mike@hpfclk.UUCP (01/24/84)
trips.
The story and the illustrations by Steadman are colorful and entertaining.
Basically, Thompson and his friends go crazy waiting for the weather
to break. There's lots of descriptive images like "boulders the size
of TV sets being hurled into our swimming pool". Also included in the
book is a partial reproduction of the "The Last Voyage of Captain Cook"
by Richard Houghes. Thompson seemed to think that a little history adds
flavor to his adventure. In fact, the history is where the "Lono" term
is derived. At the end of the book, Thompson is so mentally and physically
exhausted that he begins to believe that he is "Lono", a great Hawaiian God
returning to the islands.
The book is short (150 pages) and thus lends itself to be read in one
sitting. It was definitely a charge for me since I've been trapped here
in "Virtual Antarctica" for the last few months. Some of the critics
have charged that the story was disjoint and incoherent at times, which
it is, but what do you expect from a gonzo jounalist. Happy Reading.
Michael Bishop
Fort Collins, Co.