Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Other American Stories (Modern Library) [Hardcover]

Hunter S. Thompson (Author), Ralph Steadman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: May 5, 1998 | Series: Modern Library

First published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is Hunter S. Thompson's savagely comic account of what happened to this country in the 1960s. It is told through the writer's account of an assignment he undertook with his attorney to visit Las Vegas and "check it out." The book stands as the final word on the highs and lows of that decade, one of the defining works of our time, and a stylistic and journalistic tour de force. As Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote in The New York Times, it has "a kind of mad, corrosive prose poetry that picks up where Norman Mailer's An American Dream left off and explores what Tom Wolfe left out."
        This Modern Library edition features Ralph Steadman's original drawings and three companion pieces selected by Dr. Thompson: "Jacket Copy for Fear and Loath-
ing in Las Vegas," "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan," and "The Kentucky Derby Is Deca-
dent and Depraved."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Dr. Thompson made the list of inspirational scribes when I polled in a recent writing workshop, and why not? Back in a spiffy Modern Library edition, replete with additional essays, I find in this iconographic work that HST both invoked--and provoked--an era that was not so much the '60s proper, but rather the mean, shadow-filled death of that time, which is still playing out. Thank God Thompson was there to explode the myth of "objective" journalism and help pave the way for the pens and voices that followed. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

First published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is Hunter S. Thompson's savagely comic account of what happened to this country in the 1960s. It is told through the writer's account of an assignment he undertook with his attorney to visit Las Vegas and "check it out." The book stands as the final word on the highs and lows of that decade, one of the defining works of our time, and a stylistic and journalistic tour de force. As Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote in The New York Times, it has "a kind of mad, corrosive prose poetry that picks up where Norman Mailer's An American Dream left off and explores what Tom Wolfe left out."
This Modern Library edition features Ralph Steadman's original drawings and three companion pieces selected by Dr. Thompson: "Jacket Copy for Fear and Loath-
ing in Las Vegas," "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan," and "The Kentucky Derby Is Deca-
dent and Depraved."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (May 5, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679602984
• ISBN-13: 978-0679602989
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Travel > United States > West > Pacific
  • #82 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Journalists

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas May 5, 2008

By Stephen Williams

Format:Hardcover

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" by Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter Thompson practiced total immersion journalism. This form of reporting is called gonzo journalism.

Hunter Thompson drove to Las Vegas to report on a motorcycle race and ended up writing a story about himself writing a story about a motorcycle race. If he would have written a conventional report on motorcycle racing it would have been interesting to motorcycle enthusiasts for a few days. Since he wrote a gonzo story he had a very wide canvas and he used it well to create a classic.

The reader might be turned off by the obstreperous behavior, extreme self indulgence and offensive inconsiderate language. If you can look past this offensive conduct and you will see that Hunter Thompson gave us an insight into the American character of the 1970's.

See also: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The man, the legacy, the insanity January 9, 2006

By Steveatty

Format:Hardcover

Anyone who has not read Hunter S. Thompson, owes it to him or herself to read at least one of his efforts. This is the perfect starting point.

Often described, alternately, as a drug crazed lunatic, a brilliant writer, a humorist, a political commentator, and a popular historian; none of those titles really does justice to him as a person or his body of work.

Hunter was a visionary, while associated with the counterculture of the 1960's and 70's, he is more closely related to the beat movement of the 1950's. His desire was to capture life in action, with a blend of prose and newscopy.

To try to explain Fear and Loathing is impossible, its simply not about a trip to Las Vegas. Its about the American Dream, something Hunter stringly believed in, and his attempt to experience it hanging on by his fungernails. As he would say, buy the ticket... take the ride.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic made even better! December 18, 2001

By buendia

Format:Hardcover

Literary gem "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" repackaged with a movie cover to go with the Terry Gilliam film. This book includes the original itself, with Ralph Steadman's accompanying gonzo art, and adds a few happy surprises. Jacket copy for the book by Thompson is included, alongside "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan" and the hysterical tale of Thompson and Steadman's first dizzying encounter, "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved".

These stories are laugh-out-loud funny, and this slim volume is a great addition to any collection.