>>7621860
He strayed from the one true path and paid for it.

>>7621860

His Nixon obit was the best thing I've ever read with that kind of word count.

as cool as the drug stuff was, a lot of people miss that hunter s. thompson wrote some seriously good journalism in his day. i'm kind of biased desu because he retired to my homestate

>>7621860
Anyone on /lit/ that hates him or calls him reddit hasn't read anything of his outside of the WILD AND ZAAANY Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He was a really talented journalist who wrote some truly incredible pieces, but everything he did was kept in the shadow of the Duke and his drug-riddled public persona. Largely due to the movie, as you pointed out.

>>7621860
dude weed lmao

his style of journalism was really readable and fun. i don't think there's a lot of profundity there but i haven't read his political stuff. my favorite is the superbowl piece.

fear and loathing on the campaign trail '72 is an excellent work of political journalism. he wrote a great suicide note as well.

plan to read the rum diary soon.

>>7621860
HST was an erudite and conscientious journalist as well as a wonderful literary talent.

>>7622267
>Largely due to the movie
This is a mistake. I have seen him speak in person, and he does the whole Duke act all the time. It's kind of pathetic and weird, but Thompson got that shit rolling, not the movie.

Personally, I think it's much easier to have a persona and be an actor than to let people probe your person whenever you appear in public.

>>7622335
rum diary is like a well written "sun also rises", i hope you enjoy it

>>7621860
A very perceptive and incisive journalist that has written some truly incredible pieces.

Unfortunately, his legacy has been bastardized into "writer dude who did lots of drugs" by the, as you said, Depp mythos and its cult-like followers.

>>7622319

If you think Thompson lacks profundity and would like to have your belief challenged, you should check out Campaign Trail '72

What's a good start to him? Campaign Trail?

>>7623813
I'd say just read whatever work of his interests you the most. All of it is pretty singular. If you want to read something of his right now, though, and you don't have access to any of his books then find a pdf of "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved," the article that is considered to be the start of gonzo journalism, online.

>>7623813

here's a fun intro
Read Screwjack, it's short, surreal, and personal to Hunter

then, read Hell's Angels.. my personal favorite of his, when he was still young and brash and willing to get into a fist fight for his craft