Fear and Loathing

On the Campaign Trail '72

By: Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by: Scott Sowers

Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

An iconic and controversial figure in American literature, Hunter S. Thompson displayed a brilliance that forever changed journalism. Thompson’s follow-up to The Proud Highway, this second volume of private, never-before-published letters spans the years 1968 through 1976. Addressed to such luminaries as Tom Wolfe, Kurt Vonnegut, and Jimmy Carter, this incisive collection showcases Thompson’s raw and starkly honest thoughts on a pivotal era in U.S. history.

©1973 Hunter S. Thompson (P)2012 Recorded Books

Love the book, not the performance.

Where does Fear and Loathing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love Thompson. He's my political guru and the flow of his words will always be lovely.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Scott Sowers?

Hunter S. Thompson himself. Sowers tries to imitate the cadence of Hunter's voice, and fails miserably.

Great book ruined by over-acting narrator

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I have a lot of respect for narrators, as this is a tedious process, but the narrator was so bad I've returned the last two Hunter S. Thompson books I've ordered for refunds. I don't need to say anything snarky about his performance, he simply is over-acting, trying to effect the mood of the piece, when he should simply read the book in a calm and measured way.

I FEAR that I have developed a LOATHING of the narrator.

Absolutely unbelievably bad narration. Seriously listening to this mans voice is the audiobook equivalent of watching a 240p phone recording of a movie theater screening.
On the other hand the story was written by Thompson which is why most people actually bought the book to begin with.
It’s an average audio book experience overall. While the narrator kills some of the books vibe, it still however beats the alternative of reading a book yourself. If you really want to have this story narrated to you and don’t mind a little ear cancer than I recommend it, however if you are literate than I would not.

Fierce narration and hard-hitting writing

"Frank Mankiewicz, McGovern's campaign manager, would often say in later years that the book, despite its embellishments, represented 'the least factual, most accurate account' of the election."

Fascinating Book, Irritating Narration

I read this book years ago in paperback form, and it's still an amazing look at the dark underbelly of the American electoral system. Going through it again I was reminded of what a rare time capsule it is, and a little horrified at just how much still seems to apply to politics today. It is in turns hilarious, tragic, in-the-weeds wonkish, and completely fascinating.

However -- and it's a big however -- the narration choice is like sandpaper on your ear canal. We all know what Hunter S. Thompson sounds like. I can't imagine a single fan of his work being unfamiliar with his persona, even if only portrayed by Johnny Depp. The cadences, the low tones... they always play in my head when I read his work. So why on earth did the producers have Scott Sowers read this like a cross between Dennis Hopper in "Apocalypse Now" and a crazy hippie jacked up on too much cocaine you got stuck in line next to at a Grateful Dead show circa 1973?

And how horrified was I to discover Scott Sowers narrates nearly all of Thompson's audio books! What the proverbial f***, people?! Especially when Phil Gigante does such a fantastic job recreating Thompson on the "Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone" audiobook.

I'm sure Sowers is a consummate professional who's done a great job elsewhere, but seriously, let's erase him from all of Dr. Thompson's work and see if we can convince Johnny Depp to spend a month in the audio booth re-recording everything. Or at least Phil Gigante. I'm sure he's easier to get a hold of.

The legacy Raoul Duke deserves better.

Need new narrator.

Like many have already stated the narrator of this book sounds angry. I understand this is Hunter S Thompson so, it’s almost implied already. The narrator is inconsistent in his tones and switching from each dialogue. Look at Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas movie, Hunter S Thompson had a calmer tone to his voice. Overall, it wasn’t bad and terribly hard to follow.

Disappointed at the racism and use of slurs

Dated and shockingly racist. Disappointed at the racism and use of slurs or the blatant drug use in what’s supposed to be a political history book.

Great story, terrible voice actor

Great book. The reader's voice is, however, exceedingly annoying. Whatever the opposite of euphonious is, his voice is that.

Gonzo Politics

Hunter's writing is a thing of Cynicistic Beauty & Unabashed Humor. He covers the Bullshit world of Politics with all the skepticism & frankness it deserves, Loved It!

A MUST LISTEN

One the most entertaining and informative books you can read or listen to.
Great book.
Great narration.