Stories I Tell Myself

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From what I see and hear, growing up with famous parents is hard. Now imagine that your famous (infamous?) father is Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, author of classic books such as Hell's Angel's and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. What would it be like growing up with a brilliant writer who is also a notorious alcoholic/drug fiend as a dad? A dad with a lot of fans that worship that aspect of Hunter's life without ever reading a word the man wrote? Hunter's son, Juan F. Thompson, covered all of that in his 2016 autobiography Stories I Tell Myself: Growing Up with Hunter S. Thompson. Son Juan wisely stays away from simply rehashing the same stories you've already read a hundred times, instead, he writes about his relationship with his father, all the while telling his own life story. And Juan does not, for the most part, paint a flattering image of his father - in fact, as a child, Juan hated Hunter for years. It wasn't until later in his life that he wanted to pursue a relationship with the writer, weird though it might be. While it's Juan's story, he includes, at the beginning of each chapter, a Hunter S. Thompson timeline, so that fans will know what Hunter was up to as Juan lives his often confused life. Juan's writing is obviously not as colorful as his father's, and my girlfriend thinks Juan comes across as whiny, but it's actually an interesting read, especially if you are down for reading about Hunter from a new perspective, a different side of the larger-than-life writer. Stories I Tell Myself isn't exactly Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 72 (my personal favorite,) but it's good for what it is - Juan F. Thompson's story, starring Hunter S. Thompson. If you have a collection of Hunter's books, this would be a good companion piece to bolster that collection.