Why am I passionate about this?
I’ve always loved to read and laugh, and the weirder the humor, the better. It’s a strange and turbulent world out there, and sometimes, it seems like you have to laugh for crying. Fortunately, there are plenty of other talented writers and entertainers out there who share this outlook – and not just authors. Many musicians, actors, and comedians can convey this sense of cosmic absurdity, and I’m a huge fan of most of them. These books just skim the surface of the wild worldviews of kindred spirits who are capable of appreciating just how weird our society really is and can lampoon it to hilarious effect.
Crawford's book list on hilarious high weirdness
Why did Crawford love this book?
Hunter S. Thompson’s books tend to have a lot of drug use in them. So do mine, although not at nearly the same scale. The way Thompson describes the drug use and deranged behavior associated with it is powerful and equal parts tragedy and comedy.
More than anything, Thompson’s cracking prose brings the debauchery to life and makes it relatable to anyone who ever may have gone one toke over the line. I used to give this book to friends who hadn’t cracked a book since high school and told them, “Just read the first page.” Every single one of them borrowed the book and read it cover to cover.
9 authors picked Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
'We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive ..."'
Hunter S. Thompson is roaring down the desert highway to Las Vegas with his attorney, the Samoan, to find the dark side of the American Dream. Armed with a drug arsenal of stupendous proportions, the duo engage in a surreal succession of chemically enhanced confrontations with casino operators, police officers and assorted Middle Americans.
This stylish reissue of Hunter S. Thompson's iconic masterpiece, a controversial bestseller when…