A 2011 film starring johnny depp, based on hunter s. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. I was not proud of what i had learned but i never doubted that it was worth knowing. It is very much a young mans book, clearly based on thompsons own situation and some of the peoplemostly drunks and layaboutswho gravitated to. List of the rum rebellion characters dear america wiki. When the celebrated iconoclast was a feisty kid working for an englishlanguage newspaper in san juan 40 years ago, he wrote, and then put aside, a novel, which is here resurrected. For one, both sets of characters are vastly different in many forms. In paul kemp, the novels hero, there are echoes of the. Paul kemp, the narrator, is a young new yorker starting out as a.
While in puerto rico, thompson befriended many of the writers at the star, providing the context for the rum diarys fictional storyline. List of the rum rebellion characters dear america wiki fandom. The rum diary book hennepin county library bibliocommons. With johnny depp, giovanni ribisi, aaron eckhart, michael rispoli. 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. Extract from the rum diary, chapter 15 we went down a dark hall. They worry about humanities future because of the alien visitation that will change human civilization forever. Thompson, the rum diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and. 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 news, an englishlanguage publication staffed by jocular degenerates, talented schemers. Published in 1998, nearly 40 years after it was begun, this fictionalized memoirreleased as a film with johnny depp in 2011contains all the thompson trademarks. Set in san juan, puerto rico, in the late fifties and early sixties, the rum diary is vintage thompson.
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. I regret not reading the rum diaries when it was first released, and its taken the release of the movie to prompt me, to read the book. It was written in the early 1960s but was not published until 1998. The plot showcases a young writer who finds himself in the virgin territory of san juan. Having read the book a few years ago, i was looking forward to the movie.
The rum diary gives us this side of him without apology. The newspaper went out of business a few months later, but thompson transformed his experiences into a novel, the rum diary. The story involves a journalist named paul kemp who, in the 1950s, moves from new york to work for a major newspaper. Thompsons lone novel and written and directed by bruce robinson paul kemp arrives on the island of puerto rico after being enlisted to become the newest reporter for the san juan star. The prominent characters are typical of thompsons work. It was his first novel, and he told his friend, the author william kennedy, that the rum diary would in a twisted way. Paul arrives in san juan and discovers a world much more exotic and violent than he had anticipated. Not published for another 30 years, the book chronicles the turbulent, alcoholimbued times of paul kemp, a young american journalist working for a floundering english newspaper in san juan. Rent the rum diary 2011 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Catherine so we know where its origins lie and the unfamiliar bottler is aurhum. Hunter makes it easy to imagine you were right there with him.
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. All the characters that appear in the rum rebellion. Thompson novel, this adventure follows a liquoredup new york journalist johnny depp. Theres no deep characterization nor natural growth of the bond between characters. The rum diary bloomsbury classic reads paperback 5 july. The restaurant and bar is on the main strip of bondi but if you dont know what youre looking for, it might slip right past you. The rum diary is a drama conjoined with elements of playful humour, based on the self entitled novel by hunter s. This movement of desire engenders the resentment that drives the narrative toward its scenes of collective violence. There is a lot of jealousy and treachery in the novel. Paul is a reporter who has taken a job with an english speaking newspaper in san juan, puerto rico.
Its hardly a surprise, then, to learn that thompson has had a novel locked away in a. Allegedly autobiographical, the rum diary is an accounting of newspaper journalist paul kemps alcohol induced. Thompsons early novel the rum diary a thematic prequel of sorts to fear and. Paul kemp arrives on the island of puerto rico after being enlisted to become the newest. Made into a major motion picture starring johnny depp, the rum diary a national bestseller and new york times notable bookis hunter s. By the time he was 20, he had already been fired as a copy boy for time magazine for insubordination and from the middletown n. The rum diary is an early novel by american writer hunter s. The manuscript, begun in 1959, was discovered amongst thompsons papers by johnny depp.
For one, the characters in childhoods end think about the future of humanity. Based in the late fifties on the sundrenched latin american caribbean island of puerto rico and centred around a group of quite hedonistic american journalists, based in sanjuan as they survive on a diet of litres of rum, junk food at seedy bars, and an extreme. Differences between the rum diary book vs movie page 1. In 2011, the novel was made into a movie starring depp, aaron eckhart, amber heard, and giovanni ribisi. Thompson was 22 when he began work on the rum diary, a novel based on his own experiences working as a journalist in san juan, puerto rico in 1959. Everyones drunk, chenault a bit more so, and is intent on dancing. Given the amount of alcohol, paranoia and depravity splashed across its pages, one might almost consider hunter s. The rum diary quotes showing of 70 i was not proud of what i had learned but i never doubted that it was worth knowing.
It stars johnny depp, aaron eckhart, michael rispoli, amber heard, richard jenkins, and giovanni ribisi. The narrator, freelance journalist paul kemp, irresistibly drawn to a sexy, mysterious woman, is soon thrust. The rum diary was begun in 1959 by thentwentytwoyearold hunter s. 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. The two supporting characters in the rum diary are interesting in a unique way due to the situations they encounter as well as the situations that they put the main character paul kemp into. Thompsons brilliant love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent lust in the caribbean. The background is that chenault is yeamons girlfriend. Blood sport, the bush doctrine, and the downward spiral of dumbness. Another difference that i notices between childhoods end and the rum diary, are the characters in each book. Depp, the rum diarya national bestseller and new york times notable bookis hunter s.
Today i have a familiar rum but from an unfamiliar independent bottler. Thompsons the rum diary is knows as the long lost novel, and since it is such an entertaining book that we all should be grateful that it was found. The film boasts one of the most critically acclaimed actors johnny depp, who is joined by other noticeable stars such as aaron eckhart the dark knight, giovanni ribisi gone in 60 seconds and upcoming beauty amber heard. Many drinks are poured so there is a bit of violence too.
The main characters and most of the minor characters, too drink very, very heavily even obsessively. Paul kemp is the first person narrator of the novel. In the rum diary, the metaphysical and interdividual nature of desire is explored through the narrator paul kemps reflections on his involvement in the mimetic sexual and economic ambitions of the novels other characters. Jul 05, 2004 i regret not reading the rum diaries when it was first released, and its taken the release of the movie to prompt me, to read the book. Thompsons second novel the rum diary chronicles the drunken misadventures of paul kemp, a journalist who moves from new york city to puerto rico to write for a small newspaper. 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. Daily record for destroying the office candy machine. Thompsons lone novel and written and directed by bruce robinson. The washington post book world a remarkably full and mature first novel.
Salon thompson flashes signs of the vitriol that would later be turned loose on society. Thompson, the rum diary is a brilliantly tangled love story. Rent the rum diary 2011 starring johnny depp and aaron eckhart on dvd and bluray. Thompsons lone novel and written and directed by bruce. Thompson, will appeal to anyone who harbors romantic ideas about. Based in the late fifties on the sundrenched latin american caribbean island of puerto rico and centred around a group of quite hedonistic american journalists, based in sanjuan.
The johnny deppproduced adaptation of hunter s thompsons semiautobiographical novel is lovingly made, but its bit of a vanity project. Thompson the novelist used his commonlaw wife and his louisville friend paul semonin as characters. Although thompson wrote his narrative at the age of 22, it deals extensively with a fear of going over the hill and growing old. The rum diary, directed by bruce robinson withnail and i and based on an early novel of the same title by hunter s. The three of them shared a cinderblock shack on the beach in. In the early 1960s, after he had discovered booze but before he had stumbled across drugs, the young hunter s. Kemp, the narrator gets involved with a woman who is with another man. Kemp is introduced to his newest coworkers and cigarchomping editor boss and is told he will be doing color stories for the paper. Made into a major motion picture starring johnny depp, the rum diarya national bestseller and new york times notable bookis hunter s. 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. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to steven james and rum diaries blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. When the celebrated iconoclast was a feisty kid working for an englishlanguage newspaper in san juan 40 years ago, he wrote, and then put aside, a novel. The rum diary is a 2011 american comedydrama film written and directed by bruce robinson, based on the novel of the same name by hunter s. Filming began in puerto rico in march 2009 and was released on october 28, 2011.
Paul kemp breaks into the profession on a newspaper in puerto rico and through his eyes are portrayed colorful characters in the days when newspapers flourished. The rum diary has several unique characters intertwined into kemps life in san juan. The rum diaries is a great refreshing read like the breaks of the caribbean ocean. Before we dig into the bottle information it may be prudent to set the scene of who aurhum actually are and why they choose to do what they do. Whats the difference between the rum diary the book and the rum diary the movie. The rum diaries, located in bondi, is a hidden gem in plain sight. Written when he was only 22, the novel is a very downtoearth account of a young mans experience of working as a journalist in puerto rico circa 1960.
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. Thompson, the rum diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in. Hunters cast of characters are edgy, strange, desperate, half crazy. The rum diary takes place in san juan, puerto rico during the late 1950s. Some of the two characters antics land them in trouble, ranging from being beat up at a club, or being sent to jail.