Rating: 
Summary: one of the very cleverest books I've ever read
Review: this one is just wonderful- I reread it every once in a while because it makes the world better. The first time I read it, I got to the end and immediately started reading it again. I've loved all of his books (how can he be dead?) but this one's still my favorite- yes, even above the hitchhiker books.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Hitchhiker's Guide, but still good.
Review: Summary:
Richard Duffy, an up and coming computer programmer, decides to visit a professor he had in college, Reg. Reg quickly convinces the reader he is an eccentric Douglas Adams character and, without either of them knowing it, a 4 billion year old ghost is trying to take possession of their bodies.Dirk Gently is a college classmate of Richard's and once he becomes involved, the trio become engaged in so many converging plots that it will leave your mind spinning. From evolution to religion to murder and hypnosis and ghosts and aliens, the story finally closes with love and music by Bach and you'll just have to read it to see how any of this summary makes sense. My Comments:
If you have read anything else by Douglas Adams you don't need to read this review because you'll know if you like his work and, since this is typical Adams, you should like it. If, however, you have not read anything by Adams, you should know that he writes about science, science fiction, and religion and he does it all in such away that you come away from his work in stitches and having thought about things a little bit deeper. As is also typically the case with Adams, he introduces what seem to be completely disparate characters and amazingly ties them all together before he is done. The writing is witty and flowery (and British - though I hate to admit it, I read the word 'boot' probably 20 times before I realized he was talking about the 'trunk' of the car). Anyway, I'm not sure I am saying much of worth here, so I'll just say that I absolutely love Douglas Adams' work. I think a large part of that comes from him poking fun of religion (the rest being the excellent and hilarious writing). Anyway, if you're kind of into science (especially science fiction) and can laugh at yourself and your religion (if you have one), you should love this book.
Rating:
Summary: It's a miracle of rare device
Review: Douglas Adams has left us some rare gems, and one of these is this novel. Connect Coleridge's Kubla Khan whit fractal theory, software industry, Schrodinger cats and escatology...add a very unusual detective,and you have one of the weirdest mysteries ever written.You'll feel intrigued,haunted and bewitched... and the end will be worthy of your patience, provided you're not too fastidious whit scientific plausibility.
You'll love the uncanny athmosphere!
Rating:
Summary: Whatever you do, don't read this book!
Review: ... unless, of course, you're the kind of person who does precisely the opposite of whatever they are told to... oh! Hang on... that's all of us! Folks, not only is this book brimfull of the usual brilliantly quirky insights and satires of the inimitable mr Adams, but it is also an extremely well thought out, self-consistent detective story, with only a few completely fantastic creatures. (Don't be scared now!) And perhaps the odd (almost) impossible occurence. (Surprised?) The characters are an utter delight, and arguably more sympathetic than the cartoon figures from the hitchikers series. Guaranteed: you'll laugh out loud in places, and at least spend a good deal of the rest of the time with a most idiotically pleasant smile on your face. (Try not to drool in public.) Upon finishing, you will find yourself obsessively compelled to schedule an immediate re-reading, seeing as you will most certainly have missed a number of small delights and teasingly hidden clues. This story Rocks! And Haunts! Unmissable! I also FORBID you to read Dirk Gently's further adventures in "The long dark teatime of the soul"!
Rating:
Summary: Interconnected to all things
Review: A lot of the talk surrounding "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" centres on its utter incomprehensibility, its snail-like slow start, and the fact that it's not nearly as funny as Adams' "Hitchhiker's" books. Regarding the first point, I'd agree, but only to a degree. It's not really as complicated as many have made it out to be. All it takes to understand the complex ending is the knowledge of one simple fact. You'll have to find out what that fact is for yourself, for I'll never tell. (Trust me... the information *is* out there if you know where to look) That being said, there are bits and pieces strewn throughout the book that still have me scratching my head (Why did the Electric Monk do what he did? What was the point of that fascinating bit about Schrodinger's Cat? Who was climbing the stairs of that ominous tower, and what the heck was that tower anyway?). All of which make me agree with the general consensus: This is a book that rewards, nay, demands a second reading. And quite possibly a third, fourth, and fifth. Regarding the second point, it's only slow when compared to a book as deliciously frenetic as "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe". But on a grander scale, "Dirk" moves along at a perfect pace. And frankly, if the reader is to be expected to pick up on the subtle clues Adams drops, a slow pace is exactly what he needs. Just be warned: When everything starts falling into place, the pace picks up and you might be inclined to pick up your reading pace. Don't. There's still important information at the end that you might miss. Regarding the third point, well, this one I fully agree with. Only I think it was never Adams' intention to write something as laugh out loud funny as the books that made him internationally popular. He was aiming for a think-piece. He wanted to write his own version of the hard-boiled detective novel, a la Chandler or Hammett, albeit filtered through his warped British sense of humour ("The door was the way to... to...The Door was The Way. Good. Capital Letters were always the best way of dealing with things you didn't have a good answer to."). You'll enjoy the laughs brought on by Dirk and Richard's warped conversations, but they won't be as plentiful or as boisterous as the laughs brought on by an Arthur Dent/Ford Prefect conversation. Further to that point, however, is the fact that Richard MacDuff ("Tall and absurdly thin... good-natured... a bit like a preying mantis that doesn't prey... a sort of a pleasant genial mantis that's given up preying and taken up tennis instead") is a perfect conduit through which the reader can understand the story. Whenever Dirk goes on one of his wild rants, one that will have the reader asking himself, "What is he talking about?" Richard will ask Dirk, "What are you talking about?" He's always one step ahead of the reader's questions. More than any other book I've ever read, "Dirk Gently" is perfectly structured, while still leaving a lot of holes for the reader, through his own research and interpretation, to fill in. You may get to the end and wonder if you've missed something. Chances are you probably have. But that's by Adams' design. This is a book that lives on well past the last page has been turned. I know that I'm looking forward to my next encounter with Dirk, and saddened that Adams won't be around to create any more new universes for his faithful readership to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: It's a shame there will be no more
Review: I love this book. I love all of "Hitchhiker's" too, but this one seems to be different. Although sprinkled with the standard elements of original sci-fi and comedy, "Dirk" has a darker tone to it. Although we see the Earth blown up and the end of the universe described in "Hitchhiker's", the human race is pretty much described as "mostly harmless." In this novel, the human race is more deviant, in some ways somewhat unknowingly, but still a little evil in our ways. It takes a bit longer to have all of the situations come together, but in typical Adams fashion, everything makes sense in the end, and I felt, like Arthur Dent, as if Yay! I actually understood. That's what I like about Adams' books, he not only stretches the limits of the imagination, but gives the feel of the Aha! at the end. This book is definately a departure from the trilogy as he incorporates the "detective novel" genre into his twists of humor and sci-fi. A must read for any fan of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: I Listened to the Audio Book
Review: The Audio version of this book was definitely a treat for me. Listening to the story read by the author, hearing it the way Douglas Adams intended it to sound was great. I really enjoyed listening to his wonderful accent as he told this story. The story has all of Adams' amazing British humor, but also is liberally dosed with astounding intelligence. It is mostly a mystery story, with a bit of sci-fi thrown in for good measure. Dirk Gently is a detective that believes in the total interconnectedness of all things. It starts out with several seemingly unrelated story lines. These story lines are all intricately interwoven and the book ends with a satisfying... well... interconnectedness. Those of you that did not like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series because it was "too silly" should give this book a try. It's anything but silly. Adams' logic can be astounding. Also, the bit with the couch being stuck in the stairway is intriguing. Adams challenges the reader to figure out how this couch is mysteriously stuck, defying all rules of physics.
Rating: 
Summary: I still haven't figured out the ending
Review: I've read the book probably four or five times and the ending remains cryptic. Of course I didn't know the piece of information that another reviewer provided about parts 1 and 2 of Xanadu by Coleridge. Still, why does the revising of "Xanadu" stop the ghost from carrying out his nefarious plan in the dim past? Come to think of it, the whole scene where they suddenly figured out the ghost's intentions was pretty absurd. In any event, if anybody know's the explanation of the novel's ending, please email me. (jrc54@cornell.edu)
Rating:
Summary: Wow, it's hard to describe.
Review: Origanally I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. After reading all the other Douglas Adams books I chose to gave this one a try. I was BLOWN AWAY! At my first read it was a bit mind-boggling. At my second I began to comprehend more of it. You cannot just read it once! This book makes you think a lot! I reccomend it to everbody.
Rating:
Summary: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Review: This book started out very well. Right away I was able to start picturing everything that was going on because of the great description and imagery that the author used. The book did skip around a little bit, but that was the best part. At about the middle of the book, the author started to put in some foreshadowing about how the book might end up. At the end the author brought everything together in a humorous way, and was able to keep a good story line. All though everyone may not like this book, people that like a little humor in their reading will really like it. Douglas Adams is able to put a little humor in the story line without ruining the plot. Adams talk's about a couch that is stuck in a hallway and is not on the ground. The movers were moving it in, and it got stuck. Now the couch is not able to go in or out of the hallway. The character has to get professional that can't even figure out how to get the couch out. Every other chapter the book talks about a character at a dinner, and what he does after the dinner. The opposite chapters the book talks about a business owner that is going on a vacation, and then when he gets murdered, it talks about how he feels. At the end of the book Douglas Adams brings both things together in a very humorous way. Overall I would rate the book with four stars because Douglas Adams was able to keep my attention throughout the book.
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