Title: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Artist: Hunter S. Thompson

by Caitlin Flynn

"The sporting editors had also given me $300 in cash, most of which was already spent on extremely dangerous drugs. The trunk of the car looked like a mobile police narcotics lab. We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers…and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls"

As the drugs kick in, and the red Chevy convertible hits the road Hunter S. Thompson takes you on one of the craziest trips of your life…All in search for the American Dream.

Thompson's use of details allows for an interesting escape from reality: where the realms of amphetamine psychosis, sleep deprivation, and pure, whole hearted fun slowly become one entity. Written in Thompson's characteristic Gonzo style, the reader is enabled to feel and relate to the story and the characters as if they themselves are experiencing the actions in the book.

Fear and Loathing is a great read if you're looking for something a little out there. It will make you think, and it will make you laugh. Not to mention Ralph Steadman's art work…which is as much a trip as the reading. Check it out, I guarantee you won't regret it.

Also, if you have read Fear and Loathing and are looking for some other stories by Thompson check out: Hell's Angels, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72, The Great Shark Hunt, The Curse of Lono, and Generation of Swine.

And remember: as the search continues, the American Dream is nothing more than a snort, toke, and a trip away…