Better Than Sex (Gonzo Papers, Vol 4)

by Hunter S. Thompson

book data

1,029 ratings, 3.66 average rating, 56 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		20%
4		35%
3		34%
2		8%
1		1%

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published

August 22nd 1995 (first published 1994) by Ballantine Books

binding

Paperback, 272 pages

isbn

0345396359 (isbn13: 9780345396358)

description

Since his 1972 trailblazing opus, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, Hunter S. Thompson has reported the election story in his truly inimitabl...more

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06/21/09

Mark Young rated it:

Read in October, 1994

"No wonder the poor bastards from Generation X have lost their sense of humor about politics. Some things are not funny to the doomed..."

Though he tried desperately to avoid it, Hunter S. Thompson in this book again casts himself into the pit of despair that is modern politics. It is "Fear and Loathing" all over again, but this time on the Campaign Trail '92. He was lured in partly by his hatred of Bush and the hope that he could be beaten, and partly because of ...more "No wonder the poor bastards from Generation X have lost their sense of humor about politics. Some things are not funny to the doomed..."

Though he tried desperately to avoid it, Hunter S. Thompson in this book again casts himself into the pit of despair that is modern politics. It is "Fear and Loathing" all over again, but this time on the Campaign Trail '92. He was lured in partly by his hatred of Bush and the hope that he could be beaten, and partly because of his addiction to politics; the quick highs, the cheap rush that is better than sex.

Luckily for us, Hunter S. hadn't lost any of the weirdness, the paranoid edge, the rabid fervour and passion that made his "gonzo" journalism so different. He may have done a few less drugs, shot a few less typewriters, but he hadn't lost his anger. Better Than Sex is the account of a desperate man trying "to control his environment" the only way he knows how. His mission: get rid of Bush at all costs. To accomplish this, he reverses his initial support of Clinton in favour of Ross Perot's campaign after Clinton claims "he never inhaled" (a plain outrage to an admitted "inhaler" like H.S.T.) only to return to support of Clinton when he was asked to sign an undated letter of resignation for Mr. Perot, whom he later referred to as a "wretched, shit-eating little swine." It was plainly a case of wanting to vote for the "not-Bush" candidate, or, as the author puts it, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

And so in a barrage of faxes, articles, memos to editors, and intoxicated diatribes in campaign stop bars, Thompson perpetrates his war on Bush, never stopping to contemplate whether Clinton will be any better. There are some hilariously ill-advised faxes to the Vice-President of CNN, the campaign manager for Clinton, one to Hillary herself--Hunter S. is a faxaholic, and he generally just sends off the first thing that comes to mind, often faxing again later to apologize for the outrage of the previous fax. It is funny stuff, often hand-written, and all are included in their original form.

After the euphoria of the Bush loss wears off, the author is given to brooding about the times to come, even musing that the Republicans might have deliberately chosen to take Bush down so as to avoid responsibility for the death throes of the American economy which are surely to come; let Clinton take the fall for Reaganomics and have a new man ready for '96. Not very far-fetched.

But then again, Hunter S. was always a political doom-sayer. The original Fear and Loathing was that of Nixon, whose death was cause for a brutal eulogy in the last section of this book. Hunter digs him up and stomps on his corpse. The original gonzo journalism sprung out of a hatred for Nixon. On the campaign trail in '72, all he could think about was getting rid of him. Then with The Great Shark Hunt, Thompson lamented the fact that there were no Great Leaders left. Not the kind of career politicians who run for office today, but the kind of man who was elected to office by a swell of popular support, because of his strength of character, his integrity, ingenuity, and ability to lead.

So Gonzo journalism comes full circle, with an intense fear and loathing of Bush and everything he stands for, and a farewell to his old nemesis Richard Nixon. He got rid of both, and yet he still despairs for the future. The "Great Shark Hunt" continues...

"Historians do not call the final ten years of any century 'the Decadence" for no reason. It is always a doomed and dissolute time, and the end of the American Century will be no different... Generation X got off easy compared to the hideous fate of the poor bastards in Generation Z. They will be like steerage passengers on the S.S. Titanic, trapped in the watery bowels of a sinking 'unsinkable ship.'" In retrospect, those were prophetic words.
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05/05/09

D.M. rated it:

Read in April, 2009

Hunter Thompson was one of a kind. I can scarcely recall a time of my life when he was not a presence in it. His suicide was something I felt as though he were someone I'd known, and his absence is something that will last.
I don't know how I missed this book when it originally came out, and just picked it up at a charity shop for 3 quid. I have to say, that's about what it was worth.
This was all about him and his slight connection to the Bill Clinton presidential campaign. It clearly a...more

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03/19/09

Enty Quadrophenia rated it:

Read in April, 2009

A contentious Presidential race, a population weary of years of Republican domination that have left the country in the grip of a recession, the rise of a previously obscure Democrat who goes from the underdog to the poll leader and eventually to the presidency . . . and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” leading the pop charts. No, this isn’t 2008, but 1992, the year that the senior George Bush was ousted by a saxophone-playing governor from Arkansas, and the year that Hunter S....more

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02/02/09

Will rated it:

(review of isbn 0679424474)

Read in February, 2009

It has been too long, too dry, too boring, back to Gonzo...

Aptly sub-labeled "Confessions of a Political Junkie," Hunter delves into the political hysteria of the 1992 presidential race. He dives into the realms of personality and character beyond the generic banter of other reporters and news agencies.

His appeal is unsurpassed, whether you agree with him or not, you're consumed by his writing. Reality and fantasy mesh into his reality and shape his perceptions ...more

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11/08/08

fbuser549595842 added it

Read in January, 2009

oh my god..this is hysterical and picks up with the Clinton campaign in 92

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02/01/09

Alyson rated it:

(review of isbn 0679424474)

bookshelves: memoirs-essays-etc, politics

Read in February, 2009

There are no words fond enough to describe Thompson's writing. I blazed through this book, and I think anyone else would, too.

HST makes a great point about outgoing political parties leaving their problems for the next president. I wonder if he would have thought that Bush Jr. left his problems for Obama like Bush Sr. did for Clinton. I also wish he would have stayed alive long enough to see Obama elected. There will never be another political junkie like Thompson, and journalism ...more

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07/11/08

Sarah rated it:

Gosh, do I miss HST. He would have loved this politidal season.

This book, written in 1994, details (sort of) the 1992 presidential campaign, but really it serves as a larger meditation on campaign junkiedom and the looming political black hole on the horizon for the new millennium. He was so ahead of his time about so many things, but especially the ruthlessness and singular desire to win shared by Bill and Hill. If I would have read this when it came out, I probably would have dismis...more

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12/06/07

Josh rated it:

Read in January, 2004

For a books following the 1992 presidential race, this one is surprisingly righteous. Or maybe not so surprisingly so. I thought that maybe because the politics were so closely removed from the present, that it would suffer for it, but it didn't, partially because THE SAME PEOPLE ARE STILL HANGING AROUND WASHINGTON (there's a pretty f-ing brilliant pic of George II in there, sticking his tongue out at the camera), and partially because Hunter S. Thompson is hilarious - and I think always had t...more

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03/04/09

Suzy Walker added it

Read in March, 2009

The disjointed writing of HST is offset by the realness of the situations. As I was only twelve during the bush/clinton election it was interesting to see what attitudes to politics were like then and what predictions for the future of american politics were being made.

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01/29/09

Karen rated it:

Thompson always entertains me with his books, and this one is no exception. A take on the 1993 campaign trail that I had not yet heard. As usual, I actually got a few history lessons along the way.

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12/10/08

Tattered Cover Book Store added it

bookshelves: staff-recommends

recommended to Tattered Cover by: Dave E

Guest starring James Carville, Ted Turner and Richard Nixon as the
Devil, the story of the "92 (Clinton v. Bush) campaign, complete with
actual faxes.

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04/08/09

Nick rated it:

Read in March, 1998

A rather listless and, frankly, confused outing -- this was the obvious beginning of Hunter's sad end.

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03/24/07

Simone rated it:

This is an account of Hunter Thompson's time on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. I love the fact that he doesn't pull any punches ... he calls Bill Clinton the sleaziest person he's ever met and describes a bar fight between himself and James Carville (my hero) the night of the election. It's vintage Hunter S. Thompson ... I read this during an 8-hour layover in Brussels, Belgium, in 1998, which was the only thing that kept me from going insane (the Brussels airport is nothing but a white box wit...more

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01/31/09

Jasonarasim rated it:

Super funny stuff. The doctor had me laughing a lot throughout this one.

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01/27/09

Sarah Padgett added it

Lovin' HST RIP

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07/29/08

Matthew rated it:

Read in July, 2008

this book was interesting to read during the 2008 democratic primaries. it's basically about how bill clinton got elected, from the perspective of our favorite gonzo journalist. the gonzo journalism stuff gets a bit old, though. about half of the book consists of faxes and newspaper clippings that thompson sent to various people in power. the basic theme is that the politics of power is so addictive that those involved find it better than sex. i guess i'd rather have sex than read this book...more

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06/17/08

Cameron rated it:

Read in June, 2008

HST's collection of writings on the '92 presidential election, up to and including his 1994 obituary of Richard Nixon. Parts are hysterical, parts are unbearable shtick, which Thompson leaned on far too heavily in his later journalism. He's an equal opportunity hater, though, and he pillories Clinton for being a soulless, opportunistic politician, in the mold of Tricky Dick Milhaus.

A fast read.

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09/20/07

Jason rated it:

Read in January, 2000

recommends it for: Political junkies

Thompson's idiosyncratic chronicle of his time on the campaign trail covering the '92 Bush/Clinton presidential race. By far the most cohesive of the "Gonzo Papers" books, it should appeal to anyone who either is interested in the back room intrigues that occur in the midst of a political campaign and/or fans of Thompson's unique journalistic style and worldview.

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04/06/08

James rated it:

This is late-model weak tea HST, but it has a lot of relevance / counterpoint to today, as it's focused around A Bush and A Clinton. Marvel that HST thought Bush Sr. was the closest we could get to a modern Nixon! Watch in awe as he focuses his hope around a Clinton, only to be slowly disturbed at how a Clinton's campaign is run, and eventually disillusioned!

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03/10/08

Robijn rated it:

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in March, 2008

Is anything better . . .

Well, I thought it was a good time to revisit the 92 Presidential with Gonzo. Great fun in Little Rock and elsewhere. Oh what a boon it would be to have Hunter S. yapping about Hill and Obama now not to mention the tee off he would have on McCain! Pity. It is a really fun book to read, especially for poli-junkies like me. Enjoy!

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