Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

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

17 reviews

disco_spider's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Fear and Loathing is a quick read that dumps you into a tempest of “dope culture”. Now that the 70s were fifty years ago the pressing cultural commentary feels lost but still relevant. Thompson seems to be offering an obituary of the 1960s counterculture in America. His own attempts to report on events in Vegas while deeply under the influence of a cacophony of drugs allow him to ironically comment on all that is well - or deeply unwell - with America as it marches into the age of Nixon.

The book is both disturbing but funny. Uncomfortable yet enticing. It would probably take someone “unhip” like me a couple reads to glean all of the levels of meaning Thompson has weaves throughout his wild tale. The glowing reviews plastered on the cover and in the introduction seem to be missing something now that we are in the 2020s. Younger readers need a bit of context to make this book truly stick. However it has a life of its own and can be appreciated in different seasons of the life of a reader. Teens will find the wild and sinful exploits to be edgy. Young adults may start to appreciate the cultural commentary drenched in irony. More seasoned readers may connect with the deep cynicism and absurdism that life seems to hold around every turn.

Definitely a wild tale that all American readers should take a stab at if you want to connect with the fallout of the 1960s and why America is what it is today.

Content Warnings

emadisonc's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant.

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roseknows124's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

lesfleursmonet's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

jaimc's review against another edition

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funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

aidanweyer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

bookish_bry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a well written and good book, but I personally didn't derive much enjoyment out of it. It's a pretty pessimistic book and the characters are all deplorable which doesn't make it a bad book, but one that doesn't really catch my attention.

That being said, the themes were on point and it was an interesting look into a very specific subculture in the US during the 1970s. It's the optimistic free love culture from the 60s soured by pessimism during the Vietnam war, but the main character (the author himself really) still can't quite let it go. It also takes an interesting look at the main American culture as well.

The writing style was always intriguing and well done even when I was slightly bored or frustrated with the content. Overall it's a solid book. I probably won't be reading it again anytime soon, but it was a very valuable reading experience. I may even look into more of Thompson's books since I really did enjoy the style.

Content Warnings