BANTAM BOOKS TORONTO, NEW YORK, LONDON, SYDNEY 1983
Stated at copyright: A Bantam Book/November, 1983; number-line beginning w/6. Signed by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson at half-title page: "H. S. T." with what appears to be some additional doodles, symbology, of possibly arrow pointing to heart around palms, etc. Includes original ticket and envelope for appearance on Friday, September 21, 1990 at Zellerbach Auditorium on the U. C. Berkeley campus. White pictorial wraps, some shelf, corner wear. Front, back wraps feature several Steadman illustrations of 'Lono's Marlin Mask'. Large 7" x 10" design. Pages good; moderate discoloration. Vintage inscription inside cover: "Merry Christmas '88, Dave". Bind fine. Profusely illustated in black and white and blazing color by Ralph Steadman. Near good example of this uniquely signed rarity.
Hunter Thompson, the king of Gonzo returns in The Curse of LONO when a seemingly absurd assignment is proposed by 'Running' magazine to cover the Honolulu Marathon. A hilarious, brain-curdling south Sea adventure ensues, the story of HST's epic escapades in Hawai'i... Weird tales from a Weird World by the quintessential outlaw journalist and best-selling author. The Curse of Lono is to Hawaii what Fear and Loathing was to Las Vegas: the crazy tales of a journalist's 'coverage' of a news event that ends up being a wild ride to the dark side of Americana.
Originally published in 1983, Curse features all of the zany, hallucinogenic wordplay and feral artwork for which the Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman duo have become known and loved. This curious book featuring marathon reportage and big game fishing, is considered rather an oddity among Hunter's oeuvre. Includes vignettes by such icons as Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, and Ralph Emerson along with Steadman's slight doctoring of several more classical illustrations. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. 160 pages. Insured post.