sugarfish

I mostly read Hunter in high school... but I've read some of Generation of Swine lately, and it holds up. In high school, I read that one, The Curse of Lono, most of The Great Shark Hunt (which is a little sprawling... a lot sprawling, and has some actual straight Morley-Saefer-type journalism from his old days), a little of Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (because, as you'll see soon, presidential races are dull), and ...Las Vegas.

Funny thing about ...Las Vegas; when it came out, it made many critics' Worst Film lists... now I see it on people's Favorite Films lists on SG. I think it kinda sucked... I think it was more of a psych-drug spectacle-goofball-parade than what the book was really about-- America dying in the '70s, and/ or finding America. For my money, the best chapter that dealt with this, the most clever of the book, is left out of the film. This chapter is presented in tape-recorded-report form; Lazlo and Hunter are asking someone where America is ("we're trying to find America"), and the person mistakenly thinks they mean a bar, so they ride out the confusion as metaphor.
So, imho, the book much preferable to the film... I think I have big problems with all of Gilliam's films, really, except Munchausen is mostly flawless.

The only Hunter I know I haven't read offhand is Hell's Angels. It's fairly well-respected; once again, I think earlier in his career he was more "straight" and maybe that's why this book (about, yes, biker gangs) is respected and why I skipped it! His writings, late'60s and onward, are sorta half-journalism, half made-up-confrontation... not that he lies, but I guess he makes up fights and confrontations and plays up hostilities and politician's desperation (which might not be observed by most of us) to make for interesting readings... I think this is kinda wise, as politics are pretty boring shit... but, by HST's own admission, he is a hardcore political junkie, and he plays up characteritics of politicians, particularly those he hates.

I loved Breakfast of Champions, a bold, brave book, but yeah, Vonnegut is unhappy reading. His mirror held to humanity/ society is unforgiving.

ps - I'm pretty sure Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was written in 1971... I stand behind what I wrote above, though; it is prescient of the death of America in the '70s... which was easy enough for a journalist following it from 1968 on, with all the socio-political turbulence.

Also, I'm touched that you read a book (Rucker's) that I recommended. Not always easy to get folks to do so.