The RUM DIARY (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook

" Wow, I didn't know Puerto Rico was so wild! "

" Hunter S. Thompson does his best Ernest Hemmingway impersonation, but falls well short of the mark. The protagonist is thoroughly unlikeable and the plot is thin at best. Lots of drinking though, makes me feel like a teetotaler in comparison. "

" Great, quick read. A splash of Gonzo, which is absent entirely in Hell's Angels. Very different from the movie, which surprised me. Perfect Gonzo introduction to HST. "

" Loved it -- paints a distorted, gorgeous picture of San Juan similar to the depiction of Paris by Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises. "

" Really enjoyed this raucous romp through San Juan. I read it with going to watch the new movie in mind and it was very easy to visualize Johnny Depp playing Paul Kemp's character, almost like it was written for him. Short and painless, entertaining book. "

" Scandalous! Makes me slightly more appreciative of the relative calm (and sobriety) of the Herald newsroom. Don't think I could keep up with the incredible quantities of rum consumed in this book. I liked the characters for the most part. They were more than your average one-dimensional, predictable characters, though mostly they were pretty tragic. Overall, an entertaining read. "

" Winding and crazy and lazy and bored. "

" Awesome book, have read it twice. Read this with Johhny Depp's voice in your head as narration, it totally makes it. "

" Lots of perfect quotes for Americans experiencing life in Latin America...particularly the Peace Corps? "

" A great read. Captivating throughout. Reminded me of a F Scott Fitzgerald novel "

" Smart and quick. Can't wait to see what they do with the movie. "

" Frenetic and edgy. There's a beauty in the desperation and sheer absurdity of it. A good, quick read. "

" Most enjoyable - especially for what's almost a piece of juvenilia. Much better than I was expecting. "

" I really wasn't crazy about this book... Is it just me? "

" Good small read. More interesting because of its foundation in reality. End surprised me a bit. Recommend "

" Interesting read. This is the first Hunter S. Thompson book I've read and I am not sure if I am a fan of his style. Having already seen the movie, the book was kind of spoiled for me already. However, the book was a much more enjoyable experience than the movie, in my opinion! "

" This is not a solid novel. But it is fun to read. "

" Did my research paper on this guy, he's wild and on the verge of insanity, but i cant get enough of his books. "

" I thought the writing was very engaging. But it was a little to brutal for me. And I adore Puerto Rico, so was put off by the constant berating of it. "

" It's Hunter. What's not to like? As always, take it with a grain of salt, but Hunter's experiences and observations are always entertaining. "

" This is a good read. I recommend it for a summer trip when you're not looking for anything too heavy, but still sort of fun. Someone told me reading this made them feel like they were hungover, and it does, so if you don't like books where the characters stay drunk you won't like this. "

" good yarn - why am i disappointed when i stray from speculative fiction ? "

" I don't like rum and I didn't like this novel. "

" This is a good one :) "

" I don't how to describe my experience reading this except I felt like I was waiting the whole time. Waiting for the big climax, the height of the story, the big turning point and it just wasn't there. I certainly picked up on the chaos and the wild energy of San Juan and his job but I expected more. "

" This is my fav hunter book and you don't have to be completely high to follow this one ;) "

" This is not a solid novel. But it is fun to read. "

" A great story of good times, told by the man himself, hunter s. Thompson RIP brother. "

" Just finished this and loved it a lot more than I expected to...not as fun a romp as Fear and Loathing, but totally Gonzo nonetheless! "

" Really great novel, really inspiring just to get down to the carribean and huff it as a journalist. Love Thompson's writing style. "

" Amazing! One of my favorite books "

" Short book follows around a depressed alchoholic with no purpose in life. If I wanted a close hand look at the life, I could just as easily go to one of my neighborhood dives and save myself the time it took to read. "

" He wrote it when he was 22, his first real novel besides prince jellyfish, and It's my favorite novel. "

" A book definitely written by a man for men. An interesting perspective. Especially interesting for me since I read it while vacationing in the Caribbean where the book takes place. A very raw and visceral view of humanity inside and out. "

" Very much the same premise as Kerouac's "On the Road," but a much easier read. "

" the perfect book to read while vacationing in the caribbean "

" Very different. I liked it and it was easy to keep reading because it kept me wondering. I was glad to read something different and out of my "comfort" zone. I will definitely try another Hunter S. Thompson book! "

" two pages in and already loving it "

" One of my favorite books from Hunter S. Thompson. I was completely absorbed into his world of the journalist in Puerto Rico. "

" Story moves really quickly which I liked a lot. Kind of ends abruptly but then again I'm not sure what I was expecting. "

" An entertaining "beat" novel from the father of Gonzo journalism. Not Thompson's best work, but as his only novel, it's an interesting and heartfelt tale. "

" A morality cocktail shaken and stirred in whims of nostalgia with an understated exaltation of spontaneity at its core. Fantastic novel! "