Appearance
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams's 1979 adaptation of his popular BBC radio drama spawned a cult following that persisted through four sequels, a TV series, and a movie and continues to thrive eight years after his death. The sometimes witty, often satirical, and always humorous quasi-science-fiction/fantasy story about a young man traveling the galaxy on an involuntary quest for the meaning of existence has managed to survive and remain startlingly current through an entire generation of changes in technology and literary trends.Arthur Dent doesn't have a lot on his mind other than surviving his hangover when he wakes up one morning to find that his house is about to be bulldozed to make way for a bypass. His objections are met with sympathetic indifference by the crew chief until he lies down in the mud in front of the offending bulldozer. What he doesn't realize is that the earth itself has been slated for destruction by the evil Vogons as part of the development of a hyperspatial express route. Moments before the earth disintegrates, Arthur and his secretly alien friend Ford Prefect escape by hitching a ride on one of the Vogon ships, and their journey begins.As Arthur and Ford and the improbable gang of galactic characters they join up with travel from system to system in search of the mythical planet Magrathea and the Question to the Ultimate Answer, they are guided by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an e-book that offers such insightful wisdom as "Don't panic" and contains articles on subjects such as the importance of towels as well as helpful information about various planets and species. Along the way, Adams hilariously lambasts everything from religion to art to politics to human nature.The story, while mildly entertaining, is not what makes the book work. Rather, Adam's sardonic narration and ultra-dry humor are what make it worth reading. Virtually every page contains at least one description or parodic exposition that makes you want to either laugh out loud or groan.Since the book doesn't have a message or even much of a plot, it might be hard for some to find a reason to read it. But those who enjoy British humor (think Monty Python) or want to see how the destruction of the earth can be so funny may well enjoy it. The good news is, if you really like it, there are four sequels, so you could potentially be laughing for a long time.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I've always thought of Monty Python as the Thinking Man's SNL. I now think of Douglas Adams as the seriously Thinking Man's Monty Python. The subjects it tackles are those of time and space. The jokes it makes are humorous, drawing snickers and belly laughs from the readers. The points it makes can even be thought provoking at times. The story is this. Arthur Dent is saved at the last minute from the destruction of the world by his friend Ford Prefect. Ford is not actually from the planet earth. He is an alien from a planet in Betelguese who is writing a revised edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. For technical reasons he has been stranded on earth for 15 years. They hitch a ride on a spaceship and their adventure takes off from there. I won't tell you the whole thing, I'd ruin some of the greatest jokes. I'll just tell you to read it. If you're interested in "Destruction of the World" stories, do yourself a favor and don't read "Left Behind". Those books are boring and pointless, no matter how many times I've tried reading them. Read this instead. It's ultimately better. And shorter, for that matter!
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
This satire is probably the most hillarious book I've read. The one liners are so witty that I was actually laughing out loud while reading. All the folks who keep posting that they don't like this book don't seem to understand the concept of sarcasm. The characters are written as they are for a reason, there's no development for a reason. If you have a sense of humor and enjoy quick reads, this book is awesome.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Reading this book is absolutely essential to human existence, what more can I say?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
If you ever doubted that there was nobody funnier that the British then this book is Douglas Adams saying "Eat your words!" Every line brings it's own angle on reality, every word precisely chosen to reduce the reader to an hysterical blubbering mess. No other author has succeeded in writing a book that is so thoroughly detached from reality, and yet full of astoundingly cynical observations of human life. He systematically demolishes people who read too much into life, everybody from Jesus to Freud. The main thing you notice about the book however, is the style of writing, not the humour. This is an author who would be just as comfortable writing the biography of a physicist as writing a sci-fi novel about an alien and a neurotic broadcaster. Douglas Adams is a literary genius with a flair for the english language, and an obvious passion for storytelling. Buying this book is the best thing you could possibly do for yourself, after all, laughter is the best medicine.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
If you like reading, and have any sense of humor whatsoever, you will LOVE this book! The story line follows a mishappen Arthur Dent on his exploits across the Galaxy with his Beatlegeusian savior, Ford Prefect. The Earth has been destroyed, and all that remains of this great computer is Arthur and two words, "Mostly Harmless"