Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As someone who loved Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and much of Thompson's collected journalistic works, I was extremely disappointed by the three stories in Screwjack. "Mescalito", the opening piece, reads well as a poetic drug experience account but doesn't contain the strong, biting sarcasm or political sense present in Fear and Loathing and The Great Shark Hunt. "Death of a Poet", printed also in Kingdom of Fear, lacks the humor of Thompson's other works, and seems to be just another attempt to impress the reader with a far-fetched outlaw story. Ordinarily this would be enjoyable, but HST's writing comes off as dry and intentionally lacking in morality or emotion, and his voice just doesn't leap off the page as in much of his other writing. Finally, I honestly have no idea why the title piece "Screwjack" was so critically acclaimed; it again lacks humor or Thompson's instantly recognizable tone and does not come off as anything resembline the "unnaturally poignant love story" promised on the jacket. Overall this book, in all its 30-something actual pages, strikes me as little more than a rip-off, Thompson knowingly exploiting his large fan base by releasing an incredibly short volume of mediocre writing after a decade's wait. If you want a real Hunter S. Thompson fix, read Fear and Loathing or The Great Shark Hunt - buying them or borrowing them from the library will take roughly the amount of time you'd waste reading this.
Rating: 
Summary: For the die hard
Review: Hunter is the man But you need to be a die hard fan to get this book because it is very short and isn't the most interesting thing you have every read. but it is good for collectors.
Rating: 
Summary: yeah -- I got screwed alright
Review: Hunter must be in some need of serious funds these days --- maybe he wants to fill his swimming pool with ether instead of water.
I've bought and enjoyed many a book by this pig f%$!er, but this will be the last. The text is too large, the story too short and boring.
"Buy a ticket, take the ride" --- whatever, man. He's not had any growth as an author since the 70s. I guess antiques have their place in the world.
Rating:
Summary: Be Wary of the E-Book!
Review: I bought the eBook (digital download) version of this expecting to get the full book. Instead all I got was the Introduction and the title story, for a total of 13 pages. I told Amazon about it and they quickly refunded my money. Be aware.
Rating: 
Summary: Great look into the mind of a genius
Review: I rode my motorcycle 20 miles in a light rain to eat breakfast in a cafe on the California coast with this small book stuffed into my worn leather jacket's inner pocket. I will never forget the look into Hunter S Thompson's psyche that this great little book provides for the reader. His words are especially powerful in "Mescalito" the author's first experience with Mesculine. His words as well as his train of thought become more and more garbled as he experiences the first of many wild rides that have become the wonderful although sometimes controversial subject matter for many of Thompson's writings. This is a great taste of Hunter S Thompson, for someone discovering or re-discovering his writing.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Mahalo! Gonzo fiends... when Hunter Thompson needs extra cash, he releases three pieces of literature rivaling only William S. Burroughs in pure maniacal insanity. The main composition of "Screwjack" consist of Thompson's Mescalito, Death of a Poet, and Screwjack, all of which constitute pieces written by Thompson while on massive amounts of mind altering "experiences." Within the opus, no plots and themes to these three stream of consciousness prose; thus, it is pure Gonzo in its natural state. Thompson on assignment and drugs means only people who have prior experience with his other work, can have a total grasp on what Mr. Duke is trying to say. Thompson's writing is demanding of the reader, and unequivocally grasps at any attention lying in wait. Lurking around the ominous corner is more tales, more stories, and Hunter Thompson inscrutably proves himself as a great writer. Thompson collects his own correspondence, and saves every letter he receives; thus, a communication at the beginning of the book. Mescalito rages on in drug frenzy fashion from start to finish, along with Death of a Poet and Screwjack. These three pieces are very creative to say the least, and publishing only happened recently for this particular Raoul Duke outburst. The very essence of the first story is Thompson battling himself in a Los Angeles hotel room while trying to finish a story and on different strengths of alcohol and drugs.
Death of a Poet tells the tale of a man on his last straw with the surrounding environment around him, and the violent means to his finality. Raoul Duke runs across a hardcore gambler in his shack, on his last dime, and witnesses evil violence that one with only concrete sanity may even have a remote chance of describing. Screwjack is a complete chaotic mess of love letter gone completely wrong where Mr. Duke experiences a kind of frustration only held to those who see past the seers. Thompson's ingenious diction and complete nonsense clash with violent fervor, and either grip the reader, or turn the reader loose, never to look upon Thompson's work again. The editor's note for this piece is not only is an insightful blurb for the reader, but to fully understand what Thompson wrote, the editors must explain in their own words Mr. Duke's fascination with drug induced insanity. Only spend money on this Thompson collection if you have some loose lucre to throw around, and are looking for some madness.
Rating: 
Summary: Raoul Duke Consumes some more Mescaline
Review: Mahalo! Gonzo fiends... when Hunter Thompson needs extra cash, he releases three pieces of literature rivaling only William S. Burroughs in pure maniacal insanity. The main composition of "Screwjack" consist of Thompson's Mescalito, Death of a Poet, and Screwjack, all of which constitute pieces written by Thompson while on massive amounts of mind altering "experiences." Within the opus, no plots and themes to these three stream of consciousness prose; thus, it is pure Gonzo in its natural state. Thompson on assignment and drugs means only people who have prior experience with his other work, can have a total grasp on what Mr. Duke is trying to say. Thompson's writing is demanding of the reader, and unequivocally grasps at any attention lying in wait. Lurking around the ominous corner is more tales, more stories, and Hunter Thompson inscrutably proves himself as a great writer. Thompson collects his own correspondence, and saves every letter he receives; thus, a communication at the beginning of the book. Mescalito rages on in drug frenzy fashion from start to finish, along with Death of a Poet and Screwjack. These three pieces are very creative to say the least, and publishing only happened recently for this particular Raoul Duke outburst. The very essence of the first story is Thompson battling himself in a Los Angeles hotel room while trying to finish a story and on different strengths of alcohol and drugs.
Death of a Poet tells the tale of a man on his last straw with the surrounding environment around him, and the violent means to his finality. Raoul Duke runs across a hardcore gambler in his shack, on his last dime, and witnesses evil violence that one with only concrete sanity may even have a remote chance of describing. Screwjack is a complete chaotic mess of love letter gone completely wrong where Mr. Duke experiences a kind of frustration only held to those who see past the seers. Thompson's ingenious diction and complete nonsense clash with violent fervor, and either grip the reader, or turn the reader loose, never to look upon Thompson's work again. The editor's note for this piece is not only is an insightful blurb for the reader, but to fully understand what Thompson wrote, the editors must explain in their own words Mr. Duke's fascination with drug induced insanity. Only spend money on this Thompson collection if you have some loose lucre to throw around, and are looking for some madness.
Rating:
Summary: Just not worth the money.
Review: Makes me wish I was famous and had some unpublished material to cash in on. You should be ashamed of yourself Hunter. Decent material, but $12? Has the value equation completely left our culture?
Rating:
Summary: Just not worth the money.
Review: Makes me wish I was famous and had some unpublished material to cash in on. You should be ashamed of yourself Hunter. Decent material, but ...? Has the value equation completely left our culture?
Rating:
Summary: ...It's A Damn Fine Book
Review: Some reviewers were unjustifiably harsh in their comments in regards to Screwjack. While all are entitled to their own opinion, it would seem that those with a blast of negativity were searching for some pseudo-Fear and Loathing II. While HST did write extensively on over-indulgence, he shouldn't be labled only as the writer of an around-the-bend drug odyssey. Thompson is in fact a fine craftsman of language, which is prominatly displayed in Screwjack. Each story imbibes a surreal experience. More like twisted fairy tales than short stories. Screwjack itself is my personal favorite piece. It has a poetic flow and almost a sing-song rhythm. Reading Screwjack reminds me of strange dreams an blurry memories. Certainly something to check out.
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