The listing in my library implies I read a copy of this book, but I have no recollection of it now, a dozen years later. ( )

I didn't enjoy this book. I've never found drug stories funny or entertaining in themselves. When someone is relating how incredibly drunk their friend was and describing the stupid things they did, and everyone else is falling about with laughter, I just find myself bored and wondering what I'm missing. So you took drugs and then behaved in a way consistent with the effects of those drugs? I'm sorry, but I can't see what is interesting about that.

In fact, I can't help but think of all the people who were around you while you were using drugs, or who have to clean up after you - the people who have to walk past your "hilarious" spew on their way to work, the workers who have to put up with your selfish behaviour and so on. Which is not to say that I'm anti-drugs. I use drugs recreationally and so do my friends and family - I just think it's as important to be respectful of others while using drugs as while doing any other activity. The two main characters in this book are not respectful of others while using drugs.

So, fundamentally, this book is about a couple of men being selfish, disrespectful and even actively harmful while - and this is the part I found disappointing - absolutely nothing deeper happens. Apart from scattering the phrase "American Dream" throughout the book - almost at random as far as I could tell - this book didn't even attempt to tell a deeper story. There's a bit of shallow stuff about the sixties being over, and maybe that was profound and insightful at the time this book was published, but it didn't show me anything new and it didn't seem to relate to the events in the book. It's possible to write a good book about horrible people being horrible, but it has to be better written and deeper than I found this book to be. ( )

I liked it, the movie adaptation is almost too faithful to parts of it (I saw the movie first awhile ago) so parts of it were almost too familiar. All-in-all I think I'll give reading anymore of Hunter S. Thompson's stuff a break for a while. Parts of this book were funny, poignant/apt, and interesting but it also has its share of tedious bits and I think alot of the political commentary/satire was lost on me. From what I've read of his work, these points are often scattershot throughout his work making them feel a little uneven to me. Frankly, I enjoyed Hell's Angels better but if someone would want to read this book I definitely wouldn't steer them away from it. ( )

I feel guilty for only giving this three stars as I have very fond memories of the movie and I know this is a classic, but I just finished the book and all I can say is "meh." Sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, but not often enough. I'm glad I finally read it though, and will be re-watching the movie to compare. I also plan on reading more of Thompson's work as I can see a glimmer of something bigger going on that isn't quite fully realized in this work. ( )

El delirante viaje psicotrópico de Hunter S. Thompson y su periodismo Gonzo al núcleo de esa locura de ciudad llamada Las Vegas, deriva una experiencia literaria tan seductora como repulsiva. Misteriosamente autobiográfica, Miedo y asco en Las Vegas describe las aventuras del periodista Raoul Duke al lado del abogado Dr. Gonzo, dos seres extraños y embrutecidos de cualquier cantidad de drogas, que acuden a cubrir una carrera de motocross y al mismo tiempo, una convención policial sobre narcóticos. Dentro de la América profunda, el estilo Gonzo que centra al reportero al centro de la acción, se convierte en una odisea surrealista que va hilando situaciones cada vez más alocadas y divertidas, mientras Thompson obliga a sus personajes a buscar el sueño americano hasta por debajo de las rocas, al tiempo que degustan una maleta repleta de estupefacientes duros. La novela, apunta su mira de francotirador a la ciudad del pecado como símbolo del consumismo y el exceso norteamericano, en un contexto que se retuerce entre la Guerra de Vietnam, el ocaso de la era hippie y la emergente generación beat. Con un trepidante ritmo, el autor utiliza incisivos párrafos para describir una travesía que incluye cuartos de hotel destruidos, alucinaciones, bizarros personajes y fugaces traslados en carretera, provocando en el lector la desconcertante sensación que experimentan Duke y el Dr. Gonzo: estar tan drogado que resulta imposible reaccionar. En 1998, el director Terry Gilliam adaptó la obra en una vertiginosa película que se presentó en el Festival de Cannes, protagonizada por Johnny Depp y Benicio del Toro; libro y filme, se han convertido con el paso del tiempo en piezas de culto, con seguidores que se maravillan ante un discurso plagado de anarquía, descontrol y excentricidad. Se trata de la obra más disparatada de Hunter S. Thompson, aquel escritor originario de Louisville, Kentucky, que en 2005 decidió quitarse la vida de un balazo en la cabeza. Miedo y asco en Las Vegas resulta una herencia insolente, que sigue pregonando aquella idea de William Faulkner: "la buena ficción es más realista que cualquier tipo de periodismo, y los mejores periodistas lo saben". ( )