Saturday 26 July 2014

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. 

This novel may not be for everyone, but at least we know in the opening line what it is going to be about. In this line there is setting and conflict and I think it works quite nicely in conjunction with the title.

The rest of the opening paragraph:

I remember saying something like 'I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive . . .' And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming, 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'

Whoever the narrator is, he is with his attorney who is pouring beer on his chest to help get a tan, and obviously the attorney did not see or hear the giant bats. This opening page not only establishes the premise but also reveals something of the characters and perhaps most importantly, the tone of the the novel.

Verdict: Cool

Sincerely,
Rudy Globird

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