Rating: 
Summary: A step in the wrong direction
Review: Life, the Universe and Everything, book 3 in the hitchhikers trilogy (which actually has FIVE books)was quite different than the first two. While the first books had lighthearted yet well developed plots, the plot in LUE (Life the Universe and Everything)was darker, less well developed and very unorigonal (I mean come on, saving the universe is so passe). I was also very disappointed with the humor. While it had its moments, LUE had fewer humorous portions and most of the humor seemed very out of context and had nothing to do with the plot. The ending was also very anti-climactic, not having a cliffhanger like the previous boooks. Overall it is a dissapointment compared to the rest of the series but is neccessary to read to get the whole plot of the series. I recommend it to only those who are going to read the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: A step in the wrong direction
Review: Life the Universe and Everything, book 3 in the hitchhikers triogy (which actually has FIVE books)was quite different then the first two. While the first books had lighthearted yet well developed plots, the plot in LUE (Life the Universe and Everything)was darker less well developed, and very unorigonal (I mean come on, saving the universe is so passe). I was also very dissapointed with the humor. While it had it's monents, LUE had less humorous portions and most of the humor seemed very out of context and had nothing to do with the plot. The ending was also very anti-climactic, not having a cliffhanger like the previous boooks. Overall it is a dissapointment compared to the rest of the series but is neccessary to read to get the whole plot of the series. I recommend it to only those who are going to read the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent Entry In The Hitchhiker's Saga
Review: After being marooned on prehistoric Earth for several years, Arthur Dent and his alien chum Ford Prefect are rescued by the sudden appearance of a runaway sofa, which transports them millions of years into the future to a cricket game in England, a mere days before the Earth is due to be demolished by the evil Vogons. From here, the duo are reunited with their old friend Slartibartfast (from the first book), with whom they must embark on a mission to save the Universe. And yes, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillian, and Marvin the paranoid android all have roles to play, too.... Book 3 in Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" series, "Life, The Universe, And Everything," is certainly an amusing, occasionally hilarious entry in the zany intergalactic adventures of Arthur Dent and friends. Unfortunately, it falls short in comparison to the briliantly funny pair of books, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" and "The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe," that preceded it. This may be because Books 1 & 2 were adapted from Adams' hilarious BBC radio play that started the whole "Hitchhikers" saga, while "Life" is a "Hitchhiker's" work that's not based on any previous material. Therefore, Adams' writing style for "Life" feels very different from the first two books, and doesn't flow as well. It's still funny, it's just not AS funny. The jokes are more fragmented, and Adams breaks apart *many* of the sentences that the characters speak in Book 3, which gets tiresome after awhile (ex: "The difficulty with this conversation," said Arthur, after a sort of ponderous look had crawled slowly across his face like a mountaineer negotiating a tricky outcrop, "is that it's very different from most of the ones I've had of late."). Therefore, some of the jokes miss the mark. Also, there's less excerpts from the Hitchhiker's Guide book itself, so often quoted in the first two books, so that's missed as well.And yet, "Life, The Universe, And Everything" still has some great comic moments, such as Zaphod Beeblebrox's drinking binge, Arthur's encounter with the creature Agrajag, the chapter on how to play Brockian Ultra Krikkit, and a pretty outrageous dinner party in space that Arthur & the gang crash. Overall, "Life, The Universe And Everything" is a decent entry in the "Hitchhiker's Guide" saga, and it's funny enough for me to give it a passing grade. Thankfully, though, Douglas Adams gets things right back on track with the brilliant fourth book, "So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish"....
Rating:
Summary: LifeUniverseEverything: The worst of the guide.
Review: Of all of the hitchhiking books, I thought that Life, the Universe, and Everything was the worst of them. I can say that it was fairly entertaining, but it was definitely not the best book in the world. I enjoyed Douglas Adams's other books much more than I did this one. This book lacked plot, theme, and revolved around random comments and jokes (that were not very funny). In the other books before it the jokes were much more funny, and fit into the story line better. I am somewhat disappointed in this third book in the marvelous series: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Rating: 
Summary: This Might be my Favorite So Far
Review: I've just finished Life, the Universe and Everything, by the late Douglas Adams, and I must say that I loved every page of it. The third novel in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is funny, imaginative and very clever.Arthur Dent is stuck on prehistoric Earth. Every morning he wakes up with a scream as he realizes that he "is in the middle of Islington, and there is no train due for 10000 years." Just as he decides to go mad, Ford Prefect arrives, and tells him of his adventures in Africa. Arthur, who had just sworn to go mad, is in luck, because a few minutes later he is chasing a couch around prehistoric Earth, and then, suddenly, winds up in the middle of a cricket match. As the story progresses, old characters return, like Slartibartfast from the first novel. Slartibartfast explains that Arthur must help save the universe from the "ancient horror" that is the Krikkit battle fleet, which had been locked in infinitely slow time for the past 2 billion years and is now back, looking to exterminate all differing life from the galaxy. In Life, the Universe and Everything, Arthur learns to fly, gets in a fist fight with a thunder god, meets the individual that he had been accidently killing all his life, travels to the planet Krikkit, gets insulted, blown up, and all sorts of other crazy and laughable events. Douglas Adams is, as always, clever and very witty. While his humor may not be laugh out loud funny, its a very pleasant, ironic humor. Adams style of writing is blunt and easy to understand and makes for a good, albiet short, read. Without a doubt, this book is one of the top two in the Hitchhiker's series, beaten by, perhaps, only the first novel. This clever, imaginative satire should definitely be part of everybody's reading list.
Rating: 
Summary: Contains some classic moments...
Review: Worth buying if only for the SEP ('someone elses problem') field, the Bistromathic drive and Agrajag - 3 examples of just how freakishly gifted Adams was as a humourist. There is a definite change in tone with this installment of the trilogy as things become a bit more plot based with less emphasis on the guide. This one is right up there with the 1st 2 books.
Rating:
Summary: No real new ground covered...
Review: ..but that dosen't mean anything, in the long run. Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series is, first and foremost, about social commentary and his incredibly sharp wit. Life, The Universe and Everything dosen't really push things forward too much, and almost could be considered filler, but it's filler with fun, and makes for a bit of a lighter and sillier read then the previous books. A great time killer.
Rating:
Summary: Seriously Boring in Comparison to the First Two in the Serie
Review: When I was in elementary school, this was a common series read by the male nerds and geeks in my school. After reading it, I can now see how much it shaped their speech patterns and writing styles. I found myself smiling as clouds of nostalgia unexpectedly overtook me while reading the series. I was also surprised to find phrases original to this series that have worked their way into the American culture. For example, in order to understand people who speak other languages, the characters in this series simply put a "Babelfish" in their ear. In real life, Babel Fish is a language translation program available on the internet. Since the book it appears in was published in 1979, there's no question of which came first. LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING
If the answer to the life, the universe, and everything is "42", what is the question? Unfortunately, the trilogy ends without an answer. In fact, I was glad the trilogy had ended once I finished this book because, frankly, nothing much happened in the last book of the trilogy. The only thing of much significance is that Arthur is threatened assasination by a creature that is killed by Arthur upon each reincarnation (as a flea, rabbit, petunia, ant, ant, ant, etc.). Oh yeah, Arthur learns how to fly (by missing the ground) and finds a flying perpetual party that's been going on for generations. This series is bizarre comic sarcasm at its best. A smile automatically paints itself on your face as you begin to read. The series reads like a highly improbable dream sequence. I sort of wonder if the author had any conclusion in mind when he wrote it or if he just let the story write itself (not unlike a dream). This third book in the "trilogy" seems to meander along in the beginning with no purpose. I thought that perhaps Douglas Adams wrote such a boring third book so that no one would ask him to write a fourth one with the same characters. Then I discovered that this "trilogy" actually has five books in it. His books always pick up a little in the end.
Rating:
Summary: Ho hum...
Review: "Life, the Universe, and Everything" took me months on end to get through. Every time I opened the book I'd think "Ha, ha! What a funny and crazy man that Adams is. Why don't I read this more?", but after a few pages I'd grow weary. This book is genuinely funny, but I think instead of being a five-book trilogy, the Hitchhiker's franchise should have stopped at one. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was one of my favorite books for a time, and still holds a special place in my literary tastes. It's hilarious, and Douglas Adams has undoubtedly the sharpest wit this side of Oscar Wilde! Unfortunately, his abilities in the field of plot propulsion are weak at best. I read through this series, loving the first, liking the second, and by the time I got to this one, I just felt like asking what's the POINT? All this book was was another opportunity for the author to demonstrate his wit, which is, i reiterate, amazing. However, it's not enough to keep me reading, ...
Rating:
Summary: Literally great while technically lacking
Review: This is a great read. I would highly recommend that anybody with an interest in science fiction, social observation and satire, or both to read the entire Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (which is composed of five books). The story is excellent and should be enough to keep anyone interested. The comedy in the series exists at many levels, leaving you to find something new each time you reread it. The fact that Douglas Adamins himself reads his works on this CD set makes it a bonus which shouldn't be turned down. Douglas Adams may be dead, but you can own him forever in mind and voice. My complaint about this representation of "Life, the Universe and Everything" is technical. Each CD in this set has *ONE* track, making it nearly impossible to stop and restart later. You are forced to use the fast-forward button to skip through minutes of audio instead of just being able to punch the track selection buttons. It is annoying beyond explanation. You would thing anybody who produced Audiobooks would know that you are expected to break your material up into tracks. That is the main benefit over casette tapes! That one technical rant aside, I would highly suggest anybody with an interest in HHGTTG to get this. If you are a HHGTTG collecter, you should especially pick this up if just for the Douglas Adams narration factor. Anyway... So long, and thanks for all the fish.
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