The Rum Diary Audiobook By Hunter S. Thompson cover art

The Rum Diary

A Novel

Preview

Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends January 21, 2025 at 11:59PM ET.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Rum Diary

By: Hunter S. Thompson
Narrated by: Christopher Lane
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends January 21, 2025 11:59PM ET. Cancel anytime.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.96

Buy for $17.96

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Begun in 1959 by a 22-year-old Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the Caribbean boomtown that was San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the late 1950s. The narrator, freelance journalist Paul Kemp, irresistibly drawn to a sexy, mysterious woman, is soon thrust into a world where corruption and get-rich-quick schemes rule and anything (including murder) is permissible. Exuberant and mad, youthful and energetic, this dazzling comedic romp provides a fictional excursion as riveting and outrageous as Thompson's Fear and Loathing books.

©1999 Hunter S. Thompson (P)2011 Simon & Schuster
Classics Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Noir Exciting Funny Run Diary

Critic reviews

“Crackling, twisted, searing, paced to a deft prose rhythm.... A shot of Gonzo with a rum chaser.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)
“Enough booze to float a yacht and enough fear and loathing to sink it.” ( New York Daily News)
“A great and an unexpected joy.... Reveals a young Hunter Thompson brimming with talent.” ( The Philadelphia Inquirer)

What listeners say about The Rum Diary

Highly rated for:

Atmospheric Storytelling Rich Descriptions Excellent Performance Compelling Characters Engaging Writing Style
Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    566
  • 4 Stars
    240
  • 3 Stars
    107
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    12
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    538
  • 4 Stars
    204
  • 3 Stars
    64
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    489
  • 4 Stars
    182
  • 3 Stars
    111
  • 2 Stars
    26
  • 1 Stars
    15

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

HST is wonderfull

Great read. Thompson is amazing and the narrator was spot on. Four more words needed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Better than I expected

Great book, but much slower than Fear and Loathing a serious tone compared to the same novel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

Great book with a great narrative. Nice story to relax and listen to. I would recommend this book to a friend that wanted an easy read with a good story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Kind of just a rambling drunk story- not bad but not interesting

It was ok- not great and not horrible. And having a “15 word minimum” for a review is absolutely ridiculous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A rum review

Loved Thompson's detailed writing although the story took a long time to really get anywhere so I did become a little unengaged. The characters are profoundly real and deeply etched, but on the whole unlikeable as is the protagonist (even though they are entertaining in their dissolute meanderings through life). I find it interesting reading work from the 1950s and earlier, that physical abuse towards women seems to be accepted as easily as batting away a fly. Very disturbing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

discovering Hunter S Thompson

excellent storyline.... can't wait to watch the movie... will definitely read other books by this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great visual

Hunter did justice and felt the emotions and charscters at heart. He did amazing job.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read some of Hunter s Thompson best

Blew the movie out of the water I would def listen to it again. Maybe

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite book

With the old timer talk and the setting of the late 1950s Thompson captured a piece of that decade, and gave it life with real characters going through the crualty and benefits of life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

WAS THIS WORTH TURNING INTO A MOVIE?

What made the experience of listening to The Rum Diary the most enjoyable?

the anticipation of waiting for something meaningful to happen

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

odd, unfufilling

Have you listened to any of Christopher Lane’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't believe I've listened to his other performances. He did a great job with limited material

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

no.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful