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The Rum Diary cover art

The Rum Diary

By: Hunter S. Thompson
Narrated by: Christopher Lane
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Publisher's Summary

Begun in 1959 by a 22-year-old Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the Caribbean boomtown that was San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the late 1950s. The narrator, freelance journalist Paul Kemp, irresistibly drawn to a sexy, mysterious woman, is soon thrust into a world where corruption and get-rich-quick schemes rule and anything (including murder) is permissible. Exuberant and mad, youthful and energetic, this dazzling comedic romp provides a fictional excursion as riveting and outrageous as Thompson's Fear and Loathing books.

©1999 Hunter S. Thompson (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic Reviews

“Crackling, twisted, searing, paced to a deft prose rhythm.... A shot of Gonzo with a rum chaser.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)
“Enough booze to float a yacht and enough fear and loathing to sink it.” ( New York Daily News)
“A great and an unexpected joy.... Reveals a young Hunter Thompson brimming with talent.” ( The Philadelphia Inquirer)

What listeners say about The Rum Diary

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lost with time

story was ok. maybe has lost some impact over time.
performance was a bit dry

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

the best

my favorite audio book to date
great narration and story line probably better than the movie itself

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Drunk in the Sun

Thompson's work always has a hostile tone to me. His characters are seldom dignified nor easy to like. They are anti-heroes. Irresponsible, impulsive, indulgent. They are cursed with hubris, drinking themselves into oblivion and constantly making bad decisions. They are cynical about government and other forms of authority. They are intellectual rebels that are pretentious and sexist at parties. But their lives are so wild, unpredictable and exhilarating because of their reckless behaviour, that it makes for a gripping read.

This book chronicles the drunken adventures of Paul Kemp during his time writing as a journalist in Puerto Rico. He has sex with beautiful women, drinks, writes and complains about a boss that won't publish anything interesting. He analyses the culture of Puerto Rico as only a privileged white man could. During a brief stay in a stinky, crowded Puerto Rican jail cell, he becomes regretfully aware of his privilege and how it will bite him in the ass at trial.

The narrator's performance was dazzingly. He made bold and nuanced character choices. Each voice was distinct.

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  • Lee
  • 16-01-2017

written so well it's poetry

A story written so well it's gritty poetry from start to finish. Th narrator did the book justice too

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

Fantastic story. Read impeccably. I hung on every word and felt involved in the characters. It makes having a drinking problem sound positively entertaining.

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