Rating: 
Summary: Great book -
Review: A colleague had a line from the movie made from this book in his signature block at work. I just let it pass, not putting much thought into it.Later a friend and I were discussing books we have read, and wanted to read. He asked me if I had read the 5 books in this trilogy, and when I said no, he said I had to put that at the top of my "to do" list. I ordered the books, and when they arrived I started reading. I enjoyed every page. Douglas Adams took what we know as life, subjected it to his sense of humor, applied it to space travel and life. What resulted was one of the funniest and at times, thought provoking books I have ever read. By letting us see ourselves through Ford's eyes we can see some of the bizarre parts of our lives here on Earth. I would highly recommend this book, and the rest of the series to anyone who enjoys reading. They are sci-fi (which I don't like at all), but that is a very small part of the storyline. If you wished, you could imagine the travelers traveling from country to country on Earth, with a few minor exceptions. The next time I talk to my friend who recommended these books, I will have to thank him very gratefully.
Rating: 
Summary: Imaginative Splendor
Review: The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an imaginative book that takes the reader along for a wild ride through interstellar systems to the far regions of Magrathea. Led by his friend Ford Perfect, Arthur Dent travels the galaxy, meeting many people and creatures along the way. The book is dripping with situational humor like the Earth being destroyed 5 seconds before the secret of life is to be found, as well as the often unintended sarcastic remarks from Ford Perfect, who is sent through the galaxy to revise the electronic book Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. Although somewhat confusing at times, the creative imagination and description helps the reader actually envision intergalactic travel. Arthur and Ford are led through much of their adventure by The Intergalactic President Zaphod Beetlebrox on the spaceship "Heart of Gold". Zaphod is a creature with two heads and three arms, he was later described to have gained the third arm to improve his ski-boxing. This is another example of Adams' imagination and creativity. A humorous portion of the book comes when a computer says the calculated meaning of life is 42, which offers no more of an answer than anyone else's theory of the meaning of life. Along with humor, Adams uses satire to mock things like society and government. He states the Zaphod's duties as president are to take the attention away from the governments actual power. Zaphod achieves these goals by spending the first two years of his ten year term in trouble with the law. If satirical and sarcastic humor mixed with sci-fi entertainment sound appealing, The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy has exactly what you're looking for.
Rating: 
Summary: Hitchhiking to BOREDOM
Review: When I first set my sights on this book and after reading short synapses and positive reviews of what the book was mainly about, I thought it would seem interesting. This, I believe was the Fiction book I had decided to read for my reading class. After having finally read through it, it turned out unbelievably bad. I'll admit that it sounded interesting to begin with. Or the subject at hand sounded mildly interesting. And the cover kind of drew me in. But it became intolerable to a point. There were too many random things in the book. It was difficult to answer questions about the book, like the hidden meaning behind its entirety. I don't think there was a point to it. But then again, I guess you could call it an "adventure" book more than a "self discovery" book. Although the part that humored me the most was the depressed robot. I guess you can say I'm not a sci-fi fan. As much as I like watching the sci-fi channel, my feelings towards it is just like any other. It was dull and boring. Too much random junk in it, I like books that have plots and so forth. But if this is what you fancy, then so is it. By all means, read the book. But for those who share the same feelings as me will strongly agree that it was terribly made. I personally, don't see how it is considered one of the best books ever. Along with a few other books I've read who to me, weren't quite up to par either. Who judges that anyway? Its randomness not only made me bored out of my mind, but it also made me confused, talking about the "Golden Heart" and whatnot. I hope I don't have to read this book again. The book in a few parts seemed a bit repetitive. What I didn't like the most was when it talked about nothing. Seriously, it said, in a certain part that it had nothing to do with the story, or plot in particular. Which was more than a waste of my time. And not to mention, a total waste of my 10, plus some dollars I used to buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Monty Python meets Arthur C. Clarke
Review: This is one of the funniest books in the English language. So much has been written about this book I'm not certain that I can add much more than to say that it's a cross between Monty Python and Arthur C. Clarke. Try to catch the BBC radio version of the book which is currently playing on NPR; Douglas Adams adapted his novel for the radio version so it's true to the source.
Rating:
Summary: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy = Insanity
Review: This book was obviously written by someone who had tried the first ever Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster on the earth. The plot is well hidden by the inclusion of humorous information for those who wish to see the marvels of the universe for less then thirty Altairian dollars a day. I suggest that anyone who likes serious stories or well defined plots avoid this book at all costs, anyone else though should read this book so they can catch a ride on a starship before the Earths impending destruction. While reading this book I found it immensely hard to stop laughing. Upon finishing this book I had to read the others in the series immediately (well not immediately I had to get them first...but that's beside the point). Again I highly suggest this book to anyone who needs or enjoys a good laugh for they will certainly not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Poetic satire
Review: Douglas Adams: a satyrist and a lyrical poet. He is at his best when he breaks sci-fi cliches to smithereens, making you snigger or laugh wildly, yet demonstrating a deep feeling of what is the real sense of wonder of space. So, pour example, you have the bickering between cynic Ford Prefect and enthusiast Zaphod about Magrathea...and be caught in awe in the perfectly evocative description of "The fires of dawn! The twin suns of Soulianis and Rahm!". You'll laugh at the quirks of Eddie the Computer, be sympathetic whit poor Marvin, and you'll admire the curious clash of personalities serendipitously reunited...Ford the cynical and resourceful alien that can still be taken aback by an unexpected ruse by the insecure and shellshocked Arthur; the brash bravado of Zaphod,countered by the cool rationality of Trillian. The Planet Building Factory is a very original invention, and Slartibartfast is something of a Doctor Who mingled whit Obi Wan Kenobi...but lacking the self assurance of both. But the best moment of the novel is in the Story of Deep Thought and the Ultimate answer. This is pure Teather of the Absurd, and reminds us of Vonnegut's Sirens of Titan. The message from Tramalfadore could well have been "42!".
Rating:
Summary: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
By: Douglas Adams
A science fiction story. Arthur Dent is living on the Earth. Just like everyone else in the Universe, or at least that's what he thinks. But space is closer to him than he ever could imagine. His best friend, Ford Prefect isn't from Guildford as he usually claims. In fact he is from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. And just seconds before the Earth is being destroyed, Ford manages to save himself and Arthur by hitch-hiking. This is the beginning of a whole new life for Arthur, and for help he has got an electronic book, a book that tells you about everything that is worth knowing about in the Universe. The book is called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The main characters are Arthur, who is a dark-haired human dressed in a dressing gown throughout the whole story, and Ford, a tall humanoid alien who works as a roving researcher for the reference book "the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". But the story is also about Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillian and Marvin, a depressed robot. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the best book I have ever read. It is both entertaining and deep. It's critical against the society and its values in an ironic way. That I just love. My advice to you is to read it and the four other following books about Arthur and his life in space. I'm sure I will.
Rating:
Summary: Don't forget to bring a towel
Review: No matter how many times I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I've read it quite a few times already, it never fails to thrill me and induce bouts of almost uncontrollably hearty laughter. With this novel, Douglas Adams gave life to a phenomenon that will long outlive his tragically short life, delighting millions of readers for untold years to come. I'm not sure if science fiction had ever seen anything like this before 1979. This is science fiction made to laugh at itself while honoring its rich tradition, but it is much more than that. Adams' peculiarly dead-on humor also draws deeply from the well of sociology, philosophy, and of course science. Whenever Adams encountered a sacred cow of any sort, he milked it dry before moving on. Beneath the surface of utter hilarity, Adams actually used his sarcasm and wit to make some rather poignant statements about this silly thing called life and the manner in which we are going about living it. This is one reason the book is so well-suited for multiple readings-a high level of enjoyment is guaranteed each time around, and there are always new insights to be gained from Adams' underlying, oftentimes subtle, ideas and approach. Arthur Dent is your normal human being, and so he naturally is more concerned about his house being knocked down than facing the fact that the world is about to end. His friend Ford Prefect, he comes to learn, is actually a researcher from a planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, but before he can even begin to comprehend this fact, he finds himself zipped up into the confines of the Vogon space cruiser that has just destroyed the planet Earth. Things become even trickier for him when he discovers the great usefulness of sticking a Babel fish into his ear and then meets the singular President of the Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox and his shipmate Trillian, both of whom Arthur actually met months before at a party. Such impossible coincidences are explained by the fact that Beeblebrox's ship is powered by the new Infinite Improbability Drive. Dent grows more and more confused during his travels on board the Heart of Gold, and the story eventually culminates with an amazing visit to an astronomically improbable world. Much of the humor here is impossible to describe; this novel must be read to be appreciated. It seems like every single line holds a joke of some kind within it. The characters are also terrific: the unfortunate Arthur Dent, who basically has no idea what is going on; Ford Prefect, Arthur's remarkable friend from Betelgeuse; Zaphod Beeblebrox, with his two heads, three arms, and cavalier attitude; Trillian the lovely Earth girl who basically flies the Heart of Gold; Slartibartfast the planet builder and fjord-make extraordinaire; and my favorite character of all, Marvin the eternally depressed robot. Life-"loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it" is the Paranoid Android's philosophy. One brilliant thing that Adams does is to step away from the action every so often to present interesting facts about the universe as recorded in the Hitchhiker's Guide; here we learn about Vogon poetry, the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, Trans Galactic Gargle Blasters, and other fascinating tidbits about life in the crazy universe Adams created. He even gives the reader the ultimate answer to the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything in these pages. This novel is just an amazingly hilarious read that will leave you yearning for more; to our great fortune, Adams indeed left us more in the form of four subsequent books in the Hitchhiker's "trilogy." If you don't like science fiction, it doesn't matter; read this book just for the laughs. The most amazing thing about Adams' humor is the fact that everyone seems to "get" it. Adams broke all the rules in writing a novel quite unlike any that had come before it, and he succeeded in spades. This may well be the funniest novel ever written.
Rating:
Summary: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Review: This book is called the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams. This book is about a man named Arthur dent and his friend ford prefect. In the beginning of the story Mr. Prosser wants to knock down Arthur's house. They want to knock it down to make a bypass. Arthur doesn't want them to knock it down so he sits in a mud pile in front of his house so that the bulldozers wont knock it down. Later his friend ford tricks Mr. Prosser to sit in the mud pile while they get a drink. Mr. Prosser then gets in the mud pile and sits there while ford and Arthur leave to get a drink. When they go to the bar ford tell Arthur that he is an alien and that the earth is going to be demolished. Then ford tells Arthur to drink 3 pints of alcohol before the trip to leave earth. While Arthur is drinking he hears his house get knocked down and run to try and save it but is too late. Then they left and an earth was destroyed. Then they get off the planet as hitchhikers. They where on a ship that belonged to the Vogon. The Vogon are evil so they kicked all the people that came on the ship out. They where thrown in space and they held there breath for 29 seconds and bearly escaped dying. The where aboard a ship called the Heart of Gold? On this ship ford and Arthur met a robot named Marvin. Marvin tells them to follow him to go to the captain of the ship Zaphod Beeblebrox who is also the president of the galaxy. Marvin later tells them that Zaphod has stolen this aircraft. Zaphod is an old friend of ford and once met Arthur at a party. At the party Zaphod takes the girl who Arthur had liked. The girls' name is Trillian and later Zaphod tells her that he is a real alien and takes her with him back to space. Later Arthur goes to sleep and the rest of them found the planet Magrathea. They where looking for this planet because this planet belonged to the rich people who made planets. The next day they where going to land on the planet when a recording said that they should leave the planet. Later it spoke again and it said that it would be firing missile at them. Just second before the missile was going to hit them Arthur bushed the improbability drive and saved them. Then they went to land and they got out and started looking. They found a cave and went through. Zaphod told Arthur and Marvin to stay out and secure the land. Later a man named slartibartfast told him to come and they went into his aircar. Then slartibartfast began to tell him the story about a man named lunkwill and his friend majikthise who went and asked the computer a question. They asked the computer what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. The computer told him that he would have to think a while to answer the question. Then they asked the computer how long and he responded by saying 7.5 million years. So they left and 7.5 million years later he told then that the answer was the number 42. Then the two men asked him what do you mean. And then the computer told him the answer is 42. The computer also told him you asked me the wrong question. They asked to tell them what question they asked him to answer but he told them that he will not be able to but I know how you van find out. The computer told them I will tell you what to build and you build it. The computer told them that the answer will come from the rats on planet earth and it would take 10 million years to build it. Then the tem billion years past and they where about to find the answer when but 5 min before they where going to find the answer the Vogon have destroyed the earth. Know trillion 2 mice where with Arthur and the rest of the gang. They have already stated building the new earth when they said that they could take Arthur's brain and find the answer out. But Arthur refused and they ran away. Then two cops where shooting at them and then later there backpacks explode. Then they leave the planet and the mice continue on building the new earth.
Rating:
Summary: Wacky, Wild, and Fun
Review: Arthur Dent is having a really bad Thursday. Not that that's unusual for him. He's just learned that his home is to be demolished to make way for a new freeway. As is the earth. But moments before the earth is destroyed, he is rescued by his friend, Ford Perfect, an alien who's been living on earth. Together, they start a wild adventure that will introduce them to Zaphod and his girlfriend Trillian. Not to mention a depressed robot. I've been hearing about this book since high school. Many of my friends have recommended it to me, but I've never gotten around to reading it. Believe me, that was a huge mistake. I was frequently laughing out loud at the book. The characters, the situations, and the narration - all of it was perfectly comical. I'm sure I averaged a laugh a page, leading to some strange looks from my roommate as I was reading. If you're looking for a fun, improbable book you won't be able to put down, look no further. I'm already planning to pick up the rest of the increasingly inaccurately named trilogy.
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