Rating: 
Summary: Classic Douglas Adams
Review: A check-in counter at London's Heathrow Airport spontaneously explodes in a ball of flame, and is ruled by the authorities as "an act of God." As it turns out, the explosion was an act of *a* god---Thor, the God Of Thunder, trying to catch a plane to Oslo, Norway. But why would an almighty god be trying to catch a plane flight in the first place? Enter holistic detective Dirk Gently to solve the mystery....The second and, sadly, final "Dirk Gently" book written by the late, great Douglas Adams, "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a hysterically funny book, and a major improvement over the decent but unspectacular first book, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," which certainly had it's funny moments, but was too long (and long-winded) and confusing. This time around, Adams' writing is a LOT sharper & funnier, and he keeps the book excellently paced. And the character of Dirk Gently really grows here---he's much more concise and focused, and he doesn't ramble on and on about his philosophical views & methods of detective work as he did in the first book. "Long Dark Tea Time" contains many outrageously funny scenes---Dirk's dilemma with his old refridgerator, and his surprising encounter with a young boy watching TV are both particularly memorable---and great characters, too, not only Dirk Gently but also the spunky American girl Kate Schechter, Thor the hot-headed God Of Thunder, and the vile creature named Toe Rag. The story is clever, moves along nicely, and, if I haven't made it clear enough, is very, very funny.I'm saddened that Douglas Adams never got around to writing a third "Dirk Gently" book, as I would've loved to have read further adventures of this most oddball of detectives. But at least Adams wrote a pair of them, and "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a fabulously hilarious book that can proudly sit right alongside Adams' very best "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" books, in particular volumes 1, 2 and 4. "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is classic Douglas Adams all the way.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Douglas Adams
Review: A check-in counter at London's Heathrow Airport spontaneously explodes in a ball of flame, and is ruled by the authorities as "an act of God." As it turns out, the explosion was an act of *a* god---Thor, the God Of Thunder, trying to catch a plane to Oslo, Norway. But why would an almighty god be trying to catch a plane flight in the first place? Enter holistic detective Dirk Gently to solve the mystery....The second and, sadly, final "Dirk Gently" book written by the late, great Douglas Adams, "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a hysterically funny book, and a major improvement over the decent but unspectacular first book, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," which certainly had it's funny moments, but was too long (and long-winded) and confusing. This time around, Adams' writing is a LOT sharper & funnier, and he keeps the book excellently paced. And the character of Dirk Gently really grows here---he's much more concise and focused, and he doesn't ramble on and on about his philosophical views & methods of detective work as he did in the first book. "Long Dark Tea Time" contains many outrageously funny scenes---Dirk's dilemma with his old refridgerator, and his surprising encounter with a young boy watching TV are both particularly memorable---and great characters, too, not only Dirk Gently but also the spunky American girl Kate Schechter, Thor the hot-headed God Of Thunder, and the vile creature named Toe Rag. The story is clever, moves along nicely, and, if I haven't made it clear enough, is very, very funny.I'm saddened that Douglas Adams never got around to writing a third "Dirk Gently" book, as I would've loved to have read further adventures of this most oddball of detectives. But at least Adams wrote a pair of them, and "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a fabulously hilarious book that can proudly sit right alongside Adams' very best "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" books, in particular volumes 1, 2 and 4. "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is classic Douglas Adams all the way.
Rating: 
Summary: Acts of Gods, modern ennui and private hospitals, oh my!
Review: Douglas Adams is amazingly whimsical. If the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy didn't convince you of that, the Dirk Gently novels will. Gently is a detective, but no Sherlock Holmes. No, rather than ruling out the impossible to leave only the improbable, Gently prefers to believe the impossible, because it makes so much more sense than the improbable. He solves his case through ingenuity, luck, and a belief in the interconnectedness of all things.A highlight for me is Dirk's method of finding directions. He just follows someone who looks like they know where they are going. This, he says, doesn't always get him to where he wanted to go, but almost always gets him to where he needs to be. If only we all had such faith! This book is the second of two about the private eye. I don't want to give away too much of the story, as it is definitely a mystery, but it covers some of the same ground as American Gods in a much less sinister manner. Everything has a reason and a rhyme in this book, even if at first encounter, an event makes no sense, neither to the characters nor the reader. While the ending is a bit abrupt for my taste, if you like whimsy, you'll get an ample helping with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: I just wanted to add (to all of the other reviews) that, while the Dirk Gently books may not be as hilarious as the Hitchhiker's book (and at times verge toward drama), I would say they are much more interesting. The plots are complicated to be sure, at times esoteric and puzzling, and you may even have to re-read, but I find it is well worth it. Fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Wacky and Fun But Missing Something at the End
Review: Kate Schechter should have taken the signs the universe was trying to give her. That's what she tells herself as she shows up at the airport for a trip to Norway in spite of all the warnings. Still, she is unprepared for the check in desk to be blown through the roof just after she misses her flight. Meanwhile, Dirk Gently has hit a low. He has almost no money and no clients. Except the one he's forgotten about who promptly gets himself killed. Now Dirk feels responsible for not taking this guy's claims serious and wants to track down the green eyed monster. As if that weren't enough, he and his cleaning lady are having a war over who will open his fridge first, an out of order soda machine keeps appearing and disappearing, and he's being stalked by an eagle. What these seemingly unrelated events have to do with each other provides plenty of wacky entertainment. I am still only mildly familiar with the books of Douglas Adams, and I simply must correct that. This fantasy novel was wonderfully strange and entertaining. The opening bits about the airport and Kate's trip had me laughing out loud. The laughs slowed down over the course of the book, but they were still plentiful. Maybe it's my normal reading of mysteries, but my only real complaint was an ending that was really more confusing then enlightening of what had gone on before. Actually, I listened to the audio version of this book, read by the author. These can be hit or miss, depending on the author. Douglas Adams did an exceptional job of reading, throwing just the right tones and inflections in for the best effect. About the only complaint on this part was that the scene changes were so sudden and abrupt that it could confuse you for a few seconds even when you're paying attention. Whether you get your hands on the audio version of stick with the traditional print version, this is a wonderful title sure to entertain. I must move more of his books higher up my to be read pile.
Rating:
Summary: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Review: The adventures of Dirk Gently (Svlad Jelly)continues in this second and most unfortunatly last (not including the partially written Salmon of Doubt)book of the series. This book is filled with typical humor of Douglas Adams, from Gods giving up thier power for nice clean sheets, to an advertising agency bent on ruling the world. (Don't forget Thor counting all the rocks...) This is a must read for any DNA fan. What I like best about this book (and indeed most of DNA's books) is how the minutae come together at the end, as Dirk would put it "the fundemental interconnectedness of all things" really plays a part here.
Rating:
Summary: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Review: The adventures of Dirk Gently (Svlad Jelly)continues in this second and most unfortunatly last (not including the partially written Salmon of Doubt)book of the series. This book is filled with typical humor of Douglas Adams, from Gods giving up thier power for nice clean sheets, to an advertising agency bent on ruling the world. (Don't forget Thor counting all the rocks...) This is a must read for any DNA fan. What I like best about this book (and indeed most of DNA's books) is how the minutae come together at the end, as Dirk would put it "the fundemental interconnectedness of all things" really plays a part here.
Rating:
Summary: Weak attempt
Review: The Douglas Adams I remember from the first Dirk Gently novel is not present in this one. The storyline feels thrown together, the ending is forced, and the ability of the text to hold an audience is poor. Though there were a few bright spots, this book was a large disappointment. However, the Hitchhikers Guide five book trilogy and the first Dirk Gently novels are wonderful. Don't read this, it just disappoints. At best, it's a B-.
Rating:
Summary: A writing genius.
Review: The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul is simply one of the most amazing books I have ever read and the late Douglas Adams is a writing genius. This story mixes his unique--and side stitching--humor with a plot that brings both a modern world and a world of myth to life. This follow up to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is more than worth the price paid and will keep you howling with laughter no matter how many times you read it. Quite simply: it's brilliant, well-written, funny and farcical. Not many authors can interject their personal opinions of the world into their work and get away with it like Douglas can. Though he may be gone he will forever live on in the hearts and imaginations of his fans world wide.
Rating:
Summary: D. Adams manages to increase the suspense in the reader.
Review: The story opens with an explosion at Heathrow Airport. This introduces the female main character Kate Schechter trying to find the Norwegian man she met there just before the explosion. At the same time, Dirk Gently gets involved in that case. He, as a private detective, firstly wants to find out what has happened to his ex-secretary Janice Smith. Soon, while the plot is unfolding, the Norse gods become the main theme because their power has decreased in modern society. So, one of the gods makes a contract with two human beings in order to be able to enjoy human comfort although he loses his immortal soul. As Dirk Gently believes in the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", it all makes sense in the end. Douglas Adams does not hand you the answer on a silver platter, though, so that some parts have to be reread. The single events of the storyline are unpredictable, which makes the book so exciting, and the reader is guided by Kate and Dirk. With great skill the author changes the levels of language where necessary and uses his English sense of humour. In the end, Dirk and Kate have improved their knowledge about the workings of the universe. What I liked best while reading were the various lines of action.
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