Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

By: Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by: Ron McLarty

Length: 6 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Maverick author Hunter S. Thompson introduced the world to "gonzo journalism" with this cult classic that shot back up the best seller lists after Thompson's suicide in 2005. No book ever written has more perfectly captured the spirit of the 1960s counterculture. In Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race, Raoul Duke (Thompson) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (inspired by a friend of Thompson) are quickly diverted to search for the American dream. Their quest is fueled by nearly every drug imaginable and quickly becomes a surreal experience that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. But there is more to this hilarious tale than reckless behavior, for underneath the hallucinogenic facade is a stinging criticism of American greed and consumerism.

©1971 Hunter S. Thompson (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews

"The best book on the dope decade." (The New York Times Book Review)

Too Much Fear and Loathing

Just goes to show, you can have great ingredients, but with the wrong chef, you still don't get much of a meal. First audio book in a year that I just stopped listening to, and put on the shelf. I felt like there was a little too much Ron McLarty and he overpowered Hunter Thompson's writing. Accents we're odd and inconsistent. Just my personal taste, take it with a grain of salt.

Ron McLarty?

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Unfortunately, I think Ron McLarty's narration really missed the mark. He sounds like a stoned surfer from Malibu, rather than Hunter. Maybe my problem is I had seen Hunter speak a few times, seen documentaries, even met him once, and McLarty comes off a little too much like Jeff Spiccolli from Fast Times. If you've never seen or heard Hunter speak or read, you might really enjoy it, but for the more familiar, hardcore Gonzo fans, you might want to skip this one.

A Review

Have read this at least 20 times since high school,college, grad school. I couldn't get past the narrator's voice. It kills me to not finish a book but this one was "ejected" after 10 painful minutes.

Warning: listen to sample before spending $$$!

narrator could have respected hunter's cadence

I felt the narrator was not familiar enough with Hunter's cadence and style so parts of this were too dry

Adventure story with a history lesson

First of all, I want to bring up the narrator, who both elevates and downgrades the material. His slow, slurring speech really made me feel like I'm hearing the story from a drug-addled mind, This is fantastic for a good portion of the book, effectively pulling me into this crazy, hare-brained adventure. However, there were also portions of the book where I wished the reading was a bit more polished and composed for certain scenes, or more frenzied and frenetic during a tense, action-packed scene. It got to some points where I became completely bored by the narrator, and wanted to stop listening to this book.

But I love the writing. The descriptions of the adventure allow me to see the scenes in my head, in all their glory. I cannot praise it enough, honestly.

I love that the crazy drugged-out adventure is contrasted with the incredibly lucid narration/description. It's a frequently comedic juxtaposition.

Lastly, I like that the story kinda takes moments, particularly in the last fifth of the book, to explore drug culture and its place and time in 1971. It was rather informative, and provided context for the story, which is a personal favorite aspect of books and movies.

I personally did not connect with the two main characters, but that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying this rollercoaster ride.

I do want to say that if you're some sorta uptight fundamentalist Christian conservative, you are not going to like this book. You have to be ready for lots of Rated R material.

I laughed A LOT!!!!

Would you listen to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas again? Why?

IDK..it is really a crazy listen and it jumps around a lot...the story is non existent...but the performance is incredible!

What did you like best about this story?

All the drug abuse...lol

Have you listened to any of Ron McLarty’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, but I would...he is entertaining!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No...but I laughed and laughed!

Any additional comments?

This is not so much a story as a performance..there is a little story there..but its more a paranoid rant that is hilarious...yes I have seen the movie...and this is worth a listen...but don't take it to seriously...and if you cant find humor in severe drug abuse and partying...than don't even bother...it is well written...and performed...just crazy...I did enjoy it though!

Sharp and Still Relevant

This is a highly entertaining download. It is occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, but also is filled with searingly sharp observations of American culture. Thompson is writer of rare skill, his mastery of the craft sometimes takes your breath away, he's that good.

The book is occasionally a little disjointed (not surprising given the drug use it chronicles in great detail) and will certainly offend those who tend to very straight-laced, conservative Republican views, but it richly deserves its status as an American classic. It translates well into an audiobook format and the quality of the narration is very high. Recommended.

Gonzo Lives!

This is one of the best books I enjoyed on Audible. It is certainly not for everyone, "R" rated, but captures the essence of Gonzo journalism and Rolling Stone Magazine in the 60s and 70s. Exceptional narration.

Exaclty what you expect, and perfect narration

This is a classic. You all know what it's about (drugs). And it's exactly what you expect.

The narration is just perfect. He nails the mood of the situation and the character of Thompson.

Haha. His attorney is a really funny guy.

Fear not

Not quite sure how to describe this all-time classic, so I won’t. Suffice to say that you shouldn’t miss it! The narrator, Ron McLarty, hits the spot exactly. There’s nothing about this book that could be improved.

Much better than the clip suggests.

The quality of the recording is much better than the clip suggests.
Narration is great and of course, the book is a classic.

Roller coaster ride of drug abuse

The narration of the book helps to make the disjointed nature of the story roll along more evenly than you would expect. it is well told and the characters come alive. it is hard to believe that this book was written over forty years ago as certain aspects of the culture and lifestyle are as fresh today as they were then and nothing seems dated, it seems relevant, almost as if you could have the same wild adventure today as you could then and nothing would have changed except for the names of the politicians. All in all a solid 5/5 and highly recommended by this listener.

well the best of the fu**ing best #1

he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

Rooooooooooaaaaaaaaad Triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip....

It's all you thought and some thoughts you couldn't have without chemical assistance.



This strangely lyrical journey too and from Las Vegas was something I found I couldn't just dip in to. You have to take big slugs and then just hang on and look out... I couldn't decide whether it was a journey I wish I was brave enough to go on, or one I took and just couldn't remember.

BRILLIANT

I READ THIS BOOK AND ALSO SAW THE FILM BUT NONE OF THEM COMPARE WITH THE AUDIO BOOK. I LAUGHED SO MUCH AND REALLY ENJOYED THE PURE MADNESS. THE NARRATOR IS FABULOUS AND PORTRAYS THE EVENTS SO WELL THAT I FELT LIKE I WAS ACTUALLY THERE.

Fascinating

Wonderful and inspiring. I know what I have to do this summer. Take a suitcase and hit the road Gonzo 😉

Total classic but doesnt seem to work as an audio

For a fast paced immersion wild ride, this seems remarkably ponderous and samey. Part of the problem is there is no pacing or variety of intonation. The narrator seems bored of his material and strains to give dialogue meaning. For some reason he sounds like a WASP who was told to be more edgy but is really actually disgusted by mescaline-fuelled adventures.

Well worth the wait

After having grown up with the film this felt like a fantastic behind the scenes trip into a world that has always fascinated. Well narrated and paced!

The best

One of the most fantastic books ever written. Would recommend listening to it at X1.2 speed to get the proper feel.

Tough to get through

I know this is supposed to be a portrayal of an extended drug fuelled Road trip but I found it exhausting to listen to and didn't get more than a third of the way in. The narration is full on from the start, I felt like I was being shouted at relentlessly. Not sure the ending of the story could justify my attention so gave up.