This book is something of a landmark. Although Hunter S. Thompson wrote books before and published hundreds of articles, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was the first one to achieve success and make his name famous. It is also this book that made the concept of Gonzo journalism popular. In fact, the very term "Gonzo journalism" was coined for the very first time in this very book.
What is Gonzo journalism? Thompson was a journalist in the sense that he wrote articles for magazines and newspapers and was sent on assignments to cover various events. However, he did not like to think of himself as a journalist because he disagreed with the whole concept of journalistic objectivity. He believed that it is a myth and, in any case, should not exist even if it were possible. His alternative was Gonzo journalism which, in his own words, means "telling it as it is". Gonzo journalists frequently and openly add their emotions to the stories.
For example, a mainstream journalist covering some politician's speech will say that the politician said this and that. A Gonzo journalist will also narrate what was said in the speech, but he might also add that the speech was stupid and boring and not to be trusted because the politician in question is a lying swine.
Although Gonzo journalists are not supposed to write complete fiction, they often edit and rearrange events for better narrative, exaggerate or downplay things and add a little bit of fiction (but not too much) for good effect.
Gonzo journalism gained some small amount of respect and popularity after Fear and Loathing, but it was only with the establishment of the Internet and the spread of private blogs that it exploded.
The book is, at least officially, not a work of fiction, but an autobiographical novel about Thompson's trip to Las Vegas in 1971 to cover Mint 400 race and a police convention on narcotics.
It is known that he really did attend these two events, but a month apart and not few days apart as in the book. There is a lot of debate what in the book is authentic and what is fiction. I guess we will never know. My review does not go into that. I take the book "as it is".
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the story of journalist Raoul Duke (Thompson's alter ego) and his Samoan attorney referred to only as Dr. Gonzo. Duke is assigned to cover the Mint 400 race and Dr. Gonzo tags along.
They get themselves a big red Cadillac, pack the trunk full with assorted drugs and off they go. Few days later they go back to cover a police convention on narcotics. In the meantime they also look for the American Dream, without having the slightest idea just what exactly American Dream is.
The two are almost permanently on drugs. Their conversations and behavior are so weird, paranoid and outrageous that you can never be sure if they are under influence of something or not. The situations they get themselves involved in range from hilarious to violent, sad, bewildering and sometimes all of the above rolled into one. Strangely, although farfetched, these happenings are all believable. The two of them are often afraid of the law, but despite behavior that sometimes borders on criminality, no one calls police on them.
I find it perfectly realistic. When confronted with crazy behavior, people tend to react in a number of ways. They might assume that this is a joke and laugh, they might be so shocked that they might not know what to do or they play along just to make the crazy person go away.
People are willing to buy any excuse you can give them. Duke and Gonzo often get away with their shenanigans simply by saying things like: "my friend is drunk," or "my friend has a heart problem and he just took his medicine". People don't want to have more problems than they already have. Unless things turn violent, they prefer not to call the authorities.
But the book is much more than "two junkies gone wild", however. There are a number of themes here. I will speak of the three major ones I've found.
One is drugs. Although drugs have been around for long time, their popularity exploded in 1960s. They were the newest form of entertainment and formed part of the cultural revolution. Taking them was a way of rebelling against authority and the old order. But they quickly lost their luster and became a way of escaping reality. People took drugs for the same reason why some drink themselves into oblivion - to escape life and its problems. It was no longer about entertainment or exploring other states of consciousness. It was about shutting yourself down in order to avoid dealing with the world. This was in a way a betrayal of the ideals of the 1960s, which were about changing the world for the better and not isolating yourself from it.
Another theme is ridiculing and disrespecting authority. The authorities are portrayed as incompetent buffoons at best and corrupt and abusive at worst. Police gets the worst treatment, and no stronger is that denigration than the police conference on narcotics. The cops are completely detached from reality to the point of being laughing stock. Their knowledge of drugs, drug use and drug users is ridiculous and plain wrong. They even fail to notice two junkies literally sitting in their midst and making fun of them. But the saddest thing is that the cops don't even care about learning and deepening their knowledge; they came to Vegas to gamble and have good time. The conference is just an excuse. And I bed the trip and the stay were paid by the taxpayer.
But police are not the only ones who get the short end of the stick. Politicians, when not called liars, are made fun of. Celebrities are disrespected. An astronaut (this was just two years after Moon landing) is exposed as an egocentric idiot. Even religion is ridiculed in the form of a young, devoutly religious girl who jumps at the first chance she gets to do some drugs and engage in casual sex with a stranger. When not on drugs, she spends her time praying and painting portraits of Barbara Streisand.
In the background there is a quest for the American Dream. The two "heroes" have no idea what the American Dream is, much less where to find it, but they think that Las Vegas is the best place to look for it. And why not? Many books have been written about the American Dream. There is no clear definition of just what this American Dream is because it is a subjective concept. However, for most people American Dream is a materialistic concept to be understood in economic terms. For most people American Dream simply means getting rich.
And what better place to get rich than Las Vegas, a city whose purpose is, at least officially, to help you get rich? The city was built around its casinos, and a casino is a place where, at least in theory, you can get fabulously rich in very short time with very little effort.
Of course, and the book makes it clear, it is a lie. In Vegas, like in any other gambling place, the house always wins in the end. Even if you win at the table and walk away, they will get that money from you in some other way.
The whole getting rich thing brings us to the idea of consumer society. What is the point of getting rich if you don't spend your money?
Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo spend their time insulting, disrupting and desecrating the consumer culture any way they can, from not paying huge hotel bills to wantonly destroying expensive property to joking about organizing a gang rape on the religious girl just for fun and money. They do so as they roll through Las Vegas, exposing its glamorous side for what it is (a money sucking scheme) and showing us its ugly, hidden side.
They do find the American Dream eventually. There used to be a psychiatric club by that name that burned out and then was overtaken by local junkies. Talk about metaphors.
The book is a fantastic read and still very relevant today. The current situation in America bears striking resemblance to that era. An unpopular war is being fought based on lies, authorities gather more and more power while they hide their corruption and incompetence, politicians claim to represent the common man while they sell themselves to whatever corporation can pay them the most all the while we are told that nothing is happening and to keep spending money as before while a deep economic and social crisis is unfolding.
If things changed at all since 1971, it is for the worse.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
4.5 | 10,508 ratings
Price: 12.99
Last update: 12-03-2024
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Top reviews from the United States
Walter E. Kurtz
Surreal at first glance, but quite realistic at second.
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2012Aren LeBrun
A fantastic triumph in literature – will mean more to some than to others
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2018
Hornet
Fantastic Book - Not so great printing.
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2024