When Sports Illustrated commissioned Thompson to write a short article on the Mint 400 motorcycle race in Las Vegas, the editors had no idea what they were setting in motion. This book is the defining moment in Thompson's "gonzo journalism" style of writing. He took this style to the limit with this work, barely covering the race and instead writing a series of weird vignettes, paranoid frenzies, and brilliant political prose. If you lived through the turmoil of the Sixties or want to experience the "high and beautiful wave" and see where it broke and gave way to a generation of swine and the songs of the doomed, this is the place to start. Thompson was always a political barometer-he was the voice of truth shouting about the corrupt system. That voice, now stilled by death, is sorely missed. Ron McLarty, though not the frenzied, manic voice one would expect to hear, does an excellent job of navigating Las Vegas. Highly recommended for all libraries.-Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
What makes someone a great reader? Ask a pro. The answer lies in his new memoir of the literary life, one he depicts as a dazzling treasure hunt and exercise of our sympathies.
If you’re heading off to spring break, let’s talk about squad. Your squad isn’t just the people you happen to book tickets with, the people whose snores will keep you awake as you cram five to a bed in some regrettable hotel room, the people who will almost certainly owe you money before your adventure is […]
We tend to imagine writers falling into two camps: hard-drinking misfits who somehow translate their personal misery into beautiful works, and buttoned-up academics with glasses perched soberly on the ends of their noses. While normally stereotypes should be deprecated, in this case there’s some truth to them: there certainly have been authors in the Tolkien mold, puffing […]
Growing up is a strange experience, mainly because we assume more or less arbitrarily that certain things we enjoyed as kids must be given up once we hit adulthood. Cookies for breakfast are awesome, yet at some point, we decide we must eat grapefruit and hate life. Reading out loud was also awesome when we were kids, […]
The adage “truth is stranger than fiction” fits celebrity gossip to a T. But if you’ve ever wanted to know the real story behind the sparkly photos and salacious headlines that fill the tabloids, the closest you’ll probably get is through one of these six juicy novels. The layered depictions are so plausible you’ll feel as […]