The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The [Ultimate!] Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I have a love-hate relationship. That is, to say, I loved the 5-book trilogy (is that even legal?!) up until the last book, when the Earth is, once and for all, destroyed. Well, actually all galactic possibility and probability was collapsed around and within it, causing the Earth to cease to exist. Of course, being as how most of the main...more

The [Ultimate!] Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I have a love-hate relationship. That is, to say, I loved the 5-book trilogy (is that even legal?!) up until the last book, when the Earth is, once and for all, destroyed. Well, actually all galactic possibility and probability was collapsed around and within it, causing the Earth to cease to exist. Of course, being as how most of the main characters were on the planet Earth - which, is to say, the second (or was it third?) Earth - that ended the book.So to be succint, I loved the book, the fascinating [and ever so slightly dysfunctional] characters, the more-often-than-not dysfunctional planets, and of course, Adams' slightly cynical, ever humorous voice.   hide

I Love this book. Keeps you laughing all the way through. 42!!!

Funny, funny stuff. I've seen the movie and wasn't impressed and thought the book would be along the same lines. How wrong could I have been? First and foremost, this book isn't meant to be taken seriously. This is probably one of the major flaws of the movie: the fact that they attempted to make all the life outside Earth look lifelike. Of course not! This whole book is simply a parody of a...more

Funny, funny stuff. I've seen the movie and wasn't impressed and thought the book would be along the same lines. How wrong could I have been? First and foremost, this book isn't meant to be taken seriously. This is probably one of the major flaws of the movie: the fact that they attempted to make all the life outside Earth look lifelike. Of course not! This whole book is simply a parody of a Hitchhiker's Guide to Italy, Russia, or whatever else you want to stick in there. Annnyway. The dry humor, the sly, subtle lines that will keep you amused page after page is all here. Can't wait to read the sequel.   hide

good

This volume is certainly the definitive version of the Hitchhikers' Novelizations and the comments and analysis at the front and back are welcome, as are the bonus stories at the end. However, the sad fact remains that the books are probably the weakest incarnation of Douglas Adam's vision-much of the nuances and sheer random absurdity that made the radio plays so great seems lacking here. The...more

This volume is certainly the definitive version of the Hitchhikers' Novelizations and the comments and analysis at the front and back are welcome, as are the bonus stories at the end. However, the sad fact remains that the books are probably the weakest incarnation of Douglas Adam's vision-much of the nuances and sheer random absurdity that made the radio plays so great seems lacking here. The later three books are nowhere near as good as the first two, and Adams seems grasping at straws to try and bring the series to a conclusion (which in fact he was if you read his accounts). The novelization of the first series is pretty accurate, except for a few strange alterations, but that of the second series is choppy and sporadic, understandably this is a H2G2 trademark, but when done to the extent of rendering the plot inherently confusing and incoherent that's a bad thing. Those looking to experience Hitchhikers' for the first time would probably be better off finding the original radio plays first and then look at the books for comparison.   hide

This book is extremely silly. The younger and geekier you are, the more you will like it.

A classic series, and the first few are amazing! But I hadn't previously read Mostly Harmless, which felt disjointed and unsatisfying as an ending. In fact, a lot of character development that seems to begin in the first book just ends up going nowhere. Still, everything from Hitchhiker's Guide to So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (which is the majority of the book) is worth...more

A classic series, and the first few are amazing! But I hadn't previously read Mostly Harmless, which felt disjointed and unsatisfying as an ending. In fact, a lot of character development that seems to begin in the first book just ends up going nowhere. Still, everything from Hitchhiker's Guide to So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (which is the majority of the book) is worth reading over and over, so I can't fault it too much :) I read these when I was a kid and I just felt compelled to relive the good old days. Still funny! (And better then the movie version too.)   hide

So weird!

I've finished "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and am currently reading "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe." An astonishingly different form of literature. Douglas Adams, with his style, borders on breaking all rules of writing, and because of it, will most likely go down as another one of the Dead White Men. The humor is not without ideals or...more

I've finished "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and am currently reading "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe." An astonishingly different form of literature. Douglas Adams, with his style, borders on breaking all rules of writing, and because of it, will most likely go down as another one of the Dead White Men. The humor is not without ideals or rightness. And the characters are well-rounded, and well, quite normal. to be continued...   hide