Written over five decades ago the Rum Diary is Hunter S. Thompson’s only published novel. Released in 1998, the decision to finally publish the book was due to the release of the well-received Fear and Loathing film. The publication was met with overwhelming critical applause and public anticipation.
The novel centers on a group of young American journalists and expatriates, more or less, though they have relocated to Puerto Rico. The group, a mishmash of eclectic writers, all struggle to make a living working for a failing newspaper in San Juan. The plot receives added fuel from a twisted love triangle, full of jealousy and anger, fueled by alcohol.
Paul Kemp, the center figure of the story, and the rest of the cast are loosely based on Thompson and people he knew from his time in San Juan. Although the novel is a work of fiction, many of the misadventures the characters find themselves on are based on events that truly happened, though not necessarily to the extent of his journalistic work.
Last month, a long awaited film adaptation of Thompson’s novel was released in theaters to a generally warm reception. In true gonzo style we headed to the theater, rum in hand, ready for the ride.
To be clear, I don’t particularly endorse drinking at a theater, a fairly blatant violation of most reputable establishment’s policy. I would, in fact, discourage the drinking of rum, over crushed ice, at a movie theater. Granted our neighbors; behind, in front, to the sides, were all adults, most were actually quite a but our senior, there is still a very distinct and somewhat repugnant aroma to a large plastic cup full of cheap rum.
I wear my disguise well. That is to say I am very professional, most of the time. I take great pride in the way I encourage people to perceive who I am. My secret though: I may be more like Thompson than I care to admit. Being placed intimately at the core of the story, living in the world you write about, is more fulfilling. Do you write a review on a book without reading it? Of course not. Should you write about life, without living it? About sensation without sensuality? Perception without divergence? All that smells mildly of simple irresponsibility and feels like a crime I would not, do not, cannot commit.
So there I am, we are, a full glass of rum on the floor and a tropical disaster unfolding on the screen before us. Johnny Depp plays Kemp as well as any one would, especially after having mastered Dr. Thompson in Fear and Loathing. His support is well rounded and decently thrown together, if not as randomly and unimpressionably as the characters they play.
With an elicit nature not often found in writing, Thompson’s novel and the subsequent film tell the story of young American’s, down and out, trying to get by in the world, and of Paul Kemp’s classic struggle to be as far removed from the mediocrity around him as his talent will allow him.
Tonight 7:30pm
