Rating: 
Summary: Arthur and Vogons and Towels oh my!!!
Review: With the hundreds of other reviews here extolling the greatness of this series of books I feel I need only add a few thoughts. I have just finished my third reading of this series and I am now convinced that HG2G is without a doubt the funniest series of books written in the 20th century.
If you have never read Adams before, his style could be described as a sort of combination of Wodehouse's dry wit, Vonnegut's risible ridiculousness, and Heller's masterful turns of phrase, all held together by a Shakespearean insight capable of understanding humanity from the individual to the cosmic level. Yes, I'm serious - it is that good.
What not to expect is a solidly intriguing story line or a hard science fiction epic. This is an off-the-wall, madcap, farcical comedy, not a serious sci-fi chronicle with some humor mixed in. So sit back, relax, and have a good laugh.
As ridiculous and unbelievable as the situations are, however, Adams reaches a depth that few comedy writers have ever achieved. Although only two human characters appear in the books, Adams consistently shows his keen understanding of the human mind, of human society, and above all of the human heart. Adams genius was to consistently find a unique way to express both the heartache and the joy we each feel in our constant struggle to make sense of life, the universe, and everything. I give this book an A+, or a 42 out of 42.
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Summary: The Funniest Books Ever Written
Review: Douglas Adams has been taken from us all too soon by a heart attack. I was deeply affected when I heard the news because Mr Adams had given me such incredible joy with these books. The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe are particularly great. These books bend your mind and have you looking at things in new ways (just what are the mice really up to?), bringing great insights and new meaning. Oh heck, actually they are just downright, laugh out loud hilarious. You can't read them just once, you will be addicted.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastically Funny
Review: If you like science fiction and if you like humor, then you will definitely like this book. This book is an excellent light read that will crack you up again and again. Besides, where else can you get such a huge hardcover for this price?
Rating: 
Summary: not worth the paper it was printed on...
Review: The "novelty" wore off after page 2. The book was tedious, boring and insanely stupid. I just can't understand the positive reviews. It was physically painful to turn the page, it was that bad. The book, the "Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide", contains 5 of his most noteworthy novels. All of them were equally bad. This book was anything but funny, I think my 3rd grade son can write better. [...]
Rating:
Summary: Don't Panic
Review: I can think of no better word to describe the work of this man than perfect. His wit and delightful views on the world have inspired and enchanted countless people, and Douglas Adams is going to be truly missed.
If I could only recommend one book then this would be it by a very long way.
Rating:
Summary: Too funny to explain!
Review: I have read this book three times now and some stuff still makes me laugh every time I see it (I have written down a few of the best quotes). It is so long and there is so much good stuff. There would be more exclamations in my review here, but they just wouldn't do it justice anyway. Thanks Doug, may you rest in peace.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Funniest Series Ever!
Review: When you've just finished a book that's as thick & heavy as a dictionary, it is all too tempting to write pages and pages in review of it. However, I will spare you as much as I can. The basic premise of the novels is that Ford Prefect is a hitchhiker and writer for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." He hitches rides all around space, writes up his experiences and sends them in to his editors. As the novel opens up, it's roughly 1980 in England, and he's been stuck on Earth for 15 years because Earth (as we know) has not really made contact with other planets and so he can't find a ride out of there (here). In that time, he has made friends with Arthur Dent, one of the absolutely most endearing characters I've ever come across in literature (even more than a Hobbit). When we first meet Dent, he thinks his greatest battle for the day will be to lie in front of the bulldozers which want to knock down his house. Little does he know that Earth is also about to be knocked over (obliterated really) for a hyper-space by-pass. Prefect, however, catches on and rescues Dent at the very last minute...Whether or not this was a good thing is up to the reader to decide. While Adams shows his literal genius for comedic timing and absurd humor within the bounds of Earth at the beginning, once he is freed of all constraints his writing style blazes with unique talent. Every page is so filled with parody, dry wit, perfect timing, and mind-boggling fictitious science that it leaves you laughing aloud and reeling at the same time. I realize that his humor is not for everyone...but for anyone who enjoys satire and for anyone who is frustrated with the insanity of life, this book brings the proverbial comic relief. From what I've read from hard-core Douglas Adams fans (and there seem to be quite a few of those), books #1, 2, and 4 in this series are Adam's purest works. #3 and 5 are a bit heavier in tone. #6 (Young Zaphod Plays It Safe) is simply baffling. For those who don't like science fiction, I would say that that shouldn't really be a problem here. While Adams does invent some very funny alien races (like the race with 50 arms that was the only one to invent deodorant before the wheel), his focus clearly isn't imagining how different life can be. Everything in his novels is a satire of humanity - from the bureaucracy to the androids to the laws of physics. Of all the wonderful things I could dwell on in Adam's work, the last thing I would like to mention is that of all action/adventure stories I have ever read, I think Adams has created a few of the most realistic heroes. Dent, Prefect, and Zaphod - though somewhat resourceful - aren't particularly strong, bold, courageous, intelligent or smooth. They bungle any number of situations, and only Trillian has a real moment of brilliance. And yet, no matter how much they might want to simply run and save their own hides, a sense of duty to man/life nags at their conscience and keeps bringing them to help save somebody. Ultimately, I think this balances out so much of Adams ironic humor about how stupid life can be. Yes, life is absurd at so many levels, but Adams never abandons our Western Civilization ideals of the value of life and our duty to help each other. Oh, and the dialogue is priceless!
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