York Times Book Review, Hunter S. Thompson's documented drug orgy through Las Vegas would no doubt leave Nancy Reagan blushing and D.A.R.E. (US anti-drugs organisation) founders rethinking their motto. Under the pseudonym of Raoul Duke, Thompson travels with his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, in a souped-up convertible dubbed the "Great Red Shark." In its boot, they hide "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicoloured uppers, downers, screamers, laughers ... A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser [and] a pint of raw ether" which they manage to consume during their short tour.

On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the drug-a-delic duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They of course never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help." For Thompson to remember and pen his experiences with such clarity and wit is nothing short of a miracle; an impressive feat no matter how one feels about the subject matter. A first- rate sensibility twinger, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a pop-culture classic, an icon of an era past and a nugget of pure comedic genius. --Rebekah Warren



Synopsis

This is a quest by journalist Hunter S. Thompson into the heart of the American Dream - undertaking perilous, drug-enhanced confrontations with casino operators, bartenders, police officers with a special interest in the narcotics problem, and other representatives of the silent majority.

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Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (24)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Take a Joy Ride!, 28 Aug 2004
By A Customer
There aren't many books that can make me laugh out loud. But this one did. In fact, there were times when I was laughing so hard I couldn't focus my eyes on the page to read. I'd have to stop reading just to compose myself enough to go on. Wild only begins to describe the adventures of Thompson and his lawyer. In all fairness, I should warn you that drinking large amounts of liquor and taking illegal drugs play a big part in the story. If drugs and drug culture easily offend you you may want to pass on this book. My feeling is this: I do not condone drug use but this novel does reflect a period in America's recent past, it is a modern classic, and it's so darned funny that it you really should read it. The story follows Thompson and his lawyer as they search for the real America. On the way, Thompson gets an assignment to cover a motorcycle race in Las Vegas. Armed with a red convertible and enough drugs to kill a VERY large animal, they set off for Vegas. The story is a mixture of reality, drug induced hallucinations, and some fuzzy experiences that are both reality and drug clouded. It's just a flat-out, fun, hilarious romp -- a joy ride of a novel. Don't miss out! Another offbeat novel that I came across recently and enjoyed was THE LOSERS CLUB by Richard Perez.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure smooth hell, 5 April 2005
This is absolutely one of the best books of our time. It's dark, brilliant, hilarious and downright crazy. I read this on the bus to school and sometimes I would just laugh out loud, making everyone else stare at me. If you're a Hunter fan, you have read this, if you're not, you should definitely read it! This is a tale so mindblowing you can't believe it really happened. A must for all fans and lovers of American literature.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Well i wasn't loathing it..., 30 Nov 2005
I read the book a fair time ago but my appreciation for it has yet to be expressed in words. This was the book which made me the avid fan I am. The one that shrewdly hurled my into the world of Gonzo with no regrets.
This book is a must have. The talent of Thompson's captivating dark humour which he held is fully visible in this book. Not only does Hunter tell you about his wild and wondrous adventure as his alter-ego Raoul Duke, he take you in till you won’t want to let go, and when you do, you’re speechless.
So if you like stories about the odd road trip with the lone driving forces being drugs, dilemmas, drugs, two convertible, drugs, bad reminiscences and two loony guys on a mound of hallucinations drugs, then as your attorney, I highly advise this book. If this isn't your type, I recommend this book yet again, as you'll soon change your mind.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Didn't loathe it
Modern classic, and rightly so; this novel was written in the early 70s and charts the journey of its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Barney McGrew

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my Fav Books
After seeing the film I had to read the book and it didn't disappoint. It's a funny tripped-out read, and unlike other reviewers I didn't find it that dark at all. Read more
Published 7 months ago by I. M. Knight

5.0 out of 5 stars crazy drug days!
i usually prefer to read the books before i see films that have been made of them. on this occasion i saw the film of fear and loathing first, so when it came to reading the book... Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2005 by blue82

5.0 out of 5 stars fear and loathing in las vegas
this is possibly the best work of hunter s thompson it shows the darker side of drugs and narcotics it describes what they see after theyve took acid and makes you horrified at... Read more
Published on 29 Jul 2004 by saam

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
This is a fine book that takes you on a mind bending journey toward oblivion, without ever losing coherancy!!! Amazing, only the good Dr. could make so much sense while wasted!!!
Published on 25 Mar 2004 by Ms. S. A. Marsden

5.0 out of 5 stars Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
A real Hunter S Thompson classic. this book can be opened at any page and make me laugh. this book is suited for anyone with a sense of humour, a defenite book to buy!
Published on 5 Feb 2004 by piers lloyd

5.0 out of 5 stars The double edged sword of gonzo
I've been an avid fan since 1978 - still not sure whether this has blighted my life or enhanced it.
Published on 19 May 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to Thompson's work
If you like your reading amusing, thought provoking and a little disturbing, you should get into the Dr. of Gonzo's work. Read more
Published on 10 April 2003 by C. Bale

3.0 out of 5 stars Pharmacy 101
Entertainingly bizarre and other-worldly, I am assured it helps if you're at least on nodding terms with some of the narcotics mentioned. Read more
Published on 7 April 2003 by Maclennane

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine introduction to HST
Hunter S. THompson has to be one of the greatest authors of our time. Although he opines about American culture, people from any country can identify with his writing. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2003 by C. Bale

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