A review by jacq03
Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson by Jann S. Wenner
4.0
I finished this book two days ago and it's kind of haunting me. Well, Hunter's life is really. I feel so conflicted in my feelings about him as a person, as he seemed to have sides to his personality that highly conflicted one another. At times, I hated him and thought he was a horrible asshole. Other times, I pitied him. Sometimes, I respected him. Afterall, no one could ever accuse him of not living life on his own terms, and that, in my book, is one of the most respectable things that can be said about a person. But everyone who knows of Hunter Thompson seems to already have an opinion of him, so I'll spare you more of that and focus on the book itself.
I borrowed this from a friend a let it sit. For a couple years. (I know, I'm returning it now!) Mostly because I tend to struggle with biographies. Imagine my delight and surprise when I cracked the book and discovered that it's actually an oral account by dozens of people who knew Hunter over the years. I loved that it was broken up into paragraphs/sections because it just made it easier to digest. There are A LOT of people chiming in though, and it was hard at times to keep track of who was who. The list of names in the back of the book was really helpful, and I referenced it several times.
This book gave great insight into Hunter as a man, colleague, friend and lover and was fascinating. It made me feel like I actually knew him beyond the myth. Certainly not all of the stories were flattering to Hunter and I'm not sure how he would have felt about this book. He seemed to be in love with his accomplishments and want to be remembered forever, so I think maybe he would have thought the book was cool, even if he ended up pissed off at some people for it.
As angry as I was about many of the ridiculous things Hunter did and painful ways he treated people, I was shocked by how my view of him softened as people recounted his later years. It was like I could feel this larger-than-life character age and frustratingly watch his sun setting. It was heartbreaking, but necessary to understand Hunter taking his own life.
The book covered the span of his life and is chronological, but did leave me feeling unsure how we got from one point to another at times. For example, there were references to how his speaking engagements sold out and he became idolized, but because the book focused so much on the man, it sometimes felt unclear to me how, when and why he developed such a rabid, loyal fanbase.
Without spoiling any of it, the last sentence of the book in an absolutely perfect summary of the hole left in so many people's lives once Hunter was gone. After reading the entire book, the final sentence from his best friend made me realize how much of an impact Hunter had on so many lives — for better or worse — and more than ever, how he was truly one of a kind.
I borrowed this from a friend a let it sit. For a couple years. (I know, I'm returning it now!) Mostly because I tend to struggle with biographies. Imagine my delight and surprise when I cracked the book and discovered that it's actually an oral account by dozens of people who knew Hunter over the years. I loved that it was broken up into paragraphs/sections because it just made it easier to digest. There are A LOT of people chiming in though, and it was hard at times to keep track of who was who. The list of names in the back of the book was really helpful, and I referenced it several times.
This book gave great insight into Hunter as a man, colleague, friend and lover and was fascinating. It made me feel like I actually knew him beyond the myth. Certainly not all of the stories were flattering to Hunter and I'm not sure how he would have felt about this book. He seemed to be in love with his accomplishments and want to be remembered forever, so I think maybe he would have thought the book was cool, even if he ended up pissed off at some people for it.
As angry as I was about many of the ridiculous things Hunter did and painful ways he treated people, I was shocked by how my view of him softened as people recounted his later years. It was like I could feel this larger-than-life character age and frustratingly watch his sun setting. It was heartbreaking, but necessary to understand Hunter taking his own life.
The book covered the span of his life and is chronological, but did leave me feeling unsure how we got from one point to another at times. For example, there were references to how his speaking engagements sold out and he became idolized, but because the book focused so much on the man, it sometimes felt unclear to me how, when and why he developed such a rabid, loyal fanbase.
Without spoiling any of it, the last sentence of the book in an absolutely perfect summary of the hole left in so many people's lives once Hunter was gone. After reading the entire book, the final sentence from his best friend made me realize how much of an impact Hunter had on so many lives — for better or worse — and more than ever, how he was truly one of a kind.