Book Review: The Rum Diary

The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

‘What passed for society was a loud, giddy whirl of thieves and pretentious hustlers, a dull sideshow full of quacks and clowns and philistines with gimp mentalities.’ Wow. The Rum Diary, at least to me, is a coming of age story. The loss of a certain innocence. There is no denying that Paul Kemp is a semi-autobiographical portrait of a 22 year old Hunter S. The reader can tell that Hunter S. Thompson, only a young adult when he wrote the story, was extensively afraid of falling out of touch in his later years. If you are a confused young adult searching for some company this story is for you. The narrator, Paul Kemp, is critical of society only in a way that youth can be. He hasn’t bought in and he’s not sure that he ever will. The fact that this novel was initially rejected by several publishers just adds to the applicability of its theme. The younger generation trying to make sense of the dark points of society while still maintaining enthusiasm and spirit. If you are currently ‘stuck’ in a job that you don’t like be wary of The Rum Diary you may find yourself quoting it in your letter of resignation. Please check out my first published work








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