was released as a book. When it was published in 1998, The Rum Diary was billed as "The Long Lost Novel" but it had never in fact been lost. Thompson had always felt it was too weak to sell, but now he needed money. His assistant, Lynn Nesbit, explained: “The Rum Diary came out when it did because he needed money, absolutely. He never would’ve published that twenty years before.” The book sold well but Thompson was disappointed, calling it "the sloppiest job of Book Publishing I've ever seen." Film adaptation The Rum Diary has been adapted into a film. Bruce Robinson wrote the screenplay and directed the film, which stars Johnny Depp as journalist Paul Kemp. Filming took place in Puerto Rico during 2009. It was released on October 28, 2011. References External links totallygonzo.org Totally Gonzo – The Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo Journalism Community Larger version of image from cover 1998 American novels Novels by Hunter S. Thompson American novels adapted into films Puerto Rico in fiction Novels about journalists Novels set in the Caribbean Simon & Schuster books