Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson

Uproarious and unpredictable, this oral biography is a fitting look at the turbulent life of Gonzo journalism pioneer Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005), a life surrounded by many but understood by few: “always pushing,” Thompson “created a kind of inner circle of people who stood the test.” That circle is well represented among the volume's many “voices,” including ex-wife Sandy Thompson and their son, Juan; longtime collaborator Ralph Steadman; actors Johnny Depp and Jack Nicholson; and old friends Porter Bibb and Ed Bastian. The storytellers provide a great number of angles, bringing forth insight that goes well beyond Thompson's famous love for alcohol and drugs—though they don't neglect the intoxicants, nor the eccentric writer's most obvious quirks (such as his indiscriminate verbal outbursts: “he was always yelling at himself, like 'AAHHH!!! CAZART!!!' ”). A rich, rollicking vision of Thompson that highlights his outlandish personality and passion for language (“He started typing out Fitzgerald and Hemingway books word for word… he said, 'I just like to get the feel of how it is to write those words.' ”), Wenner and Seymour's work also encompasses the unlikely transition of Gonzo from radical, reactionary style du jour to culture-defining literature: “Only a handful of writers in a generation can pull that off, and Hunter transcended his competition.” This fine, fond biography amuses, inspires, outrages and haunts at all the right moments—and sometimes all at once. (Nov.)