The rum diary novel pdf

It also has. This volume contains a variety of essays about Florida literature and history by scholars from across the state representing every kind of institution of higher learning, from community colleges to small liberal arts institutions to large universities. A decade after Hunter S. Though Thompson and his work engendered a significant—even rabid—.

Here, for the first time, is the private and most intimate correspondence of one of America's most influential and incisive journalists--Hunter S. Passionate in. Books Rum Diary. Author : Hunter S. Author : John T. HST's character meets a woman and has sex with her on the beach. It struck me as a bit too "penthouse forum" and immature. But I kept reading and I am very glad that I did. HST was young when he originally wrote this book, only in his early twenties. With that in mind, the writing style, sensitivity to detail, and compelling storytelling are quite amazing!

I got lost in this book, and at times I could even smell the Rum! I am a completely different person than I was when I originally read it, but the story and the writing hold up. I believe that the same can, and will be said of The Rum Diary. It was a good book and I recommend reading this and skipping the movie. The story flowed really well and there was no hidden plot, it was a Diary, a journal, a collection of thoughts and events from one writers perspective working for a news paper.

Completely fiction, filled with great characters, interesting events and generally good writing overall. To be honest, this book isn't nearly as entertaining as HST's other works. The first chapter starts off good with a humorous account of the main character's run in with a fellow airline passenger. Right away I knew that this was going to be classic Hunter S. Sadly, that was the first and last time I chuckled while reading this book.

True, he was only twenty-two when he wrote this, but it seems that he was either too drunk or too afraid to take any chances with the story. The characters are two-dimensional at best.

Paul Kemp, the man whose eyes we peer through for the duration of the novel, is the least developed character.

The novel flows at a languid pace and often appears to be monotonous in tone. Nonetheless it is an engaging read that should appeal to a larger audience than his other books. To me the ironic thing is, had he not been consumed by alcohol and narcotics, he could have gone on to be one of the greats. As it stands he is a legendary counter-culture journalist who is more famous for his addictions than his writings. Kids my age--in their early to mid twenties--read HST because of the drug laden content; because it's "cool".

Which is all the wrong reasons to read. I fell in love with HST's works when I was a teenager--and when I subscribed to the lifestlye that he describes--and although I appreciate his work now, his prose is absolutely remarkable, I can't help to wonder what could have been. As I said it's a respectable first novel, one that could entertain his fans as well as fans of Hemingway or Kerouac, but it's no masterpiece.

I would recommend this novel so one could further understand how a talented writer ends up where he is. Or if you're just looking for a solid read that isn't knee deep in artistic integrity or bourgeois sentamentality, then pick this up today.

Admittedly, I am not much of a reader. It takes me months to finish anything. Unfortunately, I am like many of you, who first heard of Hunter S. Thompson through moving pictures. But that gives me the candid, average view of mister Raul Duke. This book took me 4 days to read. I couldn't put it down. I thought most people who said that were a trying to impress the pretty girl accross the hall.

Not so. Thompson captures the spirit of the moment. As drab, as awful as it was, he grabbed hold and made it his own. Character development is an art that Thompson has nailed to the wall.

The personalities of these individuals come through naturally, and easily, while the story isn't hindered. I have tried reading a few Earnest Hemmingway novels, and strangely, I see parody. It's a story of travel. They both can't paint the picture because they were there. Thompson's approach is much more entertaining, yet seems more severe. Quirky phrases catch your attention and grab hold.

I think the pacing of this book does a lot for the readability. It's feverish, but friendly. I hesitated giving 5 stars for this book, only because, as I said, I am not much of a reader, so I can't compare it to much.

I will say this, I will be reading more books by Hunter S. This is the "lost novel" by Hunter S. Thompson, a book that he started writing in to make a quick buck. He struggled all through the sixties to get this thing rewritten and published, but because of its quality and Thompson's legendary shakedowns with agents, publishers, and contracts, it died on the vine - until a few years ago. This quasi-fictional account of a New York reporter drifting into a job at the San Juan Daily News is somewhat based on Thompson's experience on the Carribean island in the late Trying to put Puerto Rico on the literary map like Hemingway did for Paris, he spells out a story of corruption, boredom, and alcohol in a more simple San Juan, before the big booms of the travel booms and technology of the sixties.

Paul Kemp, the fictional narrator, describes the coworkers, women, natives, and insane government, riddled with syndicates and kickbacks. It's not bad stuff, and I wonder if it recently went through heavy rewrites, or if there just wasn't a market for it back in the sixties.

Either way, it's a light, fast read at just over pages, and made me wonder if Thompson's other unpublished work would be as satisfying in a trade hardcover.

Maybe someday? We've all been rooting for Thompson to finish what he has called his "failed novel. The characters are pretty one-dimensional caricatures, based loosely on a bunch of real-life ink-stained wretches it wasn't hard to spot William Kennedy's ghost.

There doesn't seem to be any plot to the thing, just a series of mildly rattling incidents amongst some filthy scribes well, STOP the presses for THAT one, Jack , nothing like the sort of Truly Alarming Thing that pops up every paragraph in the Vegas or campaign books. Thompson does demonstrate a keen, clear eye for color and description.

But the narrative and dialogue are hokey and contrived, much like one of those newspaper films out of the s. The endless scenes in the bar are tiresome. Still, any Thompson is better than no Thompson. It was overall a pleasant read. This was a breath of fresh air compared to Better Than Sex, possibly his worst work ever.

Thompson ought to move to an island for his next book, rather than continue to soak up the clammy, cynical clime of Aspen. Anyway, I felt the book was amazing! The story sucked me right in and had a sense of fantasy and bitter reality all in one. It's also humorous and biting in sarcasm, a great read. It's made me a new die-hard Hunter fan, I've read several books of his since. That pretty much says it all. Before I decided to read any of Thompson's Journalistic books, I thought I'd see how he produced fiction, and I'd have to say I loved it.

Thompson's writing is so smooth and readable. Even though the book is short there is alot of good character development, and interesting plot twists. I just love reading about drunks, and the trouble drinking gets them into. I give it a recommendation to anyone who is interested in seeing what trouble american journalists can get into when drinking rum, eating cheap food, and writing for a crappy newspaper in a place not so familiar.

Mostly a very flippant, merry tale that could have been better - or much worse. It did not elicit strong opinions in me either way, in regard to style or substance. The story is very post-modern, a little beat and, yes, quite drunken in parts. The form is distractingly lazy and light. If there is a charm or allure of this book, it would stem almost absolutely from Hunter S.

Thompson's later fame and cult status and the romantic idea that "The Rum Diary" represents some kind of "lost" work. Those are interesting angles, but this novel is not strong enough to merit loud praise where literature and storytelling are concerned.

Read this while on vacation in Puerto Rico. This was my treasured time - at night while the wife and kids were asleep, I read a few chapters with a local rum and a cigar.

All I needed was some debauchery and violence to complete the picture. The story itself did run on towards the end, but overall it was very enjoyable. Inspired by the book, I tried watching "Fear and lathing in LV" There are those of us who decide to live our lives in the safe plastic bubble of capitalism. There are others who yearn for adventure and appease their desires by living vicariously. And then, there is a select group of unwavering countrymen who make their way in the world by unleashing whatever forces they may deem necessary.

They have merit, and Hunter S. Thompson holds rank. The Rum Diary is novel that delivers this message. We travel with Thompson in Puerto Rica through the midst of dangerous beauty and bile heaving scoundrels. This is Thompson's first novel, from what I understand, and is a true work of art. Once again, he takes us into a world we hardly know and comes back with the story. And, what a story it is. Thompson makes you feel. There is a disturbing section near the end of the book that I continued to go over in my head as I stared out blankly onto the city street.

Thank you Hunter. I recommend this book only to those who are Hunter S. Thompson fans and have already read his other books first. I found much of the Rum Diary to be too slow; however Thompson's brilliant literacy was able to keep up my interest throughout the sluggish parts. Overall, this book is good and worthy of reading, but only if you have already read some of his better works first, i.

Thompson is just such an amazing, kooky writer. He brings such a cool voice to everything he touches. My only complaint was that after reading Fear and Loathing, this book just wasn't wacky enough for me. Paul Kemp, a New York journalist leads you through the twists and turns of a time when a corrupt goverment and ignorant tourists ran rampant throughout San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Hunter's first novel displays a knack for the uncanny and unheard of style of writing only destined to be gonzo.

Although his trademark style of writing is not yet developed in this book, this relatively short pg book still grips you by the innards and forces you to read on. Strangely enough, the narrator and main character, Paul Kemp reminds you a lot of Hunter and leads you to believe you are reading a non-fiction account of his days spent in sunny San Juan until you look on the binding and realize that it is indeed a novel.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a brief yet illustrious getaway into the depths of the caribbean underworld. So I have been a Hunter S. Thompson fan for about years, and when they finally published this novel I did not hear about it.

I recently picked it up when I heard about the movie and it was worth the wait. Excellent story, just a lot of fun, this is pre-drug era stuff! I spent more than a few muggy Oklahoma nights on the back porch with this novel and a beer, getting transported down to ole San Juan.

The book really has a cadence and rhythm that just floats you through it. I don't know what I was expecting, but this book is nothing like Fear and Loathing. I think it shows off another side of HST as a honest to God writer.

A side more people should see. The story is romantic, gritty, desperate and nomadic. Worth a read. Building on the success of his previous and more popular novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson once again depicts the life of a gonzo journalist in all its neurotic glory.

Building on his own experiences as a journalist, Thompson is able to give a real-life feel to this novel. He puts to paper the stripped-down, stark-naked definition of his profession, and what the reader finds may be quite surprising.

The book delves deep into the heart of journalism, exploiting its fallacies, corruption and the midguided mindsets of those who carry a press pass.

The tale is that of Kemp's lust for alcohol, women, and the latest scoop; and is set among Puerto Rico's 's civil unrest and discord. Thompson's strong points in this novel include descriptive language, inherent to his previous writings, and a relaxed, almost drugged-up tone. The weakness of this book is that in order to be completely clued-in to the subject matter, the reader may need to be familiar with the workings of journalism as a profession, and as a way of life.

I recommend this book to all lovers of Thompson's previous writing, journalists wanting to get a good laugh at one reporter's struggle to overcome his obsessions, or to all lovers of good humor and unique stories.

I really liked this book. Reading it you can definitely see glimpses of the style of writing that eventually became "gonzo". Most reviews of the book describe it as autobiographical with the character Paul Kemp being Thompson and this may be true but it kind of seemed to me that Kemp was an idea that Thompson had of what he might one day become with the character Yeamon more closely resembling himself.

Of course, this is pure speculation but it's mine so as far as I'm concerned I'm right til proved otherwise. The book itself is easy to read and is written almost as if it was planned to be a movie script. I liked it alot. Thompson's, The Rum Diary. Not only does Thompson portray the American Dream in an alcholic frenzied environment, but finds it in Puerto Rico.

Although this is not a typical Dr. Gonzo prose, The Rum Diary confronts conformity and shares a few drinks with him. A simple tale of middle-aged journalist, trying to find out the meaning of his existence, while at the same time, traveling thru exotic lands. This is honestly one of the best books that i have ever read. After getting through the first couple of chapters, i found that i couldnt put it down. If you have ever read one of Mr. Thompson's books, then you will definitely want to read this one.

If you haven't then this is as good a one as any to get you started. An interesting irony. This book lacks the satirical brilliance of his later works. In comparison to the jaded monster we've grown to love, The Rum Diary evokes a remarkable sense of innocence. This innocence juxtaposed against the perceptions created by his later works, make the timing of the release of this work quite remarkable. Remarkable in that by releasing it as he has here in the Autumn of his career Mr. Thompson serves to remind us that he, too, sold something out a very long time ago.

I could sit here and jerk Thompson off like everyone else, but I won't. I'll just give you the lowdown on the book. The characters were not as strong as his other books, but it was his first novel. It flows great and is easy to read. The humor of HST is there, and I think that he put a little bit of his own personalality in a few different characters which I found interesting.

The book is set in San Juan. I think the description of the island was the strongest aspect of the book. After reading it, I really feel like I've been there, and that I would even know my way around once I got there. Let me put it this way, when I think of the Carribean, I think of this book. HST is one of the greatest writers of all time. When he lets his fingers fly in the keyboard he doesn't hold back any punches.

If this had not been my first Hunter S. I wish I had this book when I was staying in Mexico. Very vivid imagery, well written, smacks of Hemmingway's tales of Cuba.

I've still never been able to get to excited about any of his other books, so this may be a good book for the reluctant fan. This book left me day dreaming of being a journalist in fifties Puerto Rico. It reads like what it is: a first novel from a writer who was years away from hitting his stride in another genre.

I am a big fan of Thompson's major pieces, but this is just not even close to being a 5-star novel, either on literary merit or popular appeal. Even on a scale of Hunter Thompson pieces, it is only a 2. Thompson knew it wasn't terribly good: that's why he did not publish it until so much later. For me, Paul Kemp is just not an engaging protagonist. He is not really likable, nor is he a fascinatingly bad person. Hunter also must have had trouble writing female characters, because there is really only one, and she too is vaguely repulsive.

This is being made into a movie, and it should not be. I just cannot imagine this making an appealing film, unless perhaps the script is a radical departure from the novel. I love Thompson's writing voice.

He is direct and declarative, but literate and lyrical. His scenes are turned all the way up and then turned up just a notch more, and his characters are always fun. There are certainly no lasting lessons in this work unless you are a writer but as a slice of life, blown up just enough to make it worth our time, it is well worth our time. I wanted to read this so I could see the movie and now I can.

They did a good job with Fear and Loathing, so I am optimistic. Not as good as Fear and Loathing, but if you were expecting it to be then you'd have to be stupid anyway. The story doesn't really ever get going enough and the character of Paul Kemp is a little bit 2 dimentional.

Having said that, I really enjoyed it, and that is the main idea, is it not. Lust, love, and treachery, This book is quite the novel to begin,especially if one has yet to read Hunter S. The Rum Diary would be a perfect book for anyone who has not yet read Hunter S.

Thompson, and the story definitly exploits the side of human nature that most are not yet ready to recognise, also adding a bit of shock to ones that pictured the 's as "Leave it to Beaver". Highly spirited and full of drunken adventure, The Rum Diary exploits human nature and Thompson's nature at that , In this fun, alchohol filled adventure. Thompson's best work for beginners as well as a favorite for seasoned fans. Written more like a screenplay than any of his other works, The Rum Diary takes you on the journey of a degenerate journalist's time as a sports writer for an English rag in San Juan.

From the interesting characters to the usual Thompson antics this book will not disappoint. The length lends itself to consumption of an afternoon, so if you are easily engulfed with storylines make sure you have the time. This is one of the most heavily used books in my Thompson collection as it is a great story that never seems to grow old. I can't wait to see what happens when the movie starts filming. This is not always a good experience in that you usually wind up hating one or the other.

This is one of those great exceptions. I loved the movie, and I loved the book too! They actually follow each other closely, but of course the book has all the extra nuances that Hunters writing always offers!

Great book! Reading Rum Socialism, you can't help to notice how it was written before Thompson realized his gift was for non-fiction.

The prose is distinctly Gonzo, but used for a fictional account, it doesn't have the same outrageousness it does when you know they're being used to describe real accounts. Now you're editing! Rename the page or change commenting options show me if you like. You can save, preview or cancel your changes at any time by clicking the button on the right side show me. Content is divided into subsections, which each have a dotted border. You can delete or edit the contents of a subsection by clicking the or icons at the top right corner of the subsection.

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