The last thing that I expected when I picked out a novel by Hunter S. Thompson to read was for it to be a very logical,sane, piece of non fiction about the Hell's Angels biker gang. But that is exactly what I got when I picked up and read Hell's Angels.
Thompson apparently spent over a year hanging out with these men whom he refers to throughout the book as "outlaws." This was in the 60s and the gang had already been around for at least a decade by that time. However, they were still gaining notoriety and making a name for themselves as a biker gang. Even then, they were still the largest.
It is quite interesting to hear the 1960s perspective on the Hell's Angels. At that time, they were not the motorcycle gang that we all know in this day and age. But, they were still outlaws and they were becoming the gang we know today. Especially to hear about them from the point of view of an outsider that they were letting in is interesting.
It was very shocking for Hunter S. Thompson to be the more logical, law abiding character in a book. It truly says something that he was the voice of reason and the one who fit in the most with society. After reading and watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hell's Angels is a nice return to reality for Thompson.
The book is well written, obviously very well researched and I would consider it a good read for almost anyone. There are many elements including; drugs, motorcycles, action, friendship, and facts. These all lead to the book being very readable.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
#17: The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is my all time favorite book. I first discovered it during my senior year of high school and I was instantly entranced by it. Since then, I have read it almost yearly and loaned it out to any person who has not discovered the magic of Oscar Wilde.
This is a book about a young man who makes a wild wish that a painting of him should grow old instead of him growing old. His wish comes true and he spends years watching his portrait age and show signs of all of his misdeeds. He becomes a truly cruel, bad person. He is guilty of doing horrible things to other people, yet his face looks as young and innocent as an 18 year old boy.
The Picture of Dorian Gray also explores the relationships Dorian Gray has with the friends who molded him into the person he becomes. This focus on the relationships gives a good picture of 19th century British society and the way that men in that time related to one another. It also comes very close to mirroring Oscar Wilde's relationships with men. Without saying it, the book makes it seem possible that at least one of the men has homosexual feelings for Dorian Gray.
One of the reasons that I love this book so much is that it is so dark and seems so taboo. It is not hard at all to see why writing it caused Oscar Wilde to be ostracized. It must have seemed very scandalous at the time for someone to approach such a subject. It really is fascinating to me that such a book that was shunned and thought inappropriate for its time has become such a classic. It is an amazing character study and a book that I believe everyone should read at least once.
This is a book about a young man who makes a wild wish that a painting of him should grow old instead of him growing old. His wish comes true and he spends years watching his portrait age and show signs of all of his misdeeds. He becomes a truly cruel, bad person. He is guilty of doing horrible things to other people, yet his face looks as young and innocent as an 18 year old boy.
The Picture of Dorian Gray also explores the relationships Dorian Gray has with the friends who molded him into the person he becomes. This focus on the relationships gives a good picture of 19th century British society and the way that men in that time related to one another. It also comes very close to mirroring Oscar Wilde's relationships with men. Without saying it, the book makes it seem possible that at least one of the men has homosexual feelings for Dorian Gray.
One of the reasons that I love this book so much is that it is so dark and seems so taboo. It is not hard at all to see why writing it caused Oscar Wilde to be ostracized. It must have seemed very scandalous at the time for someone to approach such a subject. It really is fascinating to me that such a book that was shunned and thought inappropriate for its time has become such a classic. It is an amazing character study and a book that I believe everyone should read at least once.
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