Hunter S. Thompson

[Internet Apex]

I admittedly hadn’t seen any of his movies

Nutshell.

If someone were to refer to The Firm or The Pelican Brief as "John Grisham's movies" would you react with the same SMUGness?

I'd react with the same SMUGness to anyone who likes John Grisham.

Spoken like someone who's never enjoyed the glamour of business travel.

Is that what his books are about or is Grisham what white people read when they travel?

This and Tom Clancy.

And Dan Brown?

[PenPho]

I admittedly hadn’t seen any of his movies

Nutshell.

If someone were to refer to The Firm or The Pelican Brief as "John Grisham's movies" would you react with the same SMUGness?

I'd react with the same SMUGness to anyone who likes John Grisham.

Spoken like someone who's never enjoyed the glamour of business travel.

Is that what his books are about or is Grisham what white people read when they travel?

This and Tom Clancy.

And Dan Brown?

I've been known to read the occassional David Baldacci on a plane.

And Nelson DeMille.

[Internet Apex]

I'm do a lot of Tom Wolfe on planes. (||)

[Tony]

I read the Rum Diary. I liked it. They're making a movie of it. Maybe Yeti can go see it or something.

[Internet Apex]

I read the Rum Diary. I liked it. They're making a movie of it. Maybe Yeti can go see it or something.

This.

[Capt. Over]

I read the Rum Diary. I liked it. They're making a movie of it. Maybe Yeti can go see it or something.

The Rum Diary was written early in his career (pre-LSD), and is a very easy, enjoyable, less "weird" read then his later stuff for those that aren't into the whole drug-induced psychedelia thing- although you should be, because it's damn entertaining. 

Other HST recommendations:  a lot of his ESPN stuff is still available for free in the espn.com archives.  Its not as fun as vintage Thompson, but still worth browsing through.  For those with Netflix, there is a great documentary, Gonzo, available to watch instantly.

[Internet Apex]

I read the Rum Diary. I liked it. They're making a movie of it. Maybe Yeti can go see it or something.

The Rum Diary was written early in his career (pre-LSD), and is a very easy, enjoyable, less "weird" read then his later stuff for those that aren't into the whole drug-induced psychedelia thing- although you should be, because it's damn entertaining. 

Other HST recommendations:  a lot of his ESPN stuff is still available for free in the espn.com archives.  Its not as fun as vintage Thompson, but still worth browsing through.  For those with Netflix, there is a great documentary, Gonzo, available to watch instantly.

It's amazing that he couldn't get that book published when it was written. People are dumb.

[Tony]

I only started with the Rum Diary because I found it at a used book store. The plan was to start with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, because they only make movies of the best books right?

[Wheezer]

For those with Netflix, there is a great documentary, Gonzo, available to watch instantly.

I have "Breakfast with Hunter." Pretty good, as I recall, with optional English subtitles.

[R-V]

Can't seem to find a thread on him. Currently reading The Great Shark Hunt, a great collection of his articles from the 60s and 70s. It includes several articles about his favorite punching bag, Richard Milhouse Nixon. For my money it doesn't get much better than an extended Thompson rant about that rotten waterhead. Here's an excerpt just for you, Gil.

Nixon's entire political career - and in fact his whole life - is a gloomy monument to the notion that not even pure schizophrenia or malignant psychosis can prevent a determined loser from rising to the top of the heap in this strange society we have built for ourselves in the name of "democracy" and "free enterprise." For most of his life, the mainspring of Richard Nixon's energy and ambition seems to have been a deep and unrecognized need to overcome, at all costs, that sense of having been born guilty - not for crimes or transgressions already committed, but for those he somehow sensed he was fated to commit as he grappled his way to the summit.

Looks like there are 3 more volumes of the Gonzo Papers - planning on reading all of them, but any one that's particularly good? Other Thompson favorites I should check out? I'm a moron, so the only other book of his I've read is Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail.

Start reading them all.  Some of it, as you may suspect, is haphazard and is just weird.  But a lot of it is a pretty rivetting look at society during whichever period he's writing in.  Generation of Swine, about the '80s, is cool as shit dick.

Also, check out Kingdom of Fear.

Hell, just read it all.

CT's bump reminded me that I need to thank Oleg and the rest of you waterheads for the HST recommendations. Since starting this thread I've gotten through Generation of Swine and Songs of the Doomed. I agree with Apex that neither are on par with Campaign Trail '72 or Great Shark Hunt, but still great reads. I've still got Kingdom of Fear and Hey Rube on the toilet shelf, and Hell's Angels and Proud Highway will be next assuming I'm not killed by a Cardinals pitcher while driving.

Thompson was the man.

[flannj]

Can't seem to find a thread on him. Currently reading The Great Shark Hunt, a great collection of his articles from the 60s and 70s. It includes several articles about his favorite punching bag, Richard Milhouse Nixon. For my money it doesn't get much better than an extended Thompson rant about that rotten waterhead. Here's an excerpt just for you, Gil.

Nixon's entire political career - and in fact his whole life - is a gloomy monument to the notion that not even pure schizophrenia or malignant psychosis can prevent a determined loser from rising to the top of the heap in this strange society we have built for ourselves in the name of "democracy" and "free enterprise." For most of his life, the mainspring of Richard Nixon's energy and ambition seems to have been a deep and unrecognized need to overcome, at all costs, that sense of having been born guilty - not for crimes or transgressions already committed, but for those he somehow sensed he was fated to commit as he grappled his way to the summit.

Looks like there are 3 more volumes of the Gonzo Papers - planning on reading all of them, but any one that's particularly good? Other Thompson favorites I should check out? I'm a moron, so the only other book of his I've read is Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail.

Start reading them all.  Some of it, as you may suspect, is haphazard and is just weird.  But a lot of it is a pretty rivetting look at society during whichever period he's writing in.  Generation of Swine, about the '80s, is cool as shit dick.

Also, check out Kingdom of Fear.

Hell, just read it all.

CT's bump reminded me that I need to thank Oleg and the rest of you waterheads for the HST recommendations. Since starting this thread I've gotten through Generation of Swine and Songs of the Doomed. I agree with Apex that neither are on par with Campaign Trail '72 or Great Shark Hunt, but still great reads. I've still got Kingdom of Fear and Hey Rube on the toilet shelf, and Hell's Angels and Proud Highway will be next assuming I'm not killed by a Cardinals pitcher while driving.

Thompson was the man.

Hey, god damn it.

[R-V]

Can't seem to find a thread on him. Currently reading The Great Shark Hunt, a great collection of his articles from the 60s and 70s. It includes several articles about his favorite punching bag, Richard Milhouse Nixon. For my money it doesn't get much better than an extended Thompson rant about that rotten waterhead. Here's an excerpt just for you, Gil.

Nixon's entire political career - and in fact his whole life - is a gloomy monument to the notion that not even pure schizophrenia or malignant psychosis can prevent a determined loser from rising to the top of the heap in this strange society we have built for ourselves in the name of "democracy" and "free enterprise." For most of his life, the mainspring of Richard Nixon's energy and ambition seems to have been a deep and unrecognized need to overcome, at all costs, that sense of having been born guilty - not for crimes or transgressions already committed, but for those he somehow sensed he was fated to commit as he grappled his way to the summit.

Looks like there are 3 more volumes of the Gonzo Papers - planning on reading all of them, but any one that's particularly good? Other Thompson favorites I should check out? I'm a moron, so the only other book of his I've read is Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail.

Start reading them all.  Some of it, as you may suspect, is haphazard and is just weird.  But a lot of it is a pretty rivetting look at society during whichever period he's writing in.  Generation of Swine, about the '80s, is cool as shit dick.

Also, check out Kingdom of Fear.

Hell, just read it all.

CT's bump reminded me that I need to thank Oleg and the rest of you waterheads for the HST recommendations. Since starting this thread I've gotten through Generation of Swine and Songs of the Doomed. I agree with Apex that neither are on par with Campaign Trail '72 or Great Shark Hunt, but still great reads. I've still got Kingdom of Fear and Hey Rube on the toilet shelf, and Hell's Angels and Proud Highway will be next assuming I'm not killed by a Cardinals pitcher while driving.

Thompson was the man.

Hey, god damn it.

Looks like I'm the waterhead. Added to the list.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

https://www.playboy.com/magazine/correspondence-with-hunter-s-thompson