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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (Modern Library) Paperback – Illustrated, 12 May 1998

by Hunter S. Thompson (Author)
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    12 May 1998
  5. Dimensions
    21.6 x 13.8 x 0.76 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    9780679785897
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0679785897
  8. See all details
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From the Back Cover

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.
Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motion picture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. Opens everywhere on May 22, 1998.

About the Author

Hunter S. Thompson (July 18, 1937 February 20, 2005) was an American journalist and author. He was known for his flamboyant writing style, most notably deployed in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which blurred the distinctions between writer and subject, fiction and nonfiction.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0679785892
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; New edition (12 May 1998)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780679785897
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679785897
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.6 x 13.8 x 0.76 cm
  • Customer reviews:

About the authors

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  1. Ralph Steadman

    Ralph Steadman

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Ralph Steadman (born 15 May 1936) is a British artist best known for his work with American author Hunter S. Thompson.

    Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Dave [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Hunter S. Thompson

    Hunter S. Thompson

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Hunter S. Thompson is incomparably the most celebrated exponent of the New Journalism. His books include Hell's Angels, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 and Generation of Swine.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
9,555 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars Laughed out loud!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2024
Verified Purchase
I had the pleasure of reading "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson, and I must say, it was an extraordinary experience. From the moment I started flipping through the pages, I was transported into a world of chaos, madness, and excess.

Thompson's writing style is unparalleled. His words leap off the page and grab hold of your senses, immersing you in the mind-bending journey of Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo. The way he weaves together vivid descriptions, dark humor, and thought-provoking insights is truly remarkable. I found myself laughing out loud at the absurdity of the situations and pondering the deeper meaning behind the madness.

The characters in this novel are unforgettable. Raoul Duke, with his reckless abandon and insatiable appetite for drugs and mayhem, is a fascinating protagonist. And Dr. Gonzo, his larger-than-life companion, adds an extra layer of madness to the story. Despite their flaws and eccentricities, you can't help but be captivated by their antics.

In addition to the brilliant storytelling, the Harper Perennial Modern Classics edition of the book is top-notch. The quality of the paper and the design of the cover are visually appealing and add to the overall reading experience. It's a book that you'll want to display on your shelf as a testament to your literary tastes.

If you're looking for a wild ride through the twisted underbelly of American counterculture, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is a must-read. It's a book that will leave you questioning the nature of reality and the boundaries of sanity. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates fearless and unconventional literature.
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Sarugumo
4.0 out of 5 stars Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2011
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`Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' is the hilarious and irreverent novel from Hunter S Thompson that has spawned many imitators over the years, but no equals.

This follows two drug fuelled characters as they get up to various exploits in and around Las Vegas. They drive around in a succession of convertible cars, first The Red Shark and then The White Whale and get into and out of numerous scrapes in the most hilarious ways. They even have the audacity to go to a police conference about narcotics!!!

I found myself laughing out loud at numerous times throughout this novel and whilst it is about drugs and the experiences had when taking them, it is in no way disjointed or confusing to read. You get a sense of the paranoia and hallucinations, without the confusion this could so easily create. This is based on true events and in true Gonzo tradition embellished in Thompson's most delicious way.

This book has a section at the back with a biography, explanation of Gonzo journalism, further reading list and more besides. This put the book into context for me and gave a great insight into the creation of this book and the man behind it.

This is a modern classic for good reason and whilst the characters get up to some unsavoury things during the course of the book, they carry it off with such style and humour that you can't help but be willingly taken along for the ride.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
6 people found this helpful
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JasonJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Vital reading when the world seems dull
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2022
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Crazy world out there, and this is the proof. There’s some fearless, pointless and even peerless goings on in this deranged late 60s era story, whether real or unreal. Hard to know which are which by the way (and that’s basically what this ‘gonzo’ thing is all about). The story is mad yet somehow very wise in that it reminds you life is an exploration, and if it’s not then make it one anyway. Old but not dated. Very funny in parts. A lot of drug use. A lot left unexplained. A very brilliant and bonkers book.
One person found this helpful
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Infinity
3.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and interesting but depressing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2013
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I bought this book because of a recommendation. The writing is very good, and it gives you a window into a different time and culture. It's definitely an impressive piece of journalism and historically very important. My own reading preference is for books I can read on my commute to work, that take me into a different world and provide a pleasant experience while teaching me a new perspective. This book definitely takes you into a different world and a different perspective, but I also found it to a rough and depressing read. The reality in the book is a mix between disillusionment, self-destruction, and a hopelessness that made me feel a bit empty on the inside. It's definitely a great book, and I think I would enjoy it in a different context but I personally found it unpleasant to read. I'm not a prude or have an issue with the drugs and violence described. It has its funny moments also but I didn't enjoy it overall.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 July 2023
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Loved this book. Thoroughly enjoyable and very descriptive in Regards to the led\acid trips.
Highly enjoyable reading. Would definitely reccomend!
One person found this helpful
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Bianca
5.0 out of 5 stars but a little research told me that he was a well known and much loved journalist with Johnny Depp even playing him
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2017
Verified Purchase
This book was listed in Amazon’s Top 100 books to read in a lifetime, so I decided to buy. I’m sorry to say that I had never heard of Hunter S Thompson before, but a little research told me that he was a well known and much loved journalist with Johnny Depp even playing him, not once, but twice in two movies.

It was a well known fact that Thompson loved drugs, and would use them while being sent of on journalist errands to get stories. This book definitely shows this.

The whole story is a reworking of real drug-fuelled road trips taken by Thompson and his friend. You follow their adventure to Las Vegas while they are high on drugs and driving dangerously. It’s fast paced and hilarious!!! There were many times where I laughed out loud at the descriptions.

The book is absolutely bonkers as you follow the characters while they cause chaos across Las Vegas. The writing is superb, considering Thompson happened to be off his face on drugs at the time of writing and as the book is rather short, it can easily be enjoyed and devoured in one sitting!

All in all, a fantastic, humorous read and I would definitely recommend.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ana Claudia Braga Carneiro
5.0 out of 5 stars Um clássico da contra-cultura
Reviewed in Brazil on 4 February 2023
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Fundamental para analisar a importância do inconformismo social e político proposto por Hunter S. Thompson; sendo uma excelente análise do que se encontra abaixo do tecido social norte-americano desde a década de 60 até hoje. Também rende ótimas risadas.
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Rodger Morrison
5.0 out of 5 stars I still think that it's better than the Movie
Reviewed in Canada on 12 December 2022
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I just bought this Book because it was just so DAMNED Funny!..that I wanted to read it again, and while I was reading it, I realized that I had a copy of the Movie!!,..so, I
decided to watch it again. While I was watching it, I realized that there's some Parts, that may be a little bit:
(Rough),shall We say?,for the average person. So, I think that the Book is a very good way to get some of the best laughs in this whole World!!.
I read the book back in the '70's, and I have always great memories of it. The Book was used as the script for the Movie, and I just love both of them. I think that the Movie, is only for those People who have a
strong stomach, or, You've Been There!!,..when You were Young!!.
One person found this helpful
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Mad_Captain
5.0 out of 5 stars Shivering, compelling madness. One of a kind.
Reviewed in Germany on 12 December 2023
Verified Purchase
This is one if the few books that genuinely made me sad when I finished it. Knowing the backstories of the real-life counterparts and their fate and struggle in a world that was so different and seemingly better, only a few years prior, makes it so intense and real.

While its drug infused scenario paired with whacky situations and dialogue is a strange enough setup, it is in the end more about chasing after something that just isn't there anymore and the inability to really understand the reason why.
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Gerardo
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy bien.
Reviewed in Mexico on 26 March 2021
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Me encantó la narrativa, lo leí rapidísimo.
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Aren LeBrun
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic triumph in literature – will mean more to some than to others
Reviewed in the United States on 20 September 2018
Verified Purchase
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream was, as is probably common, the first book by Hunter Thompson I ever heard about. Since then I've read it twice. The first time I was 15, and it appealed to me for a lot of the reasons one would expect. Thompson was raunchy and hilarious, intelligent, endlessly passionate, moral, angry at the squares, and his writing "had balls" (this being my probable takeaway in 2009).

I was hooked on HST's moral philosophy and precise writing style right away. Immediately after F&L I read Hell's Angels, his first published book, and loved that too. Through the years since I've read most of his other books -- The Proud Highway, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, The Great Shark Hunt, and the Rum Diary most notable among them.

Very recently, a workplace debate with a coworker who despises Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (and Thompson as a concept) inspired me to go back and read F&L a second time. It's been almost 10 years since the first reading, and I'm shocked at how much of what he was really talking about flew right over my head when I was 15. The slapstick humor and ridiculous hi-jinks that Raoul Duke and his "attorney" Dr. Gonzo get into are still fun and aptly described, but on a closer reading these serve a similar purpose as does the magician's other hand, yanking your attention away from the real thing going on.

This really is the quintessential novel about the death of the American 60s and the youth idealism of that period. If you've heard anything about this book you're probably familiar with the chaos and the hedonism and the rampant drug use (all admitted by Thompson as fictional exaggerations), and you probably know one-liners like: "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold," or "Buy the ticket, take the ride," or the famous "“We can't stop here, this is bat country!” To most non-fans Thompson is best remembered for these sort of one-offs that've been made cliche by the commercial reproduction machine.

Below is a long-ish passage about the end of the 60s from Fear in Loathing in Las Vegas that is less well-known than the cliches and displays Thompson as what he really was beneath the rage, drugs, and liquor: a visionary thinker and writer of the first order.

“Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Five years later? Six? It seems like a lifetime, or at least a Main Era—the kind of peak that never comes again. San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. 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. . . .

History is hard to know, because of all the hired bullshit, but even without being sure of “history” it seems entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons that nobody really understands at the time—and which never explain, in retrospect, what actually happened.

My central memory of that time seems to hang on one or five or maybe forty nights—or very early mornings—when I left the Fillmore half-crazy and, instead of going home, aimed the big 650 Lightning across the Bay Bridge at a hundred miles an hour wearing L. L. Bean shorts and a Butte sheepherder's jacket . . . booming through the Treasure Island tunnel at the lights of Oakland and Berkeley and Richmond, not quite sure which turn-off to take when I got to the other end (always stalling at the toll-gate, too twisted to find neutral while I fumbled for change) . . . but being absolutely certain that no matter which way I went I would come to a place where people were just as high and wild as I was: No doubt at all about that. . . .

There was madness in any direction, at any hour. If not across the Bay, then up the Golden Gate or down 101 to Los Altos or La Honda. . . . You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. . . .

And that, I think, was the handle—that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. . . .

So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.”
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