Customer Reviews

The Rum Diary (LibraryEdition)

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Great novel. Can't wait for the movie. You can definitely tell there's a lot of Gonzo in.this book by the good doctor himself may he rest in peace

As with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the book is definitely better than the movie. I wanted to read the Rum Diary before the Johnny Depp vehicle came out, and I wasn't disappointed. This is Hunter S. Thompson's fictional stab at the story of a New York reporter working for the ramshackle San Juan Daily and drinking himself into all sorts of situations. This early work doesn't quite have the zest of his later gonzo journalism, as embodied in Fear and Loathing, but there is still immense pleasure to be had from its well-crafted sentences and unhurried plot of drunkenness and debauchery in the tropical purgatory of the newspaper world, otherwise known as Puerto Rico. The real pleasure of this novel is in the acerbic observations of Paul Kemp, the fictional freelance hero, who has a sharp eye for mysterious woman, zanily corrupt locals and incorrigible coworkers, such as the newspaperman called Moberg, who, after a heavy night of drinking, is only able to find his car by smell - it stinks so much that he can smell it blocks away. If you're hungry for more tales of debauched journalism then you might want to check out another novel called Suction by Tony McGowan. While not quite Hunter S. Thompson (and who is?) it does take you on an enjoyably sordid tour of the Sydney tabloid wars of the 1980s.

Trying to describe this book is like trying to touch a wet oil painting without impact. It doesn't take much before it gets messy. I can tell you that the story is well told. I read it over a two day period. Any break in the day I read it. It was engaging and enjoyable. The book finds its rhythm early and takes us on a Caribbean misadventure of lust, double-crossing and just plain bad timing. The wanderlust of the islands is replaced by the seedy underpinnings of a boom town. While I enjoyed the book, it really didn't have a plot and the ending was a but abrupt. But then, that is the tale of the diary. This is a satisfying read I would recommend to anyone. I hope the upcoming movie does the book justice.

This was an outstanding book. Hunter Thompson's relentless wit is engaging and genius. It is an extremely quick read and once you pick it up it is hard to put down. Hunter Thompson's gonzo style is here but with a low dose and it is just as good as any of the fear and loathing books.

My 2 twenty something Kids are both fans so I got them each a copy for Christmas. they were both genuinely pleased.

Too bad Puerto Rico isn't like that anymore. Another one of Hunter S. Thompsons timeless adventures. I wanted to read this before I saw the movie, so I did. Just by seeing the previews now I can tell that holywood hasn't done any justice (Johnny Depp looks just like Raul Duke)! I think they tried to make a drunken fear and loathing instead of what this book actually is, at totally different story. I read this book in no time, I actually had to stop myself because I wanted to savor it, I kept noticing how quick I was reading it and I never wanted it to end! Tooo bad I wont be seeing the movie now