Fear and Loathing

I just finished reading The World According to Garp, and started in on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas this morning. I was sitting at my coffee shop, drinking coffee (!) and waiting for my buddy to call me. We were going to shoot firearms at a range he knew about. A .357mag revolver and a .45 1911 model. I shot both, and I have to say, for first time shooting (pistols) I did fairly well. Four inch groupings with both .38spec and .357mag rounds he had for the revolver at 10 yards. My groupings with the 1911 were more like 6 or 7 inches, but still doable.

The point of all of this is that Fear and Loathing may not be the best influence on a person just before going to shoot guns. I was trigger-happy, I was speeding crazily the whole way to the range, I moved through traffic like water, like a dancer. I was pretty high off reading. Reading.

Also, don’t invade my house, cause I’ll put a full six rounds where ever I want to.

Also, I wanted to mention some things about Garp since I indicated this was to be a kind of reading journal as well. Namely this: I felt like the book was constantly ending. I felt, at times, like, “This is the end.” And I would feel satisfied and could put it down, only to realize I’m only half way through. And I would think, “Where else could he possibly go with this?” I think it depressed me thoroughly. I’m almost done with Fear and Loathing, but I’ve already made my feelings clear on that. I’m surprised how faithful the movie was to the book.

I have The Unbearable Lightness of Being lined up for after that.

Eric

ps- The reason I mention pistols up there was because I was an expert rifleman in the Marine Corps three years running. At 500 yards with open sights I could put six or seven of ten rounds in the black consistently. I am fairly proud of this fact.