Submissions for #FirstLineFriday are officially closed now. My thanks to all who emailed me with their guesses. Today, we have two winners: Darlene Foster and Sarah Brentyn. And I’ve decided to add a new feature to this Winner post: the link to each winner’s Author’s Page. I hope you’ll all enjoy being able to learn more about what these good folks have written and how to buy their books. And I also hope it inspires more of you to take a guess each week.
Darlene Foster’s Author Page can be found HERE.
Sarah Brentyn’s Author Page can be found HERE.
Congratulations to both of you, and I hope you enjoy your prizes.
And now, here’s the answer to today’s quiz:
“We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold” is the opening line of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a 1971 novel by Hunter S. Thompson and illustrated by Ralph Steadman.
The book is a roman à clef, rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follows its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they descend on Las Vegas to chase the American Dream through a drug-induced haze, all the while ruminating on the failure of the 1960s countercultural movement.
The work is Thompson’s most famous book, and is noted for its lurid descriptions of illegal drug use and its early retrospective on the culture of the 1960s. Its popularization of Thompson’s highly subjective blend of fact and fiction has become known as gonzo journalism.
The novel first appeared as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971, and was published as a book in 1972. It was later adapted into a film of the same title in 1998 by Terry Gilliam, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro who portrayed Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, respectively. The novel lacks a clear narrative and frequently delves into the surreal, never quite distinguishing between what is real and what is only imagined by the characters.
NOTE: I wish I could tell you I’ve read the book or seen the movie, but even in 1971, it seemed a bit over the top for me. I do, however, think that opening line is a real grabber, and I’m glad we had some winners this week! 🙂 (And I must say, this cover certainly looks quite fitting. 😀 )
Buy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas HERE
That wraps it up for this week, folks. Thanks so much for taking part, and I hope you’ll stay tuned for another #FirstLineFriday quiz next week. See you then!
The Write Stuff 
Congrats to Darlene and Sarah! From the description, I bet the book caused a big stir when it first came out.
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I’m sure it did. I seem to remember the political flak was pretty enormous, too, but honestly, that was the year my son was born (he’s going to be 49 shortly) so it was all background noise in my life at the time. 😀
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I was a young mom too at the time so I didn’t read it then but many of my friends did and it was discussed at many a party or evening out. Friends would even quote from it. So it kind of stuck with me. Thanks for mentioning my author page. Have a super weekend doing whatever you want. xo
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I’m glad you recognized it, Darlene. I hate when we don’t have any winners! Thanks for playing, and I’ll see what I can come up with next week! 🙂 ❤
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I never read this or saw the movie, but I’ve heard it talked about, so that’s probably why it seemed familiar.
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Sorry it never came to you, Jeanne, but who knows what’ll happen next week! You’ll have lots of chances going forward, if I continue improving, here. Feeling a wee bit better every day, and trying to get back on track, especially with #FirstLineFridays. 😀 Thanks for stopping by, as always! 🙂 ❤
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Glad you’re feeling better 🙂
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Slow progress, Jeanne, but at least I’m heading in the right direction! Today, that’s HUGE! 🙂 And thanks! You stay well, yourself! 🙂 ❤
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Very familiar with the title but hadn’t strayed any further. It’s good to have a synopsis of the piece! It IS an amazing cover.
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I know! Like looking in a fun house mirror. Or being stoned out of your mind, which was perfect for this story line. Next week’s will be something VERY different. I’m thinking of something possibly more literary or a classic for a complete change of pace. 😀
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Woot! I am obsessed with first lines and these are so fun. 🙂
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So glad you enjoy them, Sarah! They’re fun to do, for sure. I’m having to take a look at my schedule, though, to see if I may have to do them every other week. I’m a bit overwhelmed and far behind on my writing, too. I’ll figure it out and post my decision when I’m sure. 🙂
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You do what you can do and no more than that, my friend. ❤ Take care of yourself.
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🙂 ❤
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