The Great Shark Hunt

Strange Tales from a Strange Time

By: Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by: Scott Sowers

Length: 29 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Originally published in 1979, the first volume of the best-selling "Gonzo Papers" is now back in print. The Great Shark Hunt is Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's largest and, arguably, most important work, covering Nixon to napalm, Las Vegas to Watergate, Carter to cocaine. These essays offer brilliant commentary and outrageous humor, in signature Thompson style. Ranging in date from the National Observer days to the era of Rolling Stone, The Great Shark Hunt offers myriad, highly charged entries, including the first Hunter S. Thompson piece to be dubbed "gonzo" - "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved," which appeared in Scanlan's Monthly in 1970. From this essay a new journalistic movement sprang which would change the shape of American letters. Thompson's razor-sharp insight and crystal clarity capture the crazy, hypocritical, degenerate, and redeeming aspects of the explosive and colorful '60s and '70s.

©1979 Hunter S. Thompson (P)2013 Recorded Books

Great Performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Scott Sowers gives a performance that makes every minute entertaining as hell, even the boring parts about Jimmy Carter. This is the voice you would hear in your mind if you were reading the text.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Essential Hunter

I highly recommend this. Essentially a collection of his works similar to but not as good as Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72, which is a non-fiction masterpiece. His breakdown and outrage at contemporary politics and subculture studies with little or no judgement mixed with a fascinating literary style makes for very humorous and exciting reading.

If Sowers bothers you then maybe HST isn't for you

Oh, so you don't like aggressive and edgy narration when listening to the manic, agitated, frantic rantings of a quasi-sociopathic writer bugged out of his mind on speed, alcohol, and whatever else is disappeared from the D.A.'s evidence locker?

Consider something other than HST, then.

What do you want instead? Some serene parlor reading? A soothing baritone lullaby?

Please.

If you're here for GONZO you're here for THE FEAR.

HST wrote the way Sowers narrates, not the way he himself spoke. He was a mumbling drunken speed freak who could barely articulate a full sentence without pausing and ran several words together in short, incomprehensible bursts. He never intended his work to be read in his own voice, and I suspect if he were alive today he'd wish he could inflect and energize the text EXACTLY like Sowers.

Indeed!

"Buy the ticket, take the ride"

Long but worth it

There is a good amount of exposition surrounding Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in here.

Also, a whole bunch about Nixon.

Not a great reader, still better than Hunter

Hiunter was a *writer*.
Think audio book has gotten a bad rap BC Scott Sowers not being very gooid, in fact that is true. Still- unless Johnny Depp records iit, it's good enough.
*Hunter* himself talks too fast, often in a franetic mumble. For that:, there's gonzo papers + have tne text!
Writing this good isn't ruined. In fact the enuciuation is great, there's just too much unnecessary screaming.

A Strange and Terrible Glory

David Letterman once described Hunter S. Thompson as, "the least factual, but most accurate journalists alive." That description works well for this collection of Thompson's various articles, published in numerous magazines throughout his legendary career. Thompson was a man of extreme contractions. He comfortable using racial slurs, bragging about his criminal past/present, and completely blitzing away mind away though various drugs. However, Hunter S. Thompson was also deeply committed to promoting racial equality, fair and respectable democratic government, and a compassionate criminal justice system. He was a brilliant man and to listen to this collection is to briefly touch that very brilliance. The world is a lesser place without him.

I listened to The Great Shark Hunt over the course of about a year in small bursts, and man, I am glad I did. Scott Sower's performance captures Thompson's passion well, although it can be a bit overwhelming if you try to listen to too much at once. Overall, this is one of the best collections of journalism I think you are ever going to find. Beyond highly recommended!

incredible

hunter delivers again everything i wanted and more, love scott sowers screw all of you guys

gonzo papers1

a collectioof articles that make for a twisted history of the 1970s essential thompsongonzo papers volume 1

among the best creative compilation ever since the

Utterly alluring in every way, so funny that I had to retreat to the floor and thought I was dying several times from laughing so hard. buy this unless you are prejudice

Very different book than I expected but good.

First Hunter S. Thompson book I have read and was definitely interesting but more political than I thought it would be.