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The universe is a joke. Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to
search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey. Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I
knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey. Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room. For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor
comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable. It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by
Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism'). Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who
don't. We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true. It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists,
anyhow. Demanding the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world. It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.
In my experience, readers either love Adams' books or quickly put them down. I, for example, quite literally worship the words Adams puts on the page, and have read the Hitchhiker's Trilogy so many times that I have large tracts of it memorized. But both my wife and father couldn't get past book one: the former because she found it too silly, and the latter because he found the writing to be more about "the
author's personality" than plot and character. Whatever. The first three books in the Hitc Whatever. The first three books in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Life, the Universe and Everything--are inspired lunacy. The ideas, plots, puns, jokes, and phrases that fill their pages have influenced an entire generation of not only writers, but people from all fields. For
instance: the Babel Fish software that translates foreign websites for you is named after a species of fish that Adams created in book one; you can find dozens of recipes online for Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters; the chess computer Deep Thought that lost two matches to Gary Kasparov in 1989 was named after a computer in book one; and seriously, who hasn't heard that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42? (For more of these, consult wikipedia.org's entry on
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Cultural References".) Chances are, if you're reading these books for the first time, you'll be surprised to see how many everyday things were named after Adams'
creations. The books aren't, of course, without their problems. Adams himself admitted that the Trilogy had, and I paraphrase, a long beginning, a long conclusion, and not much in the middle (though I can't remember where I read that). He was also regularly accused of writing for the sake of cranking out one-liners. The books as a whole jump about like a manic puppy on methamphetamines, and there are at least a few jokes in there that will completely fly over the heads of any readers who
lack a basic comprehension of quantum physics. Despite this, the Hitchhiker's Trilogy remains as the single most entertaining and enjoyable series of books I've ever read--a position they've occupied for some fifteen years. Adams' wit and wisdom still baffle me in their greatness, and he remains to this day one of only two authors who can regularly, consistently make me howl with laughter (the other being Terry Pratchett). Readers beware: if the Adams bug infects you, you will have it for
life. And you'll never be sorry you let it bite.
I am not one of those who think this is the best book ever written. It does not affect me on any deep emotional level and this kind of quirky sci-fi comedy is just not really my thing. However, that being said,
Adams' has some of the best quotes EVER (not all of these are from this exact book): "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." "For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more int "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." "For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was
muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons." "The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." "Would it save you
a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?" "The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."
Apr 03, 2017 Federico DN rated it it was amazing Absurdity at its finest. Arthur Dent
is having a bad day, his house is about to be levelled down because it’s in the way of the construction of a new freeway. At the local pub, he encounters his enigmatic friend Ford Prefect. Prefect, a galactic hitchhiker, is leaving the Earth, and taking Dent with him. A minor nuisance; apparently the Earth is just about to be demolished to make way for an interstellar freeway. Dent’s realization is instant, several billions of people are going to have a ver Arthur Dent is having a bad day, his house is about to be levelled down because it’s in the way of the construction of a new freeway. At the local pub, he encounters his enigmatic friend Ford Prefect. Prefect, a galactic hitchhiker, is leaving the Earth, and taking Dent with him. A minor nuisance; apparently the Earth is just about to be demolished to make way for an interstellar freeway. Dent’s realization is instant,
several billions of people are going to have a very bad day. This is the most ridiculously funny book I’ve ever read. Although that may be because it was my very first of the kind. I think the hype is very well deserved, if you are into that kind of humor. I lost track of how many times it made me laugh, and I’m not really an easy person to make laugh. Outrageously silly sci-fi humor in every single chapter. An unforgettable ride through an absurdity of worlds scattered along the vast
craziness of an unfathomable galaxy. The movie (2005) is a mediocre adaptation at best; even with a stellar cast like Rockwell, Deschanel and Malkovich. It’s not nearly as funny as the book, not by a long shot, at least for me. It doesn’t make it justice and is not exactly faithful to the original work. And sadly, you just can’t bring down the magnificently complex absurdity of Douglas writing to cinematic dialog without losing much of its original magic. -----------------------------------------------
Absurdidad en su máxima expresión. Arthur Dent tiene un mal día, su casa está a punto de ser derribada porque está en el camino de la
construcción de una nueva carretera. En un bar local, se encuentra con su enigmático amigo Ford Prefect. Prefect, un autoestopista galáctico, está por abandonar la Tierra, y se va llevar a Dent con él. Una pequeña molestia; al parecer la Tierra está a punto de ser demolida para darle paso a una autopista intergaláctica. La realización de Dent es instantánea, varios billones de personas van a tener un muy mal día. Este es el libro más ridículamente gracioso que leí jamás. Aunque eso es tal
vez porque fue el primero que leí de su especie. Creo que su fama está muy bien merecida, si te atrae ése tipo de humor. Perdí la cuenta de cuántas veces me hizo reir, y no soy una persona realmente fácil de hacer reir. Atrozmente tonto humor de ciencia ficción en cada capítulo. Un inolvidable paseo a través de una absurdidad de mundos esparcidos a lo largo de la vasta locura de una insondable galaxia. La película (2005) es una mediocre adaptación cuando mucho; incluso con un elenco
estrella como Rockwell, Deschanel y Malkovich. No es ni de cerca tan graciosa como el libro, ni por asomo, al menos para mí. No le hace justicia y no es exactamente fiel a la obra original. Y tristemente, no podés traer la magníficamente compleja absurdidad de la escritura de Douglas a diálogo cinematográfico sin perder mucha de su magia original. -----------------------------------------------
A work that showed humanity its insignificance and that madness is a general,
entertaining trait in the universe. One of the greatest milestones of the rare Sci-Fi comedy hybrids, although it´s losing quality after the first 3 parts. Fantasy seems to be more prone to comedy than Sci-Fi, I don´t know why that´s the fact. I would tend to call it kind of Terry Pratchett in space, because of the unique wit, just without the stamina for so many parts. Adams dying in a fitness center of a heart attac One of the greatest milestones of the rare Sci-Fi comedy hybrids, although it´s losing quality after the first 3 parts. Fantasy seems to be more prone to comedy than Sci-Fi, I don´t know why that´s the fact. I would tend to call it kind of Terry Pratchett in space, because of the unique wit, just without the stamina for so many parts. Adams dying in a fitness center of a heart attack comes in here
too, although he already stopped continuing the series years before. More sheer fun than the rest of the serious Running gags, some sci-fi elements, and comedy characters. So successful because it´s so easy to read The second and third part of the series
include some of the best indirect social criticism too. Useless fandom trivia Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
It's not you, it's me... well maybe it's also you. Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Some of the humor I liked
but it was too absurd for me and it was too slow to really start. I wish I had liked it as much as everyone else but it definitely didn't make it to my "favorite books of all time" list! UPDATE: I finally figured out what was my issue with this book. There's a French movie called "Rrrrrrr" (similar humour to Monty Pyton) and I've had way more fun using the jokes out of context with fr Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Some of the humor I liked but it was too absurd for me and it was too slow to really start. I wish I had liked it as much as everyone else but it definitely didn't make it to my "favorite books of all time" list! UPDATE: I finally figured out what was my issue with this book. There's a French movie called "Rrrrrrr" (similar humour to Monty Pyton) and I've had way more fun using the jokes out of context with friends than I did actually
watching the movie. Recommending it was always a bit weird because it's just an okay movie but... the jokes are funny afterwards. This summarizes exactly how I feel about this book!
See my video review here: https://youtu.be/hfJJDQOroho This is a book written in
1979 which follows the story of Arthur Dent who is having a bad day because his house is about to be torn down to make way for a highway. However, he has more things to worry about because the Earth is about to be demolished to make way for the galactic highway. Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Perfect are scooped up from Earth just a second before it is wiped out. The two of them travel through the galaxy and encount This is a book written in 1979 which follows the story of Arthur Dent who is having a bad day because his house is about to be torn down to make way for a highway. However, he has more things to worry about because the Earth is about to be demolished to make way for the galactic highway. Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Perfect are scooped up from Earth just a second before it is wiped
out. The two of them travel through the galaxy and encounter many different people along the way including a depressed robot. The first half of the book was really funny. I was reading this with a family member, and we both were laughing out loud every couple of minutes. The second half of the book was less funny because it was more plot driven. This book won't be for everyone, because some of the humor is a bit dry. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I am not sure if the jokes will really
translate that well to the big screen. Overall, it was a quick read and pretty enjoyable. However, as mentioned earlier, the pacing felt a bit off but keep in mind this book was written in the 1970's before the 8 second attention spans developed by YouTube. 2022 Reading Schedule Connect With Me!
What does Kim Jong-Il, a thong-wearing mechanic and this missing link furry fellow have to do with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy? With the plethora of wonderful reviews already written for this book by my fellow GRs, I decided instead to provide some helpful,
practical advice on why reading this book might benefit my fellow goodreaders. Therefore, as both life management tool and a safety warning, I have compiled my: Top 5 Reasons With the plethora of wonderful reviews already written for this book by my fellow GRs, I decided instead to provide some helpful,
practical advice on why reading this book might benefit my fellow goodreaders. Therefore, as both life management tool and a safety warning, I have compiled my: Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Number 4: The book is smart, funny, well-written and full of wonderful commentary on the human condition and clever humor: … ‘You know,’ said Arthur, ‘it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.’ … Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mindboggingly useful could
have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God. The argument goes something like this: `I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, ‘for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.’ ‘But,’ says Man, ‘The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.’ ‘Oh dear,’ says God, ‘I hadn't thought of
that,' and promptly vanished in a puff of logic. …For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons … ‘Ah,’ said Arthur, ‘this is obviously some
strange usage of the word safe that I wasn't previously aware of.’ Seriously, isn’t the absence of thong-boy reason enough to give this book a chance? Number 2: North Korea's Kim Jong- il hates this book ...and the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And finally…. Number 1: Understanding the deep, nuanced meaning at the heart of this novel will help better prepare you should you ever find yourself in a situation like this: Don’t wait until it’s too late…for yourself and your loved ones, read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy today. If through sharing the above bit of meaningless nonsense wisdom, I have: (i) introduced someone to a worthwhile read, or (ii)provided a means of dealing with the agonizing pain of having chunks of fur ripped from their body, or (iii) shown people a picture of a man in a thong changing a tire, or (iv) pissed off a despotic assclown, or (v) simply provided a safety tip regarding avoiding unsolicited sexual advances in the guise of impromptu gift-giving, than I feel I have accomplished something.I only did this because I had a collection of funny pics and couldn’t figure out what else to do with them so I bootstrapped them in to a review I care.3.5 stars. ...more
Please, before anything... DON'T PANIC.This review is harmless, well mostly harmless. I think that one of the things that one has to keep in mind while reading this book is that it was
written in 1979. Having this important factor in perspective, it's quite astonishing the vision of Douglas Adams, the author, presenting a lot of visionary elements, starting with the very "book inside the book", I mean The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, since it's presented as an electronic book. which now it' I think that
one of the things that one has to keep in mind while reading this book is that it was written in 1979. Having this important factor in perspective, it's quite astonishing the vision of Douglas Adams, the author, presenting a lot of visionary elements, starting with the very "book inside the book", I mean The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, since it's presented as an electronic book. which now it's a very common way to read a lot of books now. Also, he mentioned stuff like
"touch-sensitive screens" that yet again, it's now something introduced in our daily lives. Science-Fiction, the good science fiction is defined by being visionary in the moment to be published and a fact, years later. Just like Verne's work predicting events like space rockets and nuclear submarines. The President of the Universe holds no real power. His sole purpose is to take attention away from where the power truly exists... Obviously, beside the mesmering
tecnology stuff that he predicted, the signature style here is his remarkable sense of humor, SMART sense of humor. In literature and pop culture in general, there were been unforgettable examples of computers like the cold HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the noble K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, also robots like the loyal R2-D2 from Star Wars and the logical robots from I, Robot short story collection. However, nothing of that can prepare you to the experience
of meeting "Eddie", the Main Computer of the Heart of Gold spaceship or Marvin, the Paranoid Android. This is one of the best traits of Douglas Adams' wit in the development of artificial intelligence. I wasn't surprised since some months ago, I read Shada by Gareth Roberts but based on the Doctor Who's unaired script written by Douglas Adams where you find another priceless example of a computer with a personality that only Adams is able to develop. You laugh and laugh with them
BUT not only because they's funny but also they are truly logical as artifical intelligences in their way to react to situations. Adams' impact of how presenting artificial intelligence can be found too in another novel of Doctor Who, Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris, where the author showed how well he learned Adams' lessons. Resistance is useless! I believe that Douglas Adams' involvement in the production of the iconic British sci-fi TV
series Doctor Who as script editor and writer of three stories, it was fated since I found remarkable similarities on the premises of both works, this novel and the TV series. Both has a peculiar fellow who stole certain machine and along with companions is travelling around. So, it wouldn't a surprise that he got some inspiration since Doctor Who was widely known since 1963 specially on its native country, England. Of course, his participation on another British TV institution
like Monty Python's Flying Circus was a relevant point for Adams to explode his humoristic potential. To boldly split infinitives that no man had split before... It's possible that people unfamiliar with Adams' work could think that since this is a novel with comedy, they could think that it can't be a "serious" science-fiction book. However, the brilliance of this novel is its capacity of offering smart humor while using scientific concepts like the theory of
faster-than-light objects. Even you won't be able to fight against his priceless explanation behind the UFOs' sightings. Without spoiling anything, I think that my only reason of getting off a star in my rating of this great novel was its lacking a proper closure. I understand that this the first book in a trilogy of five books (yes, you read correctly, it wasn't a mistake) so the adventures and mysteries will continue in the second book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
However, it was quite unsettling when you are having the time of your life reading it and the book just stopped to have words. I describe it like that since I didn't feel an ending. It was indeed just like the impossibility of not finding more words in the book. What I can give to Adams is that that was quite improbable but in my opinion, quite unlikely way to just "ending" this book. Certainly I want to read the rest of this great TRILOGY of FIVE
books. (Yes, yet again, you read well, and it isn't a mistake)
Summary Along with his friend, Arthur Dent escapes from Earth before it was demolished and goes for a hilarious yet intriguing trip through the galaxy. Some fascinating facts related to this this book Along with his friend, Arthur Dent escapes from Earth before it was demolished and goes for a hilarious yet intriguing trip through the
galaxy. Some fascinating facts related to this this book Why are so many people obsessed with this book? How did it influence Elon Musk’s design philosophy? Science Fiction to Reality Elon Musks’ Hitchhiker’s-Guide-inspired Design Philosophy 2. “Take ages to form your question.” 3. “Question your
constraints.” 4. “Don’t optimize a thing that shouldn’t exist.” 5. “The product errors reflect organizational errors.” My favourite lines from this book “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.” Verdict
Feb 11, 2018 J.L. Sutton rated it really liked it “Space is big. You just won't believe how
vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” Another great reread of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Always entertaining and so absurdly profound! Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an entertaining romp through the galaxy. It's a book I've read several times (first in high school); however, after reading Kurt Vo Another great reread of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Always entertaining and so absurdly profound! Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an entertaining romp through the galaxy. It's a book I've read several
times (first in high school); however, after reading Kurt Vonnegut's most overtly science fiction novel, The Sirens of Titan, it almost felt like a fresh experience. Of course, Vonnegut and Adams are very different writers. Still, the influence of Vonnegut is evident in Adams' seminal novel of nerd culture. The absurdity of the human condition explored in Sirens (something which Vonnegut refuses to take seriously but can't treat as a punchline either) gets a funny and entertaining twist in
Adams' work. While I view Sirens as a better novel, it took Adams to turn that absurdity into such an entertaining adventure.
Re-Read 4/2/22: Read this book for the first time with my daughter. I figured it is a piece of culture and I'm nothing if not a man of culture. Plus, the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys. Out of almost
all of the hilarious things in this book, my daughter was supremely taken by: "You want me," said Prosser, spelling out this new thought to himself, "to come and lie over there..." We h Read this book for the first time with my daughter. I figured it is a piece of culture and I'm
nothing if not a man of culture. Plus, the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys. Out of almost all of the hilarious things in this book, my daughter was supremely taken by: "You want me," said Prosser, spelling out this new thought to himself, "to come and lie over there..." We have, in point of fact, put towels on our heads and acted out
the scene more than a few times. Not 42 times, however. There are only so many hours in the day. I think it was a hit. But we must always remember... Don't Panic. Original Review: I'm a firm believer that every budding reader ought to read this book first so they can be utterly and completely ruined for literature for the rest of their lives. Of course, if you're an older reader, with experience and verve when it comes to words, you might also be completely ruined for
literature for the rest of your life, too, but I'm not counting you. In fact, I don't care about you. I have a towel. And I know how to USE IT. It's almost, but not quite entirely unlike having a clue. Fortunately, I, myself had been totally ruined for literature early on in my life and I think I might have read this book around seven or eight times before I got the idea that nothing else I would ever read would quite stack up to it, and afterward, I just decided to become
Marvin and assume that the whole world was not quite worth living. But, again, fortunately, I remembered that I was an Earthling and I could replace most of my cognitive centers with "What?" and get along quite nicely. So that's what I did and ever since I've been reading normal books and saying "What?" quite happily. You SEE? Happy endings DO happen. As long as you're not a pot of Petunias. Of course, that story would take WAY too long to tell. I think I want to grab a bite to
eat. Maybe I ought to meet the meat.
I hated this book. It was required in one of my English Lit. classes in college. The time spent reading this book is time that I will never get back. I think this book may have shortened my life; it was such a waste of time.
3.5 stars Clever & witty, but not (to me) a laugh out loud sort of funny. The characters are all obnoxious and silly in the best way possible and so is the plot, but for the life of me, I can't think of a way to describe this thing without spoilers. If you don't want to take the time to read the book? This was my 2nd ti 3.5 starsClever & witty, but not (to me) a laugh out loud sort
of funny.
The characters are all obnoxious and silly in the best way possible and so is the plot, but for the life of me, I can't think of a way to describe this thing without spoilers. If you don't want to take the time to read the book? This was my 2nd time around with this story, and I enjoyed the audiobook version read by Stephen Fry this time. <-- you can't really go wrong with that. ...more
What can I say? I wish I had been in the movie, although it was bad and I guess I should be happy about NOT being in it.
What a weird little book. Something I'll do, almost immediately after finishing a book, is Google the heck out of the genre it
belongs to. For example, after finishing Furiously Happy, I wanted to find a book that would make me laugh as much as it did. When in doubt, turn to Google. I have googled "most funny books" , "funny fiction books" and " comedy books". Each time, this was one of the top results. And since, I got Audible for Christmas, I thought I would give it a try. (But also because Goo Something I'll do, almost immediately after
finishing a book, is Google the heck out of the genre it belongs to. For example, after finishing Furiously Happy, I wanted to find a book that would make me laugh as much as it did. When in doubt, turn to Google. I have googled "most funny books" , "funny fiction books" and " comedy books". Each time, this was one of the top results. And since, I got Audible for Christmas, I thought I would give it a try. (But also because Google is shoving it down my throat.) I'm still not totally sure
how I feel about it. I keet waffling. One chapter, I'd be laughing and thinking I would definitely rate it 5 Stats but the next, I would be bored and wanted to rate it 3. (I decided on 3.5 stars). This book is described as sci-fi AND comedy. A very very weird combo. I like both of those genres separately but together they were just weird. I love chocolate and I love grilled cheese but would I put them together? Heck, no. (Well, I might but I've been known to have weird food combos. Cheese
and chocolate. Eggs and syrup. Apple's and chips.) Aside from the genres, the plot was very creative. They story open a with the end. The end of earth. Two aliens and two aliens the travel the Universe and hilarity ensues. That's all fine and good but then the book just ended. I can only describe at as like when your walking and reading and you run into a wall and your nose gets all scraped up. (Not that that's happened to me or anything 😶) All in all, I have very mixed feelings. I
loved the idea and the humor. I also loved the sci-fi aspect but when all of that was combined it was not all that great | Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest |
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Not sure what it was about this book that made me not like it as much as I was hoping. When I was growing up I remember watching the BBC TV show and playing the text adventure on my Commodore 64 (yes, I am getting old).
Before I actually read it, lots of my friends recommended it and the cool, edgy people all loved it (basically, the hipsters of the 90s! 😉) When I finally read it, it seemed a bit dry to me. Perhaps that was the famous dry British humor? Also, it felt like Adams was trying to incl When I finally read it, it seemed a bit dry to me. Perhaps that was the famous dry British humor? Also, it felt like Adams was trying to include a joke in every sentence. I started to think that perhaps the TV show and the text adventure streamlined the humor and made it more accessible to me. I do think that a lot of people will like this one and sing its praises - and you don't even need to be cool and edgy! But if you like your British humor in controlled, coherent doses, you may have the same experience as me.
Don’t panic. This is a wholly remarkable book. For those of you who have NOT read Douglas Adams’ classic, drop what you’re doing right this very instant and go
get a book. You can buy a copy at the bookstore, download it from Kindle, or check it out at the library. No, seriously, literally stop what you’re doing and go get a copy and do nothing for the next three to four hours as you read this brilliant and hilarious book. Go ahead, leave work, duck out of school, cancel that appointment and just r This is a wholly remarkable book. For those of you who have NOT read Douglas
Adams’ classic, drop what you’re doing right this very instant and go get a book. You can buy a copy at the bookstore, download it from Kindle, or check it out at the library. No, seriously, literally stop what you’re doing and go get a copy and do nothing for the next three to four hours as you read this brilliant and hilarious book. Go ahead, leave work, duck out of school, cancel that appointment and just read and enjoy. Tell them Dr. Johnny Fever has prescribed this and it is necessary
for your health. Go on, it’s OK, we’ll wait for you. (background music plays softly) OK! You’re back! It was AMAZING! RIGHT? Douglas Adams’ takeoff from this great start is something to read. SF? Sure. Fantasy? Probably. Adams humorous writing and good as pizza dialogue makes this GREAT. I’d call this a lovingly fun satire of 60s era weird SF, with some fun science of his own, but all tongue in cheek and entertaining. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
I have a very difficult personal history with Sci-Fi no I have a very difficult personal history with Sci-Fi novels; some of them I could appreciate but
not enjoy; some I could appreciate but got bored with them very quickly; but The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first Sci-Fi novel which ever made me simultaneously appreciate, enjoy and even love the book. Love is a strong word, but if a book is filled with sentences like “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't” or “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job” or “My capacity for
happiness you could fit into a matchbox without taking out the matches first”, then I simply can't help but fall in love with it. And don't forget to bring your towel!
Arthur Dent is having a bad day his home is being demolished, a new highway bypass is needed progress you know, it's for his own good...really, so goodbye house. On the bright side (by the way), it does not matter either. Earth too will no longer be, soon just billions of inconsequential floating pieces scattered throughout the cosmos, no one left to remember. The powers of the galaxy have decided this little insignificant, dull planet at the edge of the Milky Way must go. A byperspatial express Arthur Dent is having a bad day his home is being demolished, a new highway bypass is needed progress you know, it's for his own good...really, so goodbye house. On the bright side (by the way), it does not matter either. Earth too will no longer be, soon just billions of inconsequential floating pieces scattered throughout the cosmos, no one left to remember. The powers of the galaxy have decided this little insignificant, dull planet at the edge of the Milky Way must go. A byperspatial express route is being built, Earth is in the path no big deal to the rest of the universe, just a few souls disappear think of the convenience to others , people... His friend drops by, Mr.Ford Prefect and finds Arthur lying in the mud in front of the bulldozers, and asks him what's new ? And can he go to the local pub for a drink, they must talk... Seems okay to Dent, but first the intelligent man gets a gentleman's solemn sacred promise, from a bureaucrat (who shall remain nameless), that his house will still be standing when he gets back. Even has Mr.Prosser, replace him in the dirt (I can never keep a secret). After a few drinks which relaxes Arthur, Ford tell's his friend he's an alien from a another planet in the vicinity of the great star Betelgeuse, just 600 light-years away. Dent always thought Prefect was an eccentric man but this being England, perfectly permissible, goes on to explain he's a researcher for something called, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". A weird sound emulates from the outside disrupting this enlightening discussion, Arthur jumps up runs out the door and sees that there are no more gentlemen in the world now. Home gone, but the over excited man starts calling the wrecking crew unkind names. Such language (I will not repeat them, in mixed company, besides this is a family site ). People should be calm, always calm nothing to be concerned about, remember you are English...Looking up, odd yellow streaks in the sky Dent wonders, Ford did say the Earth would be destroyed today but he is strange...Stiff upper lip ...But something is occurring, though. Ford arrives and the noise level rises also...A short time later the waking, Dent...Mr.Dent, comes to in the dark in an alien spaceship , one of those that vaporized his not quite beloved planet, with Ford there... Evil green, and very ugly aliens the Vogons who like to torture people by reciting bad poetry, I mean really bad Vogon poetry, resulting in captives welcoming death, rather than listen to another word... Captain Jeltz hates hitchhikers, and Ford had a devise to enter the ship, secretly. But the clever friends say they loved the excruciating poem, of the captain's; obvious lying, the angry poet has the two rudely thrown off the craft into space, without... spacesuits...these aliens, are barbarians... They can hold their breaths for thirty seconds, so don't worry... A miracle, on the 29th second, they're saved by the President of the galaxy , in a stolen vessel. And the runaway politician ( surprisingly not exactly honest), Zaphod Beeblebrox is on board, so is his two heads and three arms, with his girlfriend Trillian and Marvin, the paranoid robot, don't talk to it, he's very depressing, you would want to crush him, with your bare hands ... As the semi cousin (what's that?) of the president, Ford Prefect is in luck. All the galaxy, are after the Heart of Gold, the new spaceship which can cross the Milky Way, in a flash, on ship the greedy, seek the legendary, lost and fabulously rich planet, Magratha. In the vastness of the whole endless Universe everything's is possible, except an android like Marvin...Remember the Guide's motto, "Don't Panic"... ...more
Review of the audio, read by Stephen Fry: Overall, Fry earns a solid 'B+' for his rendition of the classic Hitchhiker's Guide. Fry has the perfect 'narrator' voice, and I generally enjoyed most of his character
voices. Ford Prefect often has a rakish tone, his reading of Arthur Dent is note-perfect clueless, and Zaphod Beeblebrox has a deliciously smarmy confidence. It was a bit of a revelation to find Marvin more amusing in audio than when I read the book, although I feel like Fry might have giv Overall, Fry earns a solid 'B+' for his rendition of the classic Hitchhiker's Guide. Fry has the perfect
'narrator' voice, and I generally enjoyed most of his character voices. Ford Prefect often has a rakish tone, his reading of Arthur Dent is note-perfect clueless, and Zaphod Beeblebrox has a deliciously smarmy confidence. It was a bit of a revelation to find Marvin more amusing in audio than when I read the book, although I feel like Fry might have given him a tad too much despondent enthusiasm. His reading of the Vogon gibberish as the Babel fish was inserted and translated it into English had
me laughing. No, my biggest problem is that I think sometimes Fry got a little too involved in the story, and his character voices bled together. He'd suddenly remember who was speaking, and pull Zaphod out of dashing Ford territory and back into cocky confidence, but it was often enough and in dialogue enough that I definitely noticed as a trend, not an instance. Well, no matter; still utterly engaging. There was a distracting formatting issue where the pause between chapters must
have been edited out between the end of the previous chapter, Fry reading the chapter heading (ex. "Chapter Five") and the continuation of the story, there was no pause at all. Though Audible claims this is unabridged, I either spaced out a few moments (entirely possible) or it isn't, quite. I'll have to give it another listen-through as I'm driving. But I'm definitely enthusiastic about moving on to
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe if Fry is reading.
From what I can tell, I'm not in the majority when it comes to rating The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by
Douglas Adams. I'm giving it a 3, which means I still liked it... but unfortunately, I wasn't as fond of the humor as most people are. This was a book club selection from about 6 or 7 years ago. We agreed to read just the first one in the series. And it was the first science-fiction novel we took on. I was excited. Several had already read it but wanted to again. I'm generally a fan of cra This was a book club selection from about 6 or 7 years ago. We agreed to read just the first one in the series. And it was the first science-fiction novel we took on. I was excited. Several had already read it but wanted to again. I'm generally a fan of crazy humor. I love Spaceballs, the movie. I kinda liken it to that, but for some reason, this wasn't as funny as I felt everyone said it was. Tons of laughs. Many great lines. The characters were memorable. I'm pretty sure there are a few movie or cartoon adaptions of it. And I honestly would recommend that everyone read it -- even non SF fans. There are parts you will totally enjoy. But it's hard to get into for a non-SF reader right from the beginning. My first
reactions were "Oh that's not possible..." But then I realized I wasn't reading a typical novel, so I suspended the lil' bit o' grouch in me... and I was able to enjoy it. Very imaginative. Lots of cool commentary on life as other people would see it. A fair approach for someone new to the universe, so to speak. I may go back and read it now that I'm older and have read a few other SF and fantasy books. I'm curious... what's the huge appeal for others about this book? About Me [polldaddy
poll=9729544]
Jul 15, 2018 Luffy rated it liked it This book was more Sylvie and Bruno and less Alice in Wonderland. I didn't know what to make of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I didn't know when to laugh and what was serious. The treatment given to
this story is phantasmagorical. The gags and mini episodic adventures are absurd, pertinently so. The fate of the planet Magrathea is a dream for communists. I tried to get it, you know. But I don't get most of British humour. I don't get most of Monty Python's Flying Circus, and I don't get Wo The treatment given to this story is phantasmagorical. The gags and mini episodic adventures are absurd, pertinently so. The fate of the planet Magrathea is a dream for communists. I tried to get it, you know. But I don't get most of British humour. I don't get most of Monty Python's Flying Circus, and I don't get Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh. But what my rating of 3 stars show is that I recognise a master of the word when his pen is being wielded. Such
daring too. I loved that part.
I need a Babel fish and make it translate my mind. "Whatever happened to my mind, I did it." . "This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most
of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time." Story: Earth is demolished. A man is secretly taken to another planet. So enjoy I say. It's filled with weirdos because most of them are beings from somewhere else (to keep it subtle or to make it worse) and the story is chaotic and funny as heck. But really though, readi "Whatever happened to my mind, I
did it." . "This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time." Story: Earth is demolished. A man is secretly taken to another planet. So enjoy I say. It's filled with weirdos because most of them are beings from somewhere else (to keep it subtle or to make it worse) and the story is chaotic and funny as heck. But really though, reading this series talking about demolishing
the Earth during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic did made me question my choice of books. (And every book I pick up these days are either too depressing or stressed the heck out of me. I question my choices. Yes, I do that a lot these days.) I was going crazy trying to calm down and understand what was going on in the first few chapters. But then chapter 6 started and there's no going back. Of course, we gotta read the first 5 chapters to get this feeling. I love this
chapter! Funny yet the discussion going on in there. Fun! Faith vs Man. My favourite character would be Ford. He would be someone I would want to punch him in the face but cannot survive without. Arthur. Oh Arthur. You remind me of us humans that I keep getting all the second-hand embarassment whenever you appear. Trillian. The way her character is reminds me of some of the most calmest yet intriguing people. I like how her vibes scream sarcasm towards Gaphod, the semi-cousin
of Ford. And what the hell is wrong with Grunthos (yes, that's a real fictional character's name... Real and fictional.) Torture yourself with the poems by Poet Master Grunthos. (My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles....yes, get the hint.) The horror! I cried laughing there! And you will meet a few more characters. Almost philosophical ones I would say. Marvin, you will be remembered. The more pages you turn, the more you will enjoy the story. There's nothing normal here.
Because, of course, it didn't happen on our planet. Let your imagination have its exercise and be tickled with an imaginary world somewhere out there. The entire read reminds me so much of the nerds Sheldon Cooper, Lennerd, Howard and Raj. Like they have written a story together finally! (The irony though that the book series happened years before the show.) Another story there, Magrathea. It could happen. Myth? Love the space time I had with the first book! Parts
like this out of nowhere got me laughing out loud Er, excuse me, who am I? Hello? Why am I here? What's my purpose in life? What do you mean by who am I?") Of course, it's not always about the human and humanlike beings here. The end of chapter 21 made me quite emotional. I wish I never have to say such lines. Ever. And (bam!) the chapters that followed
this until the end made this read a perfect read for me. I am telling you this is the kind of book the more pages you read the more you get invested. I kept telling myself "this is so chaotic", "do I need to be worried about how worried I am now while reading this crazy story?" and "I want to go there". Actually the whole story felt rather claustrophobic too. I really love the last few chapters more. It's everything you need to think about you, the world you live in and what might be
actually happening as opposed to what we are made to believe all our lives. And human, be very scared of mice. (Now I know why we go crazy sht seeing mice!) "Resistance is useless."
Definitely one of the great sci-fi comedy classics with slapstick comedy, philosophical queries and the Answer 42. Always a fun book to read when otherwise life is throwing you
curveballs! So much fun to read.
★★ /5 This was fine… I guess?
They stumbled out of the Heart of Gold and looked around them. It was very quiet among the tall buildings. The ground was covered with brightly-colored
objects that, from a distance, looked a little like paperback novels. Trillian picked one up. "It's a paperback novel!" she said, surprised. "Long Hard Ride, by Lorelei James." She flipped through it. "Hm, who'd have thought that the late inhabitants of Frogstar Z would have been into women's erotica?" She picked up some more. "Be With Me, by Maya "It's a paperback novel!" she said, surprised. "Long Hard Ride, by Lorelei James." She flipped through it. "Hm, who'd have thought that the late inhabitants of Frogstar Z would have been into women's erotica?" She picked up some more. "Be With Me, by Maya Banks... Dangerous Secrets, by Lisa
Marie Rice... A Little Harmless Pleasure, by Melissa Schroeder. They're all women's erotica! The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)
This is another instance where it's daunting to write a review because the novel is well-known and loved by millions of people. As a Sci-Fi/Fantasy reader,
it's embarrassing that I've only read this once, and I've waited 'till 2016 to read this. I'm glad that I can finally say that I've read this. I've finally read and enjoyed one of the most influential books of the sci-fi genre. I understand all the buzz regarding this novel. This is the first time in my whole life that I laughed out loud whil I understand all the buzz regarding this novel. This is the first time in my whole life that I laughed out loud while reading a novel. I've never believed that a novel could be humorous enough to make me elicit
more than a giggle or a smile. This novel changed my perception of humor novels in general. I finally have faith in that genre, and an even stronger desire to read more important Sci-Fi novels. I don't see the need to make a short summary of the novel. You can find other reviews that did that. I'm writing this review to express my feelings toward the novel, and the journey that I had with it. Speaking of journey, it was a damn short one. I honestly hate gigantic novels, but it's always
fulfilling to finish one if the book is great. This book I can consider amazing, but too short. Aside from the humor, I enjoyed the wittiness of the novel and the author himself. The ideas he incorporated in the novel are vital for the readers to understand. It may be a humor novel, but it's more than that as a whole. The characters are funny and well-developed. The main ones managed to make me laugh. Ford reminds me of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, and Arthur as Leonard
Hofstadter. This is like a classic Big Bang theory episode, or maybe The Big Bang theory is a modern Hitchhiker. The plot is not that complex, but it is interesting. I'm always interested to read about other planets in the galaxy, even if it's just fiction. I like to imagine that there are hundreds or thousands of worlds out there in the galaxy. Funny thing that the Earth blew up in this novel. Funnier that they considered Earth as a funny name in the beginning. All the ideologies
Adams incorporated here are interesting to me. How some animals are superior and manipulated us, or how the Earth was all a project of some aliens. It's funny and vastly interesting. I can't wait to read the other books in the series. 4.5/5 stars. I decided to round it down because while the novel truly entertained me, it still lacked something and made me think twice about the 5-star rating.
Hitchhiker's, volume 1. Earth is destroyed to make way for a bypass. Fortunately for Arthur Dent, his friend Ford Prefect turns out to be an alien and manages to escape, with Arthur. The plot is not bad, but it's the writing that is fantastic: Vogon ships "hung in the sky in exactly the way bricks don't". The Hooloovoo is a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue. The
old man who said nothing was true but was later found to be lying. "After a second or so, nothing continued to happen". "This mus Earth is destroyed to make way for a bypass. Fortunately for Arthur Dent, his friend Ford Prefect turns out to be an alien and manages to escape, with Arthur. The plot is not bad, but it's the writing that is fantastic: Vogon ships "hung in the sky in exactly the way
bricks don't". The Hooloovoo is a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue. The old man who said nothing was true but was later found to be lying. "After a second or so, nothing continued to happen". "This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays" (borrowing from Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's). "Bits of it were dullish grey. Bits of it were dullish brown. The rest of it was rather less interesting". "An acute attack of no
curiosity". "Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea". "It's unpleasantly like being drunk. What's so bad about being drunk? Try asking a glass of water." God refuses to prove he exists because proof denies faith and without faith he is nothing. But the Babel fish is a dead giveaway - so God disappeared in a puff of logic. Infinite improbability drive. Brief summary and favourite quotes from the other four of the five books, as follows: Restaurant at the
End of Universe (vol 2): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Life, the Universe and Everything (vol 3): So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish (vol 4):
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Mostly Harmless (vol 5): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... And Another Thing...( vol 6), by Eoin Colfer :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Adams' thoughts on the Babel Fish are cited by linguist David Crystal in Language Death
Apr 07, 2017 Stephan rated it it was amazing
6 shiny twinkling ★'s! Really wonderful humor, funny language, absurd imagery and fantastic characters. The most fun I've ever had with books. And audiobooks.. I had this on tape, the BBC version, and would listen to this in my car or on my walkman repeatedly. If you've ever wondered where those references to the number 42 come from, what it would be like to have two heads or what about the answer to life, the universe and
everything - look no further. Actually, I'm gonna head off right now to get Really wonderful humor, funny language, absurd imagery and fantastic characters. The most fun I've ever had with books. And audiobooks.. I had this on tape, the BBC version, and would listen to this in my car or on my walkman repeatedly. If you've ever wondered where those references to the number 42 come from, what
it would be like to have two heads or what about the answer to life, the universe and everything - look no further. Actually, I'm gonna head off right now to get the audiobook and pick up a ringtone & notification sound from that. Sorry, got to go! Yay! edit: back from picking up the BBC audiobook. OOOhhh, how wonderful. Sorry, gotta go again, walk the dog and listen to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on my smartphone (that walkman is soo history..)
Douglas Noël Adams was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician.
He is best known as the author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Hitchhiker's began on radio, and developed into a "trilogy" of five books (which sold more than fifteen million copies during his lifetime) as well as a television series, a comic book series, a computer game, and a feature film that was
Douglas Noël Adams was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. He is best known as the author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Hitchhiker's began on radio, and developed into a "trilogy" of five books (which sold more than fifteen million copies during
his lifetime) as well as a television series, a comic book series, a computer game, and a feature film that was completed after Adams' death. The series has also been adapted for live theatre using various scripts; the earliest such productions used material newly written by Adams. He was known to some fans as Bop Ad (after his illegible signature), or by his initials "DNA". In addition to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams wrote or co-wrote three stories of the science
fiction television series Doctor Who and served as Script Editor during the seventeenth season. His other written works include the Dirk Gently novels, and he co-wrote two Liff books and Last Chance to See, itself based on a radio series. Adams also originated the idea for the computer game Starship Titanic, which was produced by a company that Adams co-founded, and adapted into a novel by Terry Jones. A posthumous collection of essays and other material, including an incomplete
novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002. His fans and friends also knew Adams as an environmental activist and a lover of fast cars, cameras, the Macintosh computer, and other "techno gizmos". Toward the end of his life he was a sought-after lecturer on topics including technology and the environment. Other books in the seriesArticles featuring this bookEver get just plain worn out? Yeah, us too. Quite frankly, the 21st century has been a lot more stressful than we were hoping. Sometimes you... “For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.” — 9919 likes More quotes…Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. What is the main point in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?The saga mocks modern society with humour and cynicism and has as its hero a hapless, deeply ordinary Englishman (Arthur Dent) who unexpectedly finds himself adrift in a universe characterized by randomness and absurdity.
What happens at the end of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy?Ford, Arthur, Trillian, Tricia, Random, and every other human are killed, and forever dead on Earth. Ford and Arthur, at the end of the book, are happy and relieved that "it" is over; Ford dies laughing wildly, and Arthur dies with relief.
What is the main conflict in the hitchhiker?The main character, Ronald Adams, experiences both internal conflict of Man VS Self. Ronald Adams also experiences external conflict of Man VS Man.
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