Its too long and very sluggish in places, and theres no real payoff. Thompson, the rum diary is a tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the caribbean boomtown that was san juan, puerto. American journalist paul kemp takes on a freelance job in puerto rico for a local newspaper during the 1960s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there. In 2011, the novel was made into a movie starring depp, aaron eckhart, amber heard, and giovanni ribisi. Thompson this study guide consists of approximately 36 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the rum diary. It is a wonder that it was never published sooner, for it is just as worthy as fear and loathing in las vegas. This writer, paul kemp, comes to puerto rico with the hope of finding adventure, but instead finds love, jealousy, and violence, all pickled in rum. He gets the job and meets sala michael rispoli, who gets him acclimated and tells him he thinks the newspaper will fold soon. Written when he was still honing his skills, this novel shows peeks of the brilliant musical writing style thompson would become known for later in his career. The story involves a journalist named paul kemp who, in the 1950s, moves from new york to work for a major newspaper, the daily news, in san juan, puerto rico. Oct 27, 2011 but rum diary the book was never really about plot, and neither is rum diary the movie.
It is, however, based on the world around thompson at a certain time. Dec 07, 20 although one could claim any thompson book to be a novel, due to the dubious claims and distorted versions of true events, the rum diary is almost entirely fictional. Kemp is a raging alcoholic and the freeflowing cheap rum in puerto rico immediately becomes the priority in his life. In spite of the awkward situation, paul becomes friends with yeamon and several other. It is thompsons second novel, preceded by the stillunpublished prince jellyfish. Used to fend off angry puerto ricans, and accidently used to fry a police officers face da editor. Thompson was written in 1960, but not published until 1998 when the manuscript was found among thompsons papers by johnny depp. Thompson, the rum diary is a tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the caribbean boomtown that. It was one of his earliest works, written in the 1960s and was not published until 1998. This career path looks marginally sunnier in the rum diary, based on a novel he wrote in the early 1970s.
In the summer of 1959, 22yearold journalist jack kemp leaves his home town of new york to work for the daily news in san juan, puerto rico. The rum diary isnt a perfect movie, not even close. The rum diary is an early novel by american writer hunter s. The rum diary is an early work by the gonzo journalist. The rum diary was originally a novella from the twisted mind of 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. Starring johnny depp, giovanni ribisi, aaron eckhart, michael rispoli, amber heard and richard jenkins. The rum diary is a 2011 american comedydrama film written and directed by bruce robinson, based on the 1998 novel of the same name by hunter s. He also just as quickly makes an enemy of the editor of the newspaper that is about to go under, lotterman played by richard jenkins. The plot showcases a young writer who finds himself in the virgin territory of san juan, puerto rico writing for a paper that is months from going under.
The rum diary is a much more subdued and low key film in that regard. Find great book recommendations on most recommended books. Paul kemp johnny depp is an aspiring author who hasnt been able to sell a book. Set in the late 1950s, the novel encompasses a tangled love story involving jealousy, treachery and violent alcoholic lust among the americans who staff the.
He makes a friend in sala played by michael rispoli. We have an early look at johnny depp in his second film based on a hunter s. Nov 01, 1999 made into a major motion picture starring johnny depp, the rum diary a national bestseller and new york times notable book is hunter s. The manuscript, begun in 1959, was discovered among thompsons papers by johnny depp. Ostensibly a novel, the line between fiction and fact feels blurry when reading thompson. The rum diary gives us this side of him without apology. Synopsis paul kemp johnny depp is an aspiring author who hasnt been able to sell a book. There is drinking and some partying, but not a lot and it is not the focus of the film. Thompson, the rum diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the. Buy a cheap copy of the rum diary book by hunter s. The plot of the rum diary is thin but the adventurefilled episodes are legion bar brawls, sexcapades on midnight beaches, drunken spearfishing, narrow escapes from law enforcement. The material doesnt make for a straightforward story on screen. Paul kemp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a rundown newspaper in the caribbean.
Paul kemp is an author who has not been able to sell a book. Its more about the theme, the romantic mood, and most of all, the exuberant wordplay. Lotterman is a vaguely corrupt version of this trope everythings better with chickens. Starring johnny depp in subtlegoofballmeetsalmostreallife character mode, the film follows depps paul kemp as he maneuvers through a series of boozesoaked misadventures with multiple denizens of puerto ricos differing social strata. Thompson wrote the book that his movie is based on. Oct 26, 2011 the mere fact that a movie is based on a book by hunter s. Jun 26, 2020 in the rum diary, however, he pushed more into the realm of fiction but still placed himself at the dead center of the book in the form of paul kemp, a luckless journalist in san juan. It stars johnny depp, aaron eckhart, michael rispoli, amber heard, richard jenkins, and giovanni ribisi. It stars johnny depp, aaron eckhart, michael rispoli, amber heard, richard jenkins, and giovanni ribisi filming began in puerto rico in march 2009 and was released on october 28, 2011. The plot and pace flow compulsively in this classic which is an easy read not to.
I read it about ten years ago, after about ten of his other books, and it was quieter and meandering and washedout, yet with flashes of the crazed quicksilver fury that created the hst legend. Set in san juan, puerto rico, in the late fifties and early sixties, the rum diary is vintage thompson. His model for the rum diary was hemingways first novel, the sun also rises. But its an unofficial followup to 1998s fear and loathing in las vegas, and it marks the return of filmmaker bruce robinson, whose withnail and i has already attained cult classic status. The plot showcases a young writer who finds himself in the virgin territory of san juan, puerto rico writing for a paper that is months.
Here and there i could see a patio or a screen porch where people sat beneath fans and drank rum. The narrator, freelance journalist paul kemp, irresistibly drawn to a sexy, mysterious woman, is soon thrust. It was a story about a young newspaper writers time in puerto rico in the late 1950s, giving a lot of insight into why so many puerto ricans fled to new york at the. It was written in the early 1960s but was not published until 1998. Rum is as plotless as kemps own life, but his passion for chenault and his observational skills are the real story. There were many times when this film made me feel exactly. The plot of the rum diary is thin but the adventurefilled episodes are legion bar brawls, sexcapades on midnight beaches, drunken spearfishing, narrow escapes from law enforcement and. The plot showcases a young writer who finds himself in the virgin territory of san juan. In the summer of 1959, 22yearold journalist jack kemp leaves his home town of new york to work.
Jul 05, 2004 buy the rum diary bloomsbury classic reads by thompson, hunter s. Oct 26, 2011 this career path looks marginally sunnier in the rum diary, based on a novel he wrote in the early 1970s. Salon thompson flashes signs of the vitriol that would later be turned loose on society. The story goes that johnny depp found the manuscript among thompsons papers in his colorado cabin on woody creek, and was instrumental in getting it published and now produced as a film. Made into a major motion picture starring johnny depp, the rum diary a national bestseller and new york times notable book is hunter s. The manuscript, begun in 1959, was discovered amongst thompsons papers by johnny depp. Thompsons brilliant love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent lust in the caribbean. The young journalist jack kemp leaves new york to work at a reputable paper in san juan, puerto rico, where he becomes embroiled in a boozy love affair. The word diary refers to the daily life experience and the incidents happened in a life of a person. I walked a block or so, trying to get the feel of the place, and the bells kept coming closer. The focus and main message that the rum diary was trying to get across is the decline and failure of the. An extended tv spot for the rum diary focuses more on the films plot, but still includes plenty of. A 2011 film starring johnny depp, based on hunter s. With johnny depp, giovanni ribisi, aaron eckhart, michael rispoli.
Thompsons lone novel and written and directed by bruce. Oct 27, 2011 billed as the long lost novel upon its release, the rum diary is narrated by a young journalist named paul kemp who leaves new york for puerto rico and a job with the fictional san juan daily. A modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, supersummary offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Directed by bruce robinson, the rum diary is a comedy less about story and more about characters and their interactions. Thompson, the rum diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in. Thanks for exploring this supersummary plot summary of the rum diary. As thompson noted countless times in letters and interviews, hemingway had been a. Jan 01, 2006 it was a story about a young newspaper writers time in puerto rico in the late 1950s, giving a lot of insight into why so many puerto ricans fled to new york at the time. Tiring of the noise and madness of new york and the crushing conventions of late eisenhowerera america, kemp travels to the pristine island of puerto rico to write for a local newspaper, the san juan based on the early novel by hunter s. Somewhere up the street i heard bells, the sleepy tinkling of brahms lullaby. Interesting, realistic stories of life there at that time, full of craziness, drinking, sex and life in general. Most of the main cast, but especially the side character moberg whose booze consumption puts the rest of the cast drunken characters to shame booze flamethrower.
The main character of the novel, paul kemp, is a journalist in new york city who longs for adventure and excitement. The narrator, freelance journalist paul kemp, irresistibly drawn to a sexy, mysterious woman, is soon thrust into a world where corruption and getric. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. The narrator, freelance journalist paul kemp, irresistibly drawn to a sexy, mysterious woman, is soon thrust into a world where corruption and getrichquick schemes rule, and anything including murder is permissible. Thompson, the rum diary is a tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the caribbean boomtown that was san juan, puerto rico, in the late 1950s.
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