The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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Summary: The answer to the Ultimate Question: 42
Review: Douglas Adams dazzles us with his brilliantly hilarious satiristic book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Arthur Dent, the hero of the story, is an Earthman searching the universe for a decent cup of tea. Arthur travels in various bizzare and funny places along with Zaphod Beeblebrox (a two headed, three-armed alien) Trillian (the sexy space cadet from Earth) and Marvin (the unbelieveably brilliant and astoundingly depressed robot). I invite you to join Arthur Dent in this hilarious satire as he searches for the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, a place to relax, and, most importantly, a decent cup of tea.

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Summary: Hitchhiker's Trilogy
Review: I would have never picked this book for myself. Science fiction? Space travel? Um, no. Time warps, charming aliens with two heads, and improbability spaceships are not my usual reading. Yet I loved this book. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, is one of the most fantastic, funny, and inconceiveably creative books I've ever read. From the moment Zaphod, a unique character with two heads, steals the most famous spaceship in the galaxy, things happen quickly and with seemingly little connection to any event. That's the beauty of this book though: all events, no matter how random, are tied together in a humorous, deliciously complex way. Every character has its own distinct personality that draws you into the book even more. From Marvin The melancholy Marsian to beautiful and brilliant earthwoman Trillian, this book has everything. Which just goes to explain why it's one of the most sought-after collector's books. If you want to read a deep, romantic, drama this is not the book for you. However, if you're in the mood for a good laugh pick up this book. Even if you don't normally like science fiction, you'll get a kick out of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

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Summary: The Meaning of Life = 42
Review: This book was hilarious, and surprisingly deep for its small size. For those looking for an answer to the Great Question, the answer is given to you in this book. Funny that a satirical science-fiction novel has a hidden message!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Forget Your Towel
Review: Sit down and hold on to your seats of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This book is a satirical look at the way that governments work. The entire story is overflowing with British comedy. Most people in American society today do not understand the paticulars of that kind of humor. For some reason they do not find it funny. Hitchhiker's Guide is true to its British creator. The concept of the book was even funny, since it came to Adams while he was lying drunk in a field. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is intended to be a sci-fi, what with the aliens on Earth (well before it is destroyed in order to put in a pointless hyperspatial express route). The main characters are Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Trillian. Some of these "people" are very odd. Such as Zaphod, who is portrayed as completely insane. Ford is a dry character, put in for comic relief. Arthur is the stereotypical human, who is completely clueless in the ways of space. Trillian is also human, but she actually has a working brain. Adams manipulates words and characters to fit into his perfect little universe. He twists logic so that it is beyond recogntion. But that's what works for him. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a woderfully satiric story that is worthy of the short time it takes to read the 143 pages of the book. Remember to have your towel with you, just in case the Earth is destroyed along the way and you are force to live the rest of your life in space, hitchhiking.

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Summary: Hitchhiker's Guide is out of this World
Review: Douglas Adams mixes dry British humor with science fiction to produce an astounding novel satirizing the arrogance of human beings on Earth. This novel is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This novel begins with Arthur Dent trying to stop bulldozers from destroying his home in order to build a new superhighway. He meets a guy named Ford Prefect. Prefect hitches a lift right before the Earth is demolished by alien Vogons. The author satirizes humans' trust in technology and philosophy in this story. He uses quirky phrases that are so stupid and out of this world one has to wonder what he was on while writing this novel. This novel causes me to laugh aloud. I think anyone who enjoys sarcasm and satire will love this book. It's easy to read once the science fiction is gotten past. This a great novel in order to appreciate twisted British humor.

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Summary: I was curious...
Review: ...about this book since I heard so much about it from other people. I finally got the time to read a novel, so I decided to give it a try, and it turns out that was a great decision. This may be the best piece of fiction I have ever read. The creativity was outstanding. I would not classify this book as humor, although there is quite a bit of it there. I think of the book as more of a mind stetch. The book is not to be taken seriously, and because of this and the humor contained, Adams is capable of creating text that is unlike any other I have read. This book is just pure enjoyment to read, like candy for the lighter side of the brain. I highly recommend starting with this book first, and then continue with the series (many people start with one of the later books). I doubt you will be disappointed (unless you dislike unusually creative fiction).

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Summary: Amazing!
Review: This book is incredible! I've read it (and the following books)over and over again for almost four years, and I just like it more. This absurd book is about Arthur Dent, a normal, thirty years old man who by mistake end up in a spaceship with a man (well, alien) named after a car and a cronically depressed robot. I really recommend this book, it's great!

Rating:
Summary: A near perfect book.
Review: Superb and impeccable! Had hours of laughter reading it. Douglas is indeed able to capture you into the story with his humour and wild imagination. Learn more about the galaxy, be exposed to science fiction books, read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"! Sadly, the blemish that marred its flawlessness is that there is not a really distinct, flowing plot. Nevertheless, this is certainly a good read!

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Summary: One more thing
Review: A few reviewers have commented on the way the later books, after the first 3 in the "trilogy", are less funny. I just have to say this -- as hilarious as these books are, I think Douglas Adams is basically a very serious man with important things to say. In his later books, my guess is that he was a little bothered by the way everyone just raves about how funny his stuff is, without talking about the troublesome nature of the very real issues he raises. This stuff is absurd, and is deadly serious, at the same time. You should try to be aware of that, and of the tightrope Douglas Adams was walking here.

Also, I personally know one woman who chose to make her life's work one of helping animals, and actually became a veterinarian (which required YEARS, YEARS, YYYEEEAAARRRSSS of poverty and going to school to become one) because of Douglas Adams' book "Last Chance to See", which is about endangered species.

I think Douglas Adams is a good and great man, a really warm philosopher, and it seriously wouldn't surprise me if he was remembered and talked about in pubs long after, say, Bertrand Russell or Alfred North Whitehead are just footnotes in dusty thesises in library archives.

Rating:
Summary: Funniness of Biblical Proportions
Review: This is a book that people just come back to, again and again, and again, compulsively. Not many books are like that -- friends who have read this have all plowed through it at least 5 times. I myself discovered it in the early 80s, and have definitely read it dozens of times by now, no lie. There's just something about it. You can't stop, can't get away -- aaaaaahhh!

Seriously, this straddles the line between "funny-odd" and "funny ha ha" more successfully, and more hilariously, than any book I can think of. One thing I should tell a person coming to this for the first time -- Zaphod Beeblebrox actually does start to make sense, during the sequels. Well, not "SENSE", exactly, but his self-sabotaged brain becomes the key to a lot of cool hijinks. The second half of this book, after Arthur and Ford are picked up by the Improbability Drive, appears TOTALLY random, but actually does make sense in the context of the later books in the series. You should remember that this was originally a radio series, and this book is just the first few installments of it. The cutoff point is sort of arbitrary.

As the series continues, Douglas Adams makes some really good philosophical points about getting along with each other. We should thank this guy, I think. The more I think about it, the more I realize what a solid, good person Douglas Adams is, to be able to laugh at the insanity that governs our modern lives. To even be able to SEE that it's insane is good, and to get others to laugh out loud at it all is GREAT. What a guy. Cheers to Douglas Adams, I say. Read his books, you'll be glad you did.