Book Review: The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson

I was well into this book when I realized nothing was happening. That is when I decided Hunter is a hell of a writer. There really aren’t any events in this book until the very end, but it flows so well. I can often get worn out by too much description, even when it is done well. The Rum Diary has just enough description for you to soak up and feel the atmosphere. I don’t know what to say about this book, but it wasn’t the over-the-top, wacky adventure that I expected from a Thompson fiction. My experience with him has been through the movie version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Hunter. I had also read Hunter S. Thompson’s autobiography. Although The Rum Diary wasn’t what I expected, I really enjoyed the book and found it hard to put down. I do read books over and over, but I don’t feel I will need to read this one again. I don’t want that to sound like a bad thing, though. 

I sure wish I could use words like “swine” as effectively as Hunter does in his writing! I always hear Johnny Depp saying it, but it truly is Hunter’s use.

Beyond the book...

Fear and Loathing caught me by surprise. I was killing time before going to a party, discussing things with a friend and halfway through a beer. He asked if I had seen the movie, and I said I had always wanted to. He had it on vhs, so he popped it in. The tape was screwed up, so the movie was barely visible and sometimes completely gone. It still hooked me, and I didn’t even get to watch it all. Something about that other-wordly adventure had great appeal. Typical, though, I let it eat at me and did not get the movie. Melissa ended up getting it for me for a birthday or Christmas present. She knows me so well... she got the special edition DVD! I treasure this movie. I have never been able to read through the included text, which is what the movie is based on. I’ll try again some day, as it may help to have read more of his writing.

Swine.

I wish Junior was a writer. He said he and Brad are professional hecklers... Junior has done shit, seen shit, and recognizes shit... and he knows how to tell you about it.