Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2002)
0144241 I _ 006828 Rooks On Main A Unique Bookstore We Buy, Sell & Trade New Book Orders Welcome • Search Service Available 319 East Main 1 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 (across from City Hall) 541-942-7423 selection of used & new books, wood puzzles & greeting cords “38 years of Quality Service” Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagen • Audi German Auto Service • MERCEDES • BMW • VOLKSWAGEN • 342-2912 • 2025 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon, 97402 [army camo pair color [pipeS - I OOS [skateboard^ hr, Istickers — 100v!l! hair color pipes oipe — OQ''', skateboards t ct-'-kers — I 100s hotj ^■"-kers — 1000s /T«;hirtc filets |t-shirts Swaliets [body jewelry [posters — 1000s' fstudded belts fmartial arts jewelry off everything *beits 1000s’ mar.ial a, ;s "* Grateful Dead martial arts Grateful Dead backpacks LAZAR'S BAZAR 57 W. BROADWAY • 687-0139 www.Lazars.com "Over $10. Excluding skateboards, snowboards, scales and tobacco products. 0137121 To earn a 4*00 in Brewolosy all you need to know is STEELHEAD* □ 9 Award-Winning Micro-Brews □ Soups, Salads □ Ribs n Fresh Pizza □ Sandwiches □ Pastas n Burgers □ Spirits □ Home-Made Rootbeer TAKE A BREW HOME IN STEELHEAD'S BOX O' BEER Steelhead Brewing Company 199 East 5th Avenue Eugene, OB Phone 686-27)19 Eugene, OR - Burlingame, CA - Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA - Irvine, CA Spend the summer in Vegas Montry Reporter Humor is, without a doubt, the best genre in summer time. Books that promote both laughter and thought are ex cellent when sitting in the shade of 1 the backyard with a nice cold beer. Speaking of beer, nothing better portrays mind-altering substances and “bad crazi ness” than Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Jour ney to the Heart of the American Dream.” Published by Rolling Stone in 1971 and adapted into a movie in * 1998, “Fear and Loathing” is a jour ney into the mind of America's greatest social journalist as he trav els to Las Vegas, taking drugs and generally causing havoc. In the book, Thompson portrays himself as Raoul Duke, a “doctor of journal ism” sent to cover the Mint 400 race and a district attorney’s conference. Along with him is his lawyer, Dr. Gonzo, who is equally crazy. The greatest aspect of “Fear and Loathing,” aside from Thompson's wildly entertaining “gonzo” jour nalistic style, is the mix of humor and insight that Thompson uses to show the beauty of an entire genera tion. He describes the ’60s drug cul ture throughout the book as he ram pages Las Vegas in a drug-induced stupor. The imagery and colors Thompson uses to paint this pic ture are amazing, albeit hard to comprehend unless the reader is fa miliar with his quirky writing style. A small tip with “Fear and Loathing”: Do not watch the movie first. Viewers will be confused and shocked. Let Thompson tell his story through the written word be fore attempting to comprehend the work visually. Fans of “Fear and Loathing” may also enjoy “Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72” and “Hell’s Angels.” If drugs and journalism don’t sound interesting, try the classic “Catch-22,” another book that blends dark humor with an impor tant message: War may seem nec essary to some people, but ulti mately it makes no sense. Written in 1961 by Joseph Heller, “Catch-22” follows an airman in World War II named Yossarian as he struggles to answer the war’s pro found and philosophical question: Why are people trying to kill me? Yossarian ponders this question as he deals with hilarious charac Photo Illustration by Adam Jones Emerald ters, such as “Major Major Major Major,” and invents interesting ways to spend more time in a mili tary hospital. The name of the book also has importance. Throughout the story, Yossarian encounters many “catches,” usually used to keep him in the war. For instance, a mil itary rule states that an airman can be grounded (excused from flying missions) if he or she is crazy. The airman can only be deemed crazy, however, if he asks a military psychiatrist to ground him for being crazy. And any airman who asks to be grounded is obviously not crazy, since “a concern for one’s own safe ty in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind.” That’s a Catch-22. Contact the reporter at janmontry@dailyemerald .com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Emerald. m,