Thompson wants to write as a disaffected American, an outsider whose natural company must perforce be others who do not fit. Arriving at this due to experience is one thing, but as the result of inclination is quite another and Thompson's flair for journalism brings a certain unwitting honesty here, and his intention to write a novel of disaffection shines through clearly. A more skilled exponent of fiction would have pulled it off, for The Rum Diary has real roots and much strength in its topic, but it was a search for clarity which ultimately made Thompson great, not an ability to distort. His, of course, was a role which he had to grow into, and this is a curse of a book in some ways. It is perfectly acceptable that great talents must learn their craft producing lesser works, lesser works being the logical precursor to big achievements.
Nobody is born with the prose of a master, and every bad sentence is a step closer to real skill.
However, to glory in its publication now begs certain questions, especially as Thompson by all accounts didn't publish it for money - some of his books are million sellers and there's only so many guns a boy needs. As a big Thompson fan, and having avidly lapped up most of his published work, I looked forward to The Rum Diary . Having read excerpts in The Great Shark Hunt I wasn't expecting a masterpiece - and didn't get one. It is fascinating to use this rather unpolished glass to take a reflection of Hunter S. Thompson, a man who in some ways defies sane category. Thompson is an unidentifiable quantity, he was at best obscured by his own ability, which distracts from the person who created it.