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The Gonzo Papers #3
Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream
A collection of journalism, social commentary, short fiction and autobiography, this book is divided into sections of writing on each 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. The book begins with a furious condemnation of the US justice system and ends with the author's own version of the events that led to his extraordinary court case. "The Great Shark Hunt" and "Generation of Swine" are volumes 1 and 2, respectively, of the "Gonzo Papers".
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
169 people are currently reading
2659 people want to read
About the author
Hunter S. Thompson
113 books11k followersHunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author, widely regarded as a pioneer of New Journalism alongside Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe. He gained prominence with Hell's Angels, living among the motorcycle club to provide a first-hand account of their lives, and later wrote the unconventional article "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved," which established his signature Gonzo journalism style, in which the writer becomes central to the narrative. He is best known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, serialized in Rolling Stone, exploring the failure of the 1960s counterculture, adapted for film in 1980 and 1998. Thompson ran unsuccessfully for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, on the Freak Power ticket and became known for his intense disdain for Richard Nixon, covering George McGovern's 1972 campaign for Rolling Stone in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. His output declined in the mid-1970s due to fame and substance abuse, though he continued writing sporadically for outlets including Rolling Stone, Playboy, Esquire, and ESPN.com, with much of his work collected in The Gonzo Papers. Thompson was known for lifelong alcohol and drug use, love of firearms, and contempt for authority, often noting that such vices "worked for him." He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Virginia Davison Ray, a librarian, and Jack Robert Thompson, an insurance adjuster, and grew up in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood. After his father’s death, his mother raised him and his two brothers. An athletic youth, he co-founded the Hawks Athletic Club, attended several schools including Louisville Male High School, and became a member of the Athenaeum Literary Association, contributing to its yearbook until expelled for criminal activity. He enlisted in the Air Force, studying electronics and becoming sports editor of the Command Courier, then worked briefly for Time and local newspapers before moving to Puerto Rico to write for El Sportivo and the San Juan Star. He traveled to South America for the National Observer, then lived in Big Sur, where he worked as a caretaker and security guard and published his first magazine feature and short story. Thompson married Sandra Dawn Conklin, with whom he had a son, Juan, and continued writing, experimenting with dextroamphetamine and later cocaine. His reporting on the Hell's Angels and coverage of the 1968 Democratic National Convention shaped his political outlook. After Hell's Angels, he published for national magazines and critiqued the hippie movement, then moved to Woody Creek, Colorado, establishing his home Owl Farm. In 1970, he pioneered Gonzo journalism with his Kentucky Derby article, later collaborating with illustrator Ralph Steadman, and began writing Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, combining fiction and reportage. His coverage of the 1972 presidential campaign broke traditional boundaries of political reporting. Thompson struggled with fame and substance abuse, missing assignments such as the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, and retreated to Owl Farm, continuing to write sporadically. He produced The Gonzo Papers, contributed to The San Francisco Examiner, and published memoir Kingdom of Fear in 2003. He married Anita Bejmuk in 2003, and in 2005 took his own life at Owl Farm. Thompson’s Gonzo style blurred fiction and nonfiction, placing himself at the center of his narratives, often creating a mythic persona, Raoul Duke. His political beliefs included support for drug legalization, firearm rights, civil liberties, and skepticism of official narratives, and he engaged in advocacy through the Fourth Amendment Foundation and NORML. Posthumously, scholarships in his name support journalism students and veterans. Thompson remains a cult figure, celebrated for his audacious, immersive writing, fearless social critique, and enduring influence o
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
August 1, 2022
Three stars for Thompson fans who are completists. (All others should subtract a star or two.) If you are not already a HST fan, avoid this one completely. There are a couple of gems in here, but overall a week collection far below The Great Shark Hunt and Generation of Swine.
If you do want to read this one, DO NOT read the audiobook. Thompson himself is the reader, and he sounds like he was under the influence of several substances while reading. His mumbling, near incomprehensible performance of the material so frustrated me that I had to return to the print copy of the book to finish.
If you do want to read this one, DO NOT read the audiobook. Thompson himself is the reader, and he sounds like he was under the influence of several substances while reading. His mumbling, near incomprehensible performance of the material so frustrated me that I had to return to the print copy of the book to finish.
April 3, 2022
My third favorite of the Gonzo Papers (his collections of journalist columns for newspapers, magazines etc.). A great place to start for anyone new to HST. It's easier to digest than Las Vegas or the campaign trail as every story is short and cuts right to the good stuff.
Something fun I do with the Gonzo papers series is find an entry that's close to the time of year I am (all are dated) and read it. It's fun to see what national "issues of great importance" he's going on about. Betting on the super bowl, elections, etc.
Something fun I do with the Gonzo papers series is find an entry that's close to the time of year I am (all are dated) and read it. It's fun to see what national "issues of great importance" he's going on about. Betting on the super bowl, elections, etc.
March 18, 2016
Not a good introduction to HST if you don't already know something about his personal history and his writing. But if you're already acquainted with the good doctor, this collection is fun because it includes a little bit of everything.
July 18, 2013
In one sense, Hunter S. Thompson was a poseur. In another, he was a canny participant over a period of a half century that saw Viet Nam, the Kennedy Assassination, Rock and Roll, Nixon and Reagan, the Hell's Angels, Ed Muskie, the Mariel Boat Lift, and a failed attempt to convict him on trumped-up charges.
It's rather odd to be at the same time a participant in all this madness, and also a critical intelligence seeing all the craziness for what it was. There is a certain exhilaration to reading these letters and occasional papers:
Even though many of the pieces in Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream appear to have been cobbled together, it is fascinating to follow the development of Thompson's style of gonzo journalism, with its subtext of fear and loathing. About our times, he says, "The stomping of the rich is not a noise to be ignored in troubled times. It usually means they are feeling anxious or confused about something, and when the rich feel anxious or confused, they act like wild animals."
It's a pity that Thompson committed suicide when he did at the age of 67. I think he still had some piss and vinegar in him.
It's rather odd to be at the same time a participant in all this madness, and also a critical intelligence seeing all the craziness for what it was. There is a certain exhilaration to reading these letters and occasional papers:
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....Never have I seen such a succinct description of what the Sixties were all about.
Even though many of the pieces in Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream appear to have been cobbled together, it is fascinating to follow the development of Thompson's style of gonzo journalism, with its subtext of fear and loathing. About our times, he says, "The stomping of the rich is not a noise to be ignored in troubled times. It usually means they are feeling anxious or confused about something, and when the rich feel anxious or confused, they act like wild animals."
It's a pity that Thompson committed suicide when he did at the age of 67. I think he still had some piss and vinegar in him.
October 12, 2018
A high speed read, no soft twists and turns -- all wheel ripping maneuvers at a furious speed. Essays, letters and notes by the late GREAT Hunter S. Thompson !
May 3, 2015
I L.O.V.E Hunter and I will basically read anything written by him, but this is never going to be something I'd recommend to a friend wanting to try out Dr. Thompson. This is the third instalment in the Gonzo papers, a collection of letters, articles, and excerpts from his other books. Some you can't read elsewhere (e.g. Prince Jellyfish which to my knowledge was never published), others you can - it seems weird to publish a few chapters from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary when you can just go and read these books. I guess the reason is money, Hunter lived in the fast lane and that lane has toll gates. However, there were a few really good reads and I still lapped it up - I think these Gonzo papers are directed at HST fanatics like me, anyway.
June 5, 2017
If you are interested in American history and in political machinations then this book would be interesting. I read it only because I have been reading about the beat writers and poets and so many spoke of Hunter Thompson as being someone they admired and who influenced their writing. His writing style is definitely effective, very journalistic, and alive. I didn't finish it because I got bored. I don't often not finish books as I prefer wait to the end before I make a final decision about whether something was worth reading or not - unless its really, really badly written - which this isn't. It is simply a matter of not being my thing, but I can actually think of a number of people who probably would enjoy it - especially people I knew when I went to uni. His story fascinated me enough to make me wonder what he would say of what is happening now, 2017. His views are radical but he foresaw a lot of things. I would say definitely worth a look.
December 31, 2025
Definitely the weakest of the Thompson collections/texts that I’ve read- you can definitely see where his output and writing started to slump due to a myriad of drug related factors. I suppose my main criticism is that a fair chunk of the material is reminisces of his previous work, brilliant as it is. It feels like a lot of filler in amongst some genuinely excellent and incisive writing. He still ranks as probably my favorite writer of the 20th century.
“October in the politics business is like drowning in scum or trying to hang on through the final hour of a bastinado treatment”
“Queers who had thought New York was a pretty good deal came to San Juan and called it Valhalla”
“Two weeks on the loose in Miami can change a man’s life forever. It is the Hong Kong of the Western world. Not even the guilty feel safe in Miami these days”
“It was the kind of news that nobody wants to hear, like having your pre-marriage blood test handed back to you in a lead bag, or getting a job as the next Sheriff of Sicily”
“October in the politics business is like drowning in scum or trying to hang on through the final hour of a bastinado treatment”
“Queers who had thought New York was a pretty good deal came to San Juan and called it Valhalla”
“Two weeks on the loose in Miami can change a man’s life forever. It is the Hong Kong of the Western world. Not even the guilty feel safe in Miami these days”
“It was the kind of news that nobody wants to hear, like having your pre-marriage blood test handed back to you in a lead bag, or getting a job as the next Sheriff of Sicily”
September 11, 2020
Hunter S. Thompson was a wild, wild man. Gonzo journalism at its finest. This book is a scattered collection of his writings, so it can be read on and off. Some stories better than others. Nothing like trying mescaline for the first time two hours before hopping a plane. "The physical sensations of lifting off the ground would be unbearable in this condition." Some of the racist language is discomfiting, but his style of completely immersing himself in the mud, and the blood, and the beer gives a perspective unlike any other, if only for the controversy of it all. If he were alive today, his commentary on Nixon and Bush Sr. would surely pale in vitriol to what he would say about Trump.
December 28, 2021
"Nobody seems to know what my crimes are. The charges are vague, but. . . I am actually on trial for Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll." - HST (Prince of Gonzo Journalism)
It is the structured lunacy of Hunter that makes his writing so addictive and FAST. But there are only two types of HST fans: those who follow him for his drug fuelled antics, or those who seriously appreciate his hindsight into America's fragmented social ruin.
It is the structured lunacy of Hunter that makes his writing so addictive and FAST. But there are only two types of HST fans: those who follow him for his drug fuelled antics, or those who seriously appreciate his hindsight into America's fragmented social ruin.
Read
November 10, 2025A very wild, rambling and hunteresque piece of writing by the man himself, Hunter S. Thompson. Loving and hating America as one should as that's what it is: the best and the worst place in the world, the world police and a beacon of darkness, forcing ourselves to become the worst versions of ourselves. Very atmospheric, wild yet analytical, obviously dated but also at the same time very timely and timeless in its heart.
January 15, 2012
Thompson writes in a letter to Ralph Steadman,"I was not eager to publish a lightweight collection of half-connected vignettes that would have left me wide open for a savage beating from the critics." Cut to a decade later, and the man couldn't have seemed eager enough. This was my first - and will be my last - foray into Thompson.
Songs of the Doomed was shrugged off by Thompson himself. He called it "left-handed," a slur he applied to bad writing throughout the forty years of ramblings collected in this book. It was put out of its misery and laid to a limbo of "out-of-print" status until it was tragically resurrected by the ever-so-toxic "Popular Demand."
Thompson also writes, "I picked up the torch dropped by Kerouac." That's quite possibly true. Thing is, Kerouac is awful, and equally in desperate need of an editor. I'm not sure about Kerouac's sociopathy or pathological lying, but On the Road and Atlas Shrugged are the only two books I despised too much to finish.
The only saving grace is that Songs of the Doomed gives a nice Cliffs-Notes to Thompson's life; you get a decent picture of his involvement on the '72 campaign trail, on his dickings with Ken Kesey and the Hell's Angels, and the rumor he invented about Muskie. It's nice for a summation in that regard; it's enough of a crash course, but it gets so sickeningly repetitive that the notion of finishing the book fills one with contempt. The outrageous narratives become bland and monotonous; the political "astuteness" becomes more transparently the incoherent and off-base ramblings of a drugged, paranoid, violent brute. That he hardly evolves as a writer through those forty years is also a shame; either he worsens as a writer, worsens as a person, or it just becomes more painfully clear how unlikable he is in general. I am past the point where I can romanticize drug use, counter-cultural panic, and deeply misinformed knee-jerk cynicism as something life-changing or perspective-altering. And the sad part is, I'm not even that old or smart. I'm twenty-four. Why do I feel too old to be convinced by this crap? Because maybe he's just that juvenile.
The book has funny parts - mostly borne out of his sheer insanity and criminal predisposition - but they are overshadowed by lots and lots of obnoxious dreck and political punditry so hyperbolic it makes Limbaugh look timid. Drugs are bad, m'kay? If you end up taking Thompson's "wisdom" at face value - a notion that could keep me awake at night - you may just be lucky enough to shoot yourself in the face. Have fun with that, Doc.
Songs of the Doomed was shrugged off by Thompson himself. He called it "left-handed," a slur he applied to bad writing throughout the forty years of ramblings collected in this book. It was put out of its misery and laid to a limbo of "out-of-print" status until it was tragically resurrected by the ever-so-toxic "Popular Demand."
Thompson also writes, "I picked up the torch dropped by Kerouac." That's quite possibly true. Thing is, Kerouac is awful, and equally in desperate need of an editor. I'm not sure about Kerouac's sociopathy or pathological lying, but On the Road and Atlas Shrugged are the only two books I despised too much to finish.
The only saving grace is that Songs of the Doomed gives a nice Cliffs-Notes to Thompson's life; you get a decent picture of his involvement on the '72 campaign trail, on his dickings with Ken Kesey and the Hell's Angels, and the rumor he invented about Muskie. It's nice for a summation in that regard; it's enough of a crash course, but it gets so sickeningly repetitive that the notion of finishing the book fills one with contempt. The outrageous narratives become bland and monotonous; the political "astuteness" becomes more transparently the incoherent and off-base ramblings of a drugged, paranoid, violent brute. That he hardly evolves as a writer through those forty years is also a shame; either he worsens as a writer, worsens as a person, or it just becomes more painfully clear how unlikable he is in general. I am past the point where I can romanticize drug use, counter-cultural panic, and deeply misinformed knee-jerk cynicism as something life-changing or perspective-altering. And the sad part is, I'm not even that old or smart. I'm twenty-four. Why do I feel too old to be convinced by this crap? Because maybe he's just that juvenile.
The book has funny parts - mostly borne out of his sheer insanity and criminal predisposition - but they are overshadowed by lots and lots of obnoxious dreck and political punditry so hyperbolic it makes Limbaugh look timid. Drugs are bad, m'kay? If you end up taking Thompson's "wisdom" at face value - a notion that could keep me awake at night - you may just be lucky enough to shoot yourself in the face. Have fun with that, Doc.
March 10, 2013
Having never read Hunter S. Thompson before, I was told that this book, a collection of previous works (some published and, seemingly, some not) would be a good start. In many ways, it was. In reading this, I was introduced to the background and backdrop to many of his many popular novels, like "The Rum Diary," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and "Hell's Angels."
Even more important than reading about the background to these popular novels, I enjoyed getting to experience the evolution of his quite unique writing style, and to marvel at the amazing moments in history that Thompson found himself in; Vietnam after the war ended; Miami during the Cuban exodus; on the trail covering Nixon for Rolling Stone; Puerto Rico in its popularity boom. Because I am new to Gonzo, I don't quite know when he is serious and when he is deliberately over the top; I don't want to be caught telling a story about him that he made up. I suppose that's part of the excitement and frustration of reading Hunter S. Thompson, decoding the mystery of fact vs. fiction. Maybe that's the point of reading him.
All this said, there are real gems hidden in the pages of this collection; most of my favorite involve his views on politics, his novels, and Colorado. It is bogged down occasionally by personal letters, rants that have no real argument or point, and discussion of law.
Those looking for his opinion on "The Death of the American Dream" will be disappointed, as he never explicitly has an essay that states all of his grievances. It is up to you, dear reader, to find his thoughts on this throughout all of the essays collected here. I do believe I will his other two volumes of "The Gonzo Papers" to understand better than complicated and unique writer.
Even more important than reading about the background to these popular novels, I enjoyed getting to experience the evolution of his quite unique writing style, and to marvel at the amazing moments in history that Thompson found himself in; Vietnam after the war ended; Miami during the Cuban exodus; on the trail covering Nixon for Rolling Stone; Puerto Rico in its popularity boom. Because I am new to Gonzo, I don't quite know when he is serious and when he is deliberately over the top; I don't want to be caught telling a story about him that he made up. I suppose that's part of the excitement and frustration of reading Hunter S. Thompson, decoding the mystery of fact vs. fiction. Maybe that's the point of reading him.
All this said, there are real gems hidden in the pages of this collection; most of my favorite involve his views on politics, his novels, and Colorado. It is bogged down occasionally by personal letters, rants that have no real argument or point, and discussion of law.
Those looking for his opinion on "The Death of the American Dream" will be disappointed, as he never explicitly has an essay that states all of his grievances. It is up to you, dear reader, to find his thoughts on this throughout all of the essays collected here. I do believe I will his other two volumes of "The Gonzo Papers" to understand better than complicated and unique writer.
April 20, 2021
More mediocre, manic days in the post-success life of a freewheeling icon. The collection here is stronger than Generation of Swine, but even then it still struggles to compile anything of clear or amazing interest. Even the touches of publicity Hunter S. Thompson found for himself during the 80s and 90s are of little interest. A bookend to this barebones collection is the court case that ran through the 1990s, and while we cannot expect commentary on such an event from the man himself, we should be allowed more than snippets of other news stories and one or two letters.
The tone of this piece feels similar to that of an autobiography. Haphazard flashbacks to the days gone by, where Thompson is piecing together what he can remember of his defining moments and work. They are interesting but peter out towards the end. So did the man himself.
The tone of this piece feels similar to that of an autobiography. Haphazard flashbacks to the days gone by, where Thompson is piecing together what he can remember of his defining moments and work. They are interesting but peter out towards the end. So did the man himself.
April 17, 2018
Hey, it's Doctor Thompson. It starts unevenly with some fairly incomprehensible meandering thoughts from his unpublished Jellyfish and Rum Diaries. But when he gets to politics and news, he's just about the best. His thoughts as a reporter in Saigon at the end of the war, his musings with a parolee in a library at night, his coverage of Rozanne Pulitzer divorce trial and observations of the wealthy of Palm Beach, Florida and his musings on the 1972 presidential race are brilliant and show Thompson at the top of his game. It is worth slogging through the early fiction for the gems later on. And dedicating the book to the wonderful Rosalie Sorrels who died less than a year go, why that would bring a tear to anyone who ever heard her.
August 7, 2022
Multiple drug fueled, polotical, violent & adventure stories from Hunter S. Thompson from the 50s to the 90s. Really funny views and thoughts are found throughout these personal stories. Probably one of the greatest journalist of all time, created a style of journalism that is actually entising and entertaining. Written in a way where it's easy to understand the political, social and cultural environments of these specific decades but in 1st person perspective. All around great collection of life experiences from a guy who truly doesn't give a single fuck. Really easy to read as stories are divided in small chapterd from 1 to 25 pages. Loved it.
Reading level : Intermediate
Pages : 311
Chapters (decades - 50s to 90s) : 5
8,3/10
🧾
Reading level : Intermediate
Pages : 311
Chapters (decades - 50s to 90s) : 5
8,3/10
🧾
December 18, 2013
An enjoyable romp into the world of Gonzo Journalism. Once again, I am saddened by realizing that America's last great political writer is no longer with us. At least his work remains; this volume features articles from throughout his career, but concentrates on the Bush presidency. The final section elaborates on a series of trumped up charges that had been brought against Dr. Thompson by an overzealous prosecutor; unlike Lenny Bruce, he came out of it with himself still intact.
As much of a must read for any American as Common Sense.
As much of a must read for any American as Common Sense.
February 24, 2015
Man can I relate with Dr. Thompson. He's hammered by the Criminal Justice System, as in nine felonies and three misdemeanor charges. Really, the System, the game is played against him in all its sanctimonious style. All the holier than thou types bantering in public about Thompson facing 16 years! The media has a field day selling stories. Then he stood up up and prevailed. I would argue his actions benefited us all. The brilliant and outrageous writing style doesn't hurt either. I was so excited I hit for Colorado and met some who knew him and then I followed his footsteps across the west.
March 18, 2013
The Gonzo Papers have lose themes by definition, but I've always been the most fond of Songs Of The Doomed. We get Thompson's usual brilliant essays and letters mixed in with fanastic short stories like Let The Trials Begin and excerpts from novels such as Prince Jellyfish, an almost Salinger-esque tale of lost youth and social anxiety. It's consistent, and as disgustingly beautiful as the rest of Thompson's work.
August 8, 2008
Song's of the Doomed takes the reader through various parts of Hunter's life. From the 99 day trial to his time in San Juan when he was 22, this book kept me up through the wee hours of the night whenever I cracked it open. A crazed fueled amalgamation of craziness and world views the way only Hunter could tell it.
April 23, 2018
This book offered a far deeper look into the mind and soul of HST beyond his Fear and Loathing inspired reputation. This selection of gonzo works includes bites from Curse of Lono and The Rum Diary which I ended up seeking out. I thought they were wonderful so I could say this book kept giving even beyond reading it.
October 22, 2020
The book starts with biographical pieces and reprints from different works of the past. Split up by decades (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and the early 90s), this was a good sampling of Thompson's works and came with original commentary. There were several original pieces and delivered on Thompson's gonzo style rhetoric. All in all, a decent addition to the Hunter S. Thompson collection with a good amount of material from the 1980s. The Pulitzer divorce trial, to capers of pig heads, and opinions offered on the Reagan/Bush I regimes. At the end of the book, Thompson finds himself in a first-person role not of his choosing when felonies are thrown at him by an ever right-leaning American justice system. If you're an HST fan, you must add this to your list. And again, he at times seems a bit prophetic in times to come.
"The servant problem is the Achilles' heel of the rich. The only solution is robots, but we are still a generation or so away from that, and in the meantime it is just about impossible to hire a maid who is smart enough to make a bed but too dumb to wonder why it is full of naked people every morning. The gardener will not be comfortable with the sight of rope ladders hanging from the master-bedroom windows when he mows the lawn at noon, and any chauffer with the brains to work a stick shift on a Rolls will also understand what's happening when you send him across the bridge to a goat farm in Loxahatchee for a paid of mature billies and a pound of animal stimulant...
...Look at the servants. They have warts and fat ankles. Their children are too dumb to learn and to mean to live, and there is no sense of family continuity. There is a lot more to breeding than teaching children good table manners, and a lot more to being rich than just spending money and wearing alligator shirts. The real difference between the Rich and the Others is not just that "they have more money," as Hemingway noted, but that money is not a governing factor in their lives, as it is with people who work for a living. The truly rich are born free, like dolphins; they will never feel hungry, and their credit will never be questioned. Their daughters will be debutantes and their sons will go to prep schools, and if cousins are junkies and lesbians, so what? The breeding of humans is still an imperfect art, even with all the advantages.
Where are the Aryan thoroughbred that Hitler bred so carefully in the early days of the Third Reich? Where are the best and brightest children of Bel Air and Palm Beach?
These are awkward questions in some circles, and the answers can be disturbing. Why do the finest flowers of the American Dream so often turn up in asylums, divorce courts, and other gray hallways of the living doomed? What is it about being born free and rich beyond worry that makes people crazy?"
4/5
"The servant problem is the Achilles' heel of the rich. The only solution is robots, but we are still a generation or so away from that, and in the meantime it is just about impossible to hire a maid who is smart enough to make a bed but too dumb to wonder why it is full of naked people every morning. The gardener will not be comfortable with the sight of rope ladders hanging from the master-bedroom windows when he mows the lawn at noon, and any chauffer with the brains to work a stick shift on a Rolls will also understand what's happening when you send him across the bridge to a goat farm in Loxahatchee for a paid of mature billies and a pound of animal stimulant...
...Look at the servants. They have warts and fat ankles. Their children are too dumb to learn and to mean to live, and there is no sense of family continuity. There is a lot more to breeding than teaching children good table manners, and a lot more to being rich than just spending money and wearing alligator shirts. The real difference between the Rich and the Others is not just that "they have more money," as Hemingway noted, but that money is not a governing factor in their lives, as it is with people who work for a living. The truly rich are born free, like dolphins; they will never feel hungry, and their credit will never be questioned. Their daughters will be debutantes and their sons will go to prep schools, and if cousins are junkies and lesbians, so what? The breeding of humans is still an imperfect art, even with all the advantages.
Where are the Aryan thoroughbred that Hitler bred so carefully in the early days of the Third Reich? Where are the best and brightest children of Bel Air and Palm Beach?
These are awkward questions in some circles, and the answers can be disturbing. Why do the finest flowers of the American Dream so often turn up in asylums, divorce courts, and other gray hallways of the living doomed? What is it about being born free and rich beyond worry that makes people crazy?"
4/5
March 21, 2024
I have read every Hunter S Thompson book except for one. One more to go. This was the second to last HST book that I have read.
After reading this, this much better than his book about Bill Clinton. I forget which one that was, but that book was horrible. Songs of the Doomed is a good read. Here are some pros and cons to it.
Pros:
Although there is a lot of rehashed stories, there are some good bits of writing in here that I haven't seen before.
Hilarious HST stories, there are many stories that have not been printed before.
I appreciated the 20 page excerpt of Prince Jellyfish, the unreleased HST novel.
CONS:
Lots of re hashed and re packaged stories from other publications and books. Half of this book I already read in other books written by Hunter.
I can't stand HST political writing. Not because he was a democrat, but it's just too long winded and rambling on about Nixon OK WE GET IT.
All of his political writing is no long relevant due to the age of the writings. Often the political characters he writes about are insignificant ones that no one remembers now.
This isn't really a CON, but I am realizing that at age 41, I am starting to grow out of HST writing. It doesn't have the same edge anymore like it did when I was younger.
Do not make this your first HST book to read. I would give it a 3.5 star review if I could. Regardless of my review, I really appreciate Hunter's writing. It's too bad he wasn't able to write more real novels, he was a fantastic and under-rated writer.
After reading this, this much better than his book about Bill Clinton. I forget which one that was, but that book was horrible. Songs of the Doomed is a good read. Here are some pros and cons to it.
Pros:
Although there is a lot of rehashed stories, there are some good bits of writing in here that I haven't seen before.
Hilarious HST stories, there are many stories that have not been printed before.
I appreciated the 20 page excerpt of Prince Jellyfish, the unreleased HST novel.
CONS:
Lots of re hashed and re packaged stories from other publications and books. Half of this book I already read in other books written by Hunter.
I can't stand HST political writing. Not because he was a democrat, but it's just too long winded and rambling on about Nixon OK WE GET IT.
All of his political writing is no long relevant due to the age of the writings. Often the political characters he writes about are insignificant ones that no one remembers now.
This isn't really a CON, but I am realizing that at age 41, I am starting to grow out of HST writing. It doesn't have the same edge anymore like it did when I was younger.
Do not make this your first HST book to read. I would give it a 3.5 star review if I could. Regardless of my review, I really appreciate Hunter's writing. It's too bad he wasn't able to write more real novels, he was a fantastic and under-rated writer.
August 27, 2017
basically a collection of odds and ends, abandoning the chronological approach to the other two gonzo papers volumes and giving a broader view with various recollections of the time period written by Thompson in the early 1990s. while the great shark hunt and generation swine was almost exclusively journalism, this book includes excerpts from thompson's fiction, including his abandoned first novel Prince Jellyfish, and the to-be-published much later The Rum Diary. At his best, Thompson could be a powerful writer with a truly original voice - one of a kind in content, concept, and construct. But if you pile enough of it up back to back by the time you get to the third volume it starts to repeat itself. There is value in that this sort of repetition helps you really get to know the man, like rolling your eyes at a friend who has told the same story a hundred and fifty times. But you have to really want to be friends with that person for it to be worth it.
August 5, 2025
Basically Hunter Thompson's Greatest Hits 1950-1990. Articles, letters and excerpts from books provide a thorough overview of his work.
Thompson always referred to himself jokingly as a Doctor of Journalism, even though he held no degree of any kind. Many of these articles back him up as he covered a myriad of events, including the fall of Saigon and the Mariel Boat Lift. The boat lift story really crystallizes what Gonzo Journalism (his creation) was all about. His story is obviously largely fictional but it stems from a kernel of truth He makes up an outrageous story out of that kernel and with it captures the true essence of the chaos of that event.
Conventional wisdom has it that Thompson succumbed to his own success, becoming a caricature of himself in the 80's and 90's with his writing going downhill. He addresses this, explaining that serious journalism is a lot of hard work. Why not take easy/unique assignments that pay better money. I can't argue with that.
Thompson always referred to himself jokingly as a Doctor of Journalism, even though he held no degree of any kind. Many of these articles back him up as he covered a myriad of events, including the fall of Saigon and the Mariel Boat Lift. The boat lift story really crystallizes what Gonzo Journalism (his creation) was all about. His story is obviously largely fictional but it stems from a kernel of truth He makes up an outrageous story out of that kernel and with it captures the true essence of the chaos of that event.
Conventional wisdom has it that Thompson succumbed to his own success, becoming a caricature of himself in the 80's and 90's with his writing going downhill. He addresses this, explaining that serious journalism is a lot of hard work. Why not take easy/unique assignments that pay better money. I can't argue with that.
April 14, 2022
In Jr. High and High School, I thought the style of Thompson's writing and the topics he explored were edgy, and who doesn't want to be edgy when they're in High School? Of course, at the time I'd only read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, and The Curse of Lono.
Now, however, I just can't find the kind of admiration I had for the man in my youth. He never seems to have an epiphany, to see anything new, to grow in a significant way - he only moans on about all the people who aren't him - how dare they! The Doomed, Screwheads, Nixon...over and over again. Perhaps that is why I find Charles Bukowski entertaining. Bukowski feels like a kindred spirit to Thompson, but, one much less two-dimensional.
Anyway, I finished this book. And I think I've dabbled sufficiently in the world of HST...
Now, however, I just can't find the kind of admiration I had for the man in my youth. He never seems to have an epiphany, to see anything new, to grow in a significant way - he only moans on about all the people who aren't him - how dare they! The Doomed, Screwheads, Nixon...over and over again. Perhaps that is why I find Charles Bukowski entertaining. Bukowski feels like a kindred spirit to Thompson, but, one much less two-dimensional.
Anyway, I finished this book. And I think I've dabbled sufficiently in the world of HST...
February 23, 2025
At first it was like oh okay this is definitely in more depth than Generation of Swine but then it starts to go the other way because it's more reflexive than previous outings. And you realise that Hunter operates best in that thin line between fact and fiction so this does shatter the myths a bit. Generation of Swine has much shorter pieces of lower quality but it's still a brilliant book because of how much it evokes it's coke fuelled times. Theres an immediacy that can outweigh reflection. Accuracy isn't the point with Hunter it's the overall feel of the times. Probably best to take this one as more Hunter than Raoul Duke. Interesting in terms of getting you closer to the real man and understanding him alongside the myth. Either way I appreciate a good Hunter story. True or false.
November 7, 2019
Thompson is a deranged, drug fueled lunatic who eventually had committed suicide. Im on the fence as to whether or not one should begin with Thompson with The Gonzo Papers of which there are three volumes- it may appeal to those who wish to learn the backstory of factual events rather than picking through the bits of Gonzoism attempting to decipher fact from fiction in works like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Rum Diaries, The Great Shark Hunt and so forth.
April 22, 2020
One of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century is that Hunter Thompson is no longer here to skewer the trite, insincere, and outright corrupt nature of every side of the American political divide, not to mention the broken, disgusting culture that spawned our lazy, self-aggrandizing political class of narcissistic citizens who keep empowering these blowhards. He is in his prime in Songs of the Doomed, and the world lost its purest, rhetoric-shattering critic with Thompson's death.
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