The Curse of Lono

“There was no good reason for it; I just felt it was time to get out in the world.. get angry and tune the instruments… go to Hawaii for Christmas.”

Hunter and Ralph are in Honolulu to cover the marathon towards the end of the year of 1980. Toss in a wild man named George Skinner, and a dope lawyer with a blue arm, and let the madness begin!
“Why did we come all the way out here to what used to be called “the Sandwich Islands” to confront some half-wit spectacle like eight thousand rich people torturing themselves in the streets of Honolulu and calling it sport?”

Things go so insanely gonzo, that by the end of it all, our good doctor claims to be the coming of the god Lono, swinging a great, destructive Samoan war club, and show more screaming at the locals! This book has all the qualities I've enjoyed in a HST story, and I'm glad that it finally caught my attention! Steadman's art is on full display in this volume, horrifying and wonderful! And, there are inclusions of excerpts from various historic source materials about Hawaii, and specifically Captain James Cook. They provide brief respites of sanity from Hunter's crazed booze and drug filled Hawaiian adventure! show less

I had never heard of this until I saw it in the Taschen catalog. The volume and illustrations are lovely. The writing is unmistakably HST, if a little below the genius of Fear and Loathing. I laughed out loud several times, and cringed more often than that.

I've just finished reading The Curse of Lono, and I'm surprised that this particular piece by Hunter S. Thompson is less appreciated or even overlooked in favor of his more popular works, particularly his adventure in Las Vegas. Lono is the perfect follow-up to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as it reflects the recipe which catapulted Thompson's method of gonzo: travel to some exotic locale, cover some seemingly trivial yet ultimately bizarre sporting event, overstay your time exploring the local culture which will ultimately prove equally or even more entertaining than said sporting event, and finally hide in retreat after the blur of intoxication and savage alienation have been extolled upon friends, family, and locals. Not a bad show more formula, and not a bad writer.

I doubt that the similarity was deliberate to Fear and Loathing, but who really knows? Where Lono is unique is through the division of labor. Thompson's presence is requested in Hawai'i to cover both the brutal exertion and mindset associated with the Honolulu Marathon; he covers it well, but predictably, the real action begins afterward. Unpredictably, accompanying Thompson during his exploits is the illustrator Ralph Steadman, along with each of their families. Without going into too much detail, his companions slowly dwindle due to the harsh conditions on the Kona coast in winter as well as the mental fatigue precipitating it, thereby leaving Thompson to associate with the more seedy element of Hawai'i (within which he fits nicely). Needless to say, chaos ensues, and the reader is exposed to a Hawai'i not normally described in tourist books. Marathons, deathly pounding surf, flooded cottages, elusive marlin hunting, Samoan war axes, dreaded red fleas, and mass quantities of alcohol make for a paradise reconsidered.

Intertwining parts of pure gonzo narrative, the lush, colorful drawings of Ralph Steadman, Thompson's own correspondence, and excerpts of Hawaiian history and lore, The Curse of Lono is nearly as exhilarating as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; it's an evident example of Hunter S. Thompson, in the twilight of his writing, creating yet another brilliant exposition that's humorous, informative and entertainingly bizarre. show less

The good doctor goes on an ill advised vacation and imagines himself the reincarnation of a hawaiian God. Thompson will always be one of my favorites authors, and even is somewhat not as sharp as usual here, he still delivers an amusing story. Profusely illustrated by his fellow vacationer, Ralph Steadman.

A lesser work from HST in which his wit and zest are almost overshadowed by his obvious ennui and selfishness. Still a decent read for fans, and Steadman's drawings contribute a great deal.

Started out like an 80s version of Fear an Loathing in Las Vegas but got less intense and more tedious as the story (and HST himself) lost focus and bearing. One of HSTs weaker but still a good book and the writing you expect.
3.5/4

Great book. Showed that even as Thompson aged, he still had what it takes to whip together a good narrative. This is even more pseudo-biographical than such books as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, etc, going to the extent of using actual names for nearly everyone involved.