Eben's review
Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson
by Corey Seymour
Eben's review
Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson by Corey Seymour
Eben's review
rating:
recommended for: People who REALLY like Hunter S. Thompson
This oral history was compiled from interviews with friends and family by the editorial staff at Rolling Stone, for whom Dr. Thompson wrote much of his best work. While it is nice to get a context for much of Thompson's work, the overall impression is that, while much of his work is quite good, he never lived up to his own aspirations to be his generation's Hemmingway or Fitzgerald. It is clear that his addictions to drugs and alcohol limited his writing to small fragments that he would assemble with the help of many patient editors, the result of which can be amazingly beautiful (no one can turn a phrase like Hunter Thompson), but perhaps does not live up to the promise of Hells Angels. In the end his loyalty and sense of fun made him beloved by friends and family despite his addictions, emotionally and physically abusive behavior, and fiscal irresponsibility. An honest if not always fun to read book.
