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Summary: Imaginative & Funny
Review: I decided that my mind needed a brake from any type of serious reading. Just say no to thought-provoking books, strangely yet deserving so, was my (er) thought. :) Well, did I ever pick the wrong book. Not only can this book be `laugh out loud` funny, but its thought-provoking scenarios and intelligent satire will not oblige you to feel the guilt of wasting time in a silly read.People that take themselves too seriously or do not appreciate extraterrestial satire may not enjoy it as much. So you may want to get THIS, which is the first part in the series. Personally, I am quite happy of getting the entire series harcover, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide <ISBN: 0517149257>. I am not a huge sci-fi fan, but in my opinion, it is probably a must for any fan of that genre with any sense of humor.
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Summary: The cult series begins...
Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy was just about the hippest book for a lot of us in the early 80's. The cult following begat a franchise of video games, radio programs and a TV series, all of which deal with this dry witted tale of Earthman Arthur Dent and his journey through the galaxy. I'm not sure if the book has aged as well as its most loyal fans would claim it has. Much of the humor that seemed edgy 20 years ago now seems outdated in a Weird Al sort of way. Nonetheless, any book that opens with the destruction of Earth can't be all bad. Following our famous cast of characters through the bizarre events that they mostly seem to have no control over is always a pleasure, even when it's a bit of a corny one. The dialogue is steeped in Adams' very British humor and has always seemed like the best thing about the series. The conversations between such oddball characters as Ford Prefect and galactic president/scoundrel Zaphod Beeblebrox are worth any lapses into the preposterous.
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Summary: TheHitchhiker'sGuideToTheGalaxy-MalavChakravorty
Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is a great book, with the perfect balance of humor and conflict. Douglas Adams' random humor keeps the story interesting. The plot is confusing towards the end, but the book starts off interesting. This was my first science fiction book, and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this book to any science ficion lover that would enjoy reading a light book.
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Summary: WORTH A SIXTH STAR!!!
Review: If you only read one book in the rest of your pitiful earthling life, make it this one!! Here is an example of the valuable philosphical and historical education this book will endow you with: There isn't a God. Not any more. There used to be. He was very insistent that he exists exclusively on the idea of faith without proof. He went on to design amazing and incredibly improbable creations, including the mind-boggling Babelfish, worn inside the ear of galactic hitchhikers. The fish, which parastically feeds off of sound waves entering your brain and excretes energy waves straight into your mind, allows the host to accurately understand sound transmissions in any language. Later, a scientist pointed out that this direct affront to the idea of probability and evolution offered direct and undisputable proof that there, was, in fact a God. "I hadn't thought of that," said God, and immediately disappeared from existence after having proven himself wrong.
Thus, you are on your own now. Thus, you need Douglas Adams' cunning wit and sarcastic advice to guide you through the rest of your own silly existence!
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Summary: DON'T PANIC
Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a book you should read unless you need a well defined plot and no laughs. The plot is well hidden by the randomness, a description of the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, an alcoholic drink that it seems the author had the first of on Earth before writing it, the introduction of the Hitchhiker's Guide that begins "Space is big. Very big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind boggling big it is.", and the theory of where all the ball point pens go. There is also a part where a character turns into a penguin. There is some plot but more randomness. I would recommend this book to everyone who has a sense of humor. If you are someone who is ready for a laugh grab a towel and get ready for a story that is out of this world.
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Summary: Do read this book
Review: The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy -
Arthur Dent (earthling) is, fortuitously, a friend of Ford Prefect (a Betelgeuseling, masquerading as an earthling, unknown to Dent, and stranded on Planet Earth).
The latter becomes aware of the imminent destruction of Planet Earth, and takes Arthur Dent off the planet, after a few pints, just before the planet disappears.
There begins an arbitrary journey by the pair, teaming up eventually with Zaphod Beeblebrox (president of the Imperial Galactic Government but also thief of the starship Heart of Gold) and Trillian (former earthling). The book eventually takes them to the planet Magrathea, to the ultimate answer to the universe and thence on to the search for the ultimate question that that answer answers. The book is, really, good quality arbitrary nonsense of the Monty Python/Kenny Everett variety, masquerading as good literature. One gets the impression that Douglas Adams simply made up the plot as he went along, tagging on new bits here and there with his whim from week to week, rather than planning the book out beforehand, so the journey of the book is weaving, random and dissatisfying, with, one feels, new ingredients being added at every turn for the sake of shoving something else into the book to pad it out continually. The absence of a satisfying plot aside, however, the book is clever in its humourous and philosophical contents, and contains a lot to make the reader smile. To read or not to read it? The reader should read this book if he doesn't mind being led on something of a wild goose chase from start to finish in order (a) to be amused frequently and (b) to be given some pearls of wisdom occasionally. The book is short (just 159 pages) and is written in a very easy going, readable, interesting style, and so it can be read in about a day. (The book is however only the first part of a five-part series of books). [Fans of the pop group Radiohead will be interested to see that the book contains the instruction "OK, computer, take us in to land." in Chapter 18; and then goes on to describe Marvin the Robot as "the Paranoid Android" in Chapter 19, which is presumably where the album title and track title respectively containing some of those terms originally arose from.]
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Summary: Funny Details
Review: The random details that are found on every page of this book are really what make it THE BEST BOOK EVER!There is a story behind every little detail- and always a funny one. At first, with all of the jumping from galaxy to galaxy, it is hard to follow, but after a while you learn which details you should remember and which are just funny little things you can laugh at and then forget. This is definately the best sci fi book I have ever read! I found it interesting that some of the events made me kind of protective toward the earth, like how you feel patriotic on July 4, but this was pride for the whole planet. Almost every book anyone has ever reccomended to me I've thought was boring, slow, etc... but this one hit the jackpot. I wish somebody had told me about it sooner!
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Summary: Creative, Humorous, Zany!!!
Review: I've been meaning to pick up a copy of this book for years, but never got around to it -- until last week! I had heard from many people that this was definitely a book worth reading. I had no idea what it was about, but I decided to give it a try. I must say I am very impressed with this book. Not having a lot of time on my hands to read (although I enjoy reading very much), I am rather selective about what I do read. I have found it very difficult to put this book down. I read it in bits and pieces throughout the day, taking it with me wherever I go. I've read it at home, in the Doctor's office, sitting in my car while waiting to go into a company for a job interview, and just about anywhere else. This book is very funny, it's zany, it's extremely creative and rather visionary at points given its original publication date! I am more than half way through it already, and I just love it. I look forward to reading the remainder of the "trilogy" very soon.
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Summary: A book that really knows where its towel is.
Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is a book that really knows where its towel is. It has anything you may even dream about finding in a comedy book. It has missiles, sperm whales, potted plants, people with two heads, and these all just happen to be on the same page. When reading this you are nearly guaranteed nonstop laughter. Well I can't say nonstop, because you have to breathe at some point. This may sound an overstatement but I do not believe that it is. My parents banned me from reading this book after dark because I kept them up at night.
Now some of the humor may seem a bit childish but we all have to be a little childish at times lest we go crazy, and act really childish all the time. This book is nearly unbearably clean humor, in a good way. It proves that toilet humor is most definitely outdone by nonsensical humor.
I don't believe that you can just take the word of some random stranger and go read a book so what I would recommend you do is go to your local library, find this book, get some help if you need it, check it out, drive home and read. Don't buy this book because, you know, not every book is for everyone. This is how to read books and find out what you like. And if you like this book, tell someone. They will be happy to hear it.
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Summary: The Best Science-Fiction Book Ever!
Review: Imagine waking up one sunny morning to discover a big yellow bulldozer heading down your garden path straight for your house. You're having a bad day - and it's going to get worse.
As you lay in front of the bulldozer trying to block its path, your best friend, Ford Prefect, who you always thought was an out-of-work actor, pops up and reveals that he really is an undercover alien from the star Betelgeuse. But wait -- things are going to get even worse.
Ford tells you that a rocketship conducted by evil aliens called Vorgans are going to blow up Planet Earth in five minutes to make way for a galactic freeway.
That's how one terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad Thursday begins for chronic worrier Arthur Dent, a 30-year-old Brit bored with his job at a local radio station. When we meet him in the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Arthur Dent suddenly has no reason for boredom and every reason to worry.
So what does he do? Following the advice of his friend the undercover alien, he sticks his thumb up to hitchhike aboard the spaceship that belongs to the evil, nasty Vorgans. Arthur and Ford are smuggled in by the Vorgans' servants -- but the Vorgans, who hate hitchhikers, find them and throw them off the ship and into probable death in outer space.
The two happen to be carrying a copy of a book called the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which warns them that life can only survive 30 seconds in space without air. On the 29th second, they are picked up by another ship -- and there's something special about this ship. It has the magical ability to change your atmosphere, turning illusions into reality - for example, transforming two missiles into daisies.
This ship is named The Heart of Gold, and it's been stolen by ex-hippie Zaphod Beeblebrox, who was born on the Star Betelgeuse. He has three arms and two heads and is the spacey president of the galaxy. Also on the ship are his girlfriend Trillian and a chronically depressed robot named Marvin.
The ship sails to Planet Magrathea. The planet that created all other planets. There they go through many illusions, being knocked out by walls closing in, jetting at the speed of light down narrow hallways in mini-spaceships, and many other exciting adventures.
At the end we find out that mice have run Earth for an experiment and are about to steal Arthur's brain, but they soon defeat them.
This book is a cliffhanger that leaves its characters stranded on Planet Magrathea. - a sure way to make readers want to continue reading the sequels in the trilogy.
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