A Southern Gothic novel, the Heart is a Lonely Hunter focuses on four characters who confide in one man, John Singer, a deaf-mute. The characters include Mick, a teenage girl whose parents own the boarding house where Singer lives, Biff, the owner of the local cafe, Jake Blount, a union organizer, and Dr. Copeland, a black man who wants to build up his community. The novel explores the deep isolation felt by all of the characters, including Singer himself, who has been left alone by his sick friend.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1971 novel by Hunter S. Thomson about the aftermath and failure of the 1960s counterculture movement with themes of hedonism, idealism and disappointment. The story follows reporter Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, his attorney, as they travel to Las Vegas to report on the Mint 400 motorcycle race. Based on many of Thomson's own experiences, the story chronicles the pair's misadventures and excessive use of psychedelic drugs as they reflect on the lost aspirations of their generation.