Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson

An Oral Biography by Jann S. Wenner and Corey Seymour (2007).

Jann S. Wenner, founder and publisher of Rolling Stone, explains in the foreword that this book is basically an extension of the magazine’s tribute to Hunter Thompson after his death. That issue (if you were lucky enough, like me, to grab a copy) was almost completely dedicated to personal reflections from friends and celebrities on the giddy highs and violent lows that defined Hunter Thompson. This book completes that issue in the way that a great bonus disc can complete a great DVD set.

The book is broken apart into many vignettes about Thompson, told in the first-person, by those who were with him. The stories themselves are organized foremost by chronology, and then sub-divided by themes. The contributors consist of people from many aspects of his life, ranging from his childhood friends and neighbors, to his editors and celebrity friends. The stories also range from describing the wild, public side of Thompson, to his more private – almost sensitive – personal side.

Considering that Thompson’s favorite subject was, in many ways, himself, I was surprised to learn so much more about him than I had previously known. Parts of his life which had previously been out of focus, such as his childhood, became much more illuminated. Of course, it was also funny to read some stories that are already legendary – such as his crippling inability to meet a deadline and his superhuman tolerance for alcohol.

This last aspect, though, is also part of the book’s weakness. A few too many of the stories are re-hashes of prior stories, and the same story is sometimes even repeated a few times within this tome. At a few points, it drags on interminably, almost without aim, but yet, at other points, entire decades nearly vanish without comment. Too much time, I feel, is spent on details that did not change or add any meaning to what is already known. Surprisingly (though pleasantly), there is no lengthy discussion of his literary legacy or impact on writing – the book merely ends after his death.

It is hard to give a blanket recommendation for this book. If you have no idea who Thompson is, “Gonzo” is not the place to start. But, if you are already a Thompson fanatic, this book does not add much to his mystique either. I enjoyed this book merely as a reminder of a great writer – a man with so much control over his words – who could have been so much more, if only he had been able to control other parts of his life as well.