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Hunter S. Thompson, R.I.P.
Gonzo journalist and author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas apparently shot himself yesterday. Salon has a good selection of interviews with and articles about Thompson that cover fairly well the contributions he made to journalism and public perception in the last 30-40 years. Personally, I read Fear and Loathing early in college and it completely blew my mind. I'd dig up my copy but I long ago loaned it to someone and never got it back. This brief excerpt pretty well captures the flavor of it—stream of consciousness with a dark comic edge, Jack Kerouac flung headlong and screaming into the 1970s. I hope I never forget the scene in the book where Duke is sitting at a bar in a casino, high as a kite, and he becomes convinced the place is crawling with lizards. There's a bit of it here:
Trust me, in its proper context that bit will make you howl with laughter. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. I thought the movie was all right, as well. See also: The complete script from the 1998 film version of the book.Right next to me a huge reptile was gnawing on a woman’s neck, the carpet was a blood-soaked sponge-impossible to walk on it, no footing at all. “Order some golf shoes,” I whispered. “Otherwise, we’ll never get out of this place alive. You notice these lizards don’t have any trouble moving around in this muck—that’s because they have claws on their feet.”
Posted February 21, 2005 07:08 AM | ai books
Wow, that's sad. Hunter S. was a big influence on me, as well. After living this long I was really hoping he would defy all expectations and not kill himself. Although I suppose it would be entirely out of character for him to go quietly in old age. Still, that's bum news.
Posted by: Sui Generis at February 21, 2005 09:19 AM
for me, HST's best works were his letters (ie "the proud highway") and his short works, bound together in "the great shark hunt". i was quickly disappointed with his newer stuff, but am glad he had a great run for a while.
Posted by: jose at February 21, 2005 12:11 PM
oh, and "fear and loathing on the campaign trail '72". especially after last year's campaigns, this one hits the spot.
Posted by: jose at February 21, 2005 05:35 PM
