Screwjack: A Short Story [Hardcover]

"Mescalito", the opening piece, reads well as a poetic drug experience account but doesn't contain the strong, biting sarcasm or political sense present in Fear and Loathing and The Great Shark Hunt. "Death of a Poet", printed also in Kingdom of Fear, lacks the humor of Thompson's other works, and seems to be just another attempt to impress the reader with a far-fetched outlaw story. Ordinarily this would be enjoyable, but HST's writing comes off as dry and intentionally lacking in morality or emotion, and his voice just doesn't leap off the page as in much of his other writing. Finally, I honestly have no idea why the title piece "Screwjack" was so critically acclaimed; it again lacks humor or Thompson's instantly recognizable tone and does not come off as anything resembline the "unnaturally poignant love story" promised on the jacket.

Overall this book, in all its 30-something actual pages, strikes me as little more than a rip-off, Thompson knowingly exploiting his large fan base by releasing an incredibly short volume of mediocre writing after a decade's wait. If you want a real Hunter S. Thompson fix, read Fear and Loathing or The Great Shark Hunt - buying them or borrowing them from the library will take roughly the amount of time you'd waste reading this.

Within the opus, no plots and themes to these three stream of consciousness prose; thus, it is pure Gonzo in its natural state. Thompson on assignment and drugs means only people who have prior experience with his other work, can have a total grasp on what Mr. Duke is trying to say.

Thompson's writing is demanding of the reader, and unequivocally grasps at any attention lying in wait. Lurking around the ominous corner is more tales, more stories, and Hunter Thompson inscrutably proves himself as a great writer. Thompson collects his own correspondence, and saves every letter he receives; thus, a communication at the beginning of the book.

Mescalito rages on in drug frenzy fashion from start to finish, along with Death of a Poet and Screwjack. These three pieces are very creative to say the least, and publishing only happened recently for this particular Raoul Duke outburst. The very essence of the first story is Thompson battling himself in a Los Angeles hotel room while trying to finish a story and on different strengths of alcohol and drugs.

Death of a Poet tells the tale of a man on his last straw with the surrounding environment around him, and the violent means to his finality. Raoul Duke runs across a hardcore gambler in his shack, on his last dime, and witnesses evil violence that one with only concrete sanity may even have a remote chance of describing.

Screwjack is a complete chaotic mess of love letter gone completely wrong where Mr. Duke experiences a kind of frustration only held to those who see past the seers. Thompson's ingenious diction and complete nonsense clash with violent fervor, and either grip the reader, or turn the reader loose, never to look upon Thompson's work again. The editor's note for this piece is not only is an insightful blurb for the reader, but to fully understand what Thompson wrote, the editors must explain in their own words Mr. Duke's fascination with drug induced insanity.

Only spend money on this Thompson collection if you have some loose lucre to throw around, and are looking for some madness.