Hunter S. Thompson: The Proud Highway: Saga Of A Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967

Because Hunter S. Thompson has made a career out of telling everybody exactly what he thinks about almost everything, readers might imagine that a collection of his letters wouldn't be very interesting. After all, the man invented gonzo journalism, the practice of using thinly veiled personal essay as reportage, so how much more is to be learned by going over his private correspondence? Thompson hasn't exactly been holding anything back all these years. But he hasn't been telling us everything; this engrossing collection of letters reveals that he hasn't really been talking about himself, but about how he feels. The distinction may be slight, but it's important to anyone interested in Hunter S. Thompson, the man. There are letters here of confrontation and accusation, usually to some authority figure by whom the author feels slighted or exploited. But there are also letters of consolation, encouragement and apology—including one to his hardass Air Force sergeant, of all people. Thompson may be a loudmouth pain in the ass to some, but he seems to have remained true to his personal principles in his letters, all of which are straightforward, honest and frank regardless of subject matter. This book is the first of three letters collections Villard has planned, and Hunter S. Thompson fans are advised to get their hands on all of them. They're much more plain, heartfelt and honest—and at the same time kinder to his legacy—than his autobiography could be.