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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #1
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
193 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 1979
About the author
Douglas Adams
94 books22.9k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.
Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its seventeenth season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams was a self-proclaimed "radical atheist", an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, and a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.
Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.
Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its seventeenth season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams was a self-proclaimed "radical atheist", an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, and a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48,912 reviews
June 29, 2007
In my experience, readers either love Adams' books or quickly put them down. I, for example, quite literally worship the words Adams puts on the page, and have read the Hitchhiker's Trilogy so many times that I have large tracts of it memorized. But both my wife and father couldn't get past book one: the former because she found it too silly, and the latter because he found the writing to be more about "the author's personality" than plot and character.
Whatever.
The first three books in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Life, the Universe and Everything--are inspired lunacy. The ideas, plots, puns, jokes, and phrases that fill their pages have influenced an entire generation of not only writers, but people from all fields. For instance: the Babel Fish software that translates foreign websites for you is named after a species of fish that Adams created in book one; you can find dozens of recipes online for Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters; the chess computer Deep Thought that lost two matches to Gary Kasparov in 1989 was named after a computer in book one; and seriously, who hasn't heard that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42? (For more of these, consult wikipedia.org's entry on "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Cultural References".) Chances are, if you're reading these books for the first time, you'll be surprised to see how many everyday things were named after Adams' creations.
The books aren't, of course, without their problems. Adams himself admitted that the Trilogy had, and I paraphrase, a long beginning, a long conclusion, and not much in the middle (though I can't remember where I read that). He was also regularly accused of writing for the sake of cranking out one-liners. The books as a whole jump about like a manic puppy on methamphetamines, and there are at least a few jokes in there that will completely fly over the heads of any readers who lack a basic comprehension of quantum physics.
Despite this, the Hitchhiker's Trilogy remains as the single most entertaining and enjoyable series of books I've ever read--a position they've occupied for some fifteen years. Adams' wit and wisdom still baffle me in their greatness, and he remains to this day one of only two authors who can regularly, consistently make me howl with laughter (the other being Terry Pratchett). Readers beware: if the Adams bug infects you, you will have it for life. And you'll never be sorry you let it bite.
Whatever.
The first three books in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Life, the Universe and Everything--are inspired lunacy. The ideas, plots, puns, jokes, and phrases that fill their pages have influenced an entire generation of not only writers, but people from all fields. For instance: the Babel Fish software that translates foreign websites for you is named after a species of fish that Adams created in book one; you can find dozens of recipes online for Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters; the chess computer Deep Thought that lost two matches to Gary Kasparov in 1989 was named after a computer in book one; and seriously, who hasn't heard that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42? (For more of these, consult wikipedia.org's entry on "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Cultural References".) Chances are, if you're reading these books for the first time, you'll be surprised to see how many everyday things were named after Adams' creations.
The books aren't, of course, without their problems. Adams himself admitted that the Trilogy had, and I paraphrase, a long beginning, a long conclusion, and not much in the middle (though I can't remember where I read that). He was also regularly accused of writing for the sake of cranking out one-liners. The books as a whole jump about like a manic puppy on methamphetamines, and there are at least a few jokes in there that will completely fly over the heads of any readers who lack a basic comprehension of quantum physics.
Despite this, the Hitchhiker's Trilogy remains as the single most entertaining and enjoyable series of books I've ever read--a position they've occupied for some fifteen years. Adams' wit and wisdom still baffle me in their greatness, and he remains to this day one of only two authors who can regularly, consistently make me howl with laughter (the other being Terry Pratchett). Readers beware: if the Adams bug infects you, you will have it for life. And you'll never be sorry you let it bite.
January 2, 2014
The universe is a joke.
Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey.
Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.
For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.
It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').
Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.
We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.
It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demanding the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.
It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.
Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey.
Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.
For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.
It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').
Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.
We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.
It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demanding the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.
It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.
July 29, 2018
I am not one of those who think this is the best book ever written. It does not affect me on any deep emotional level and this kind of quirky sci-fi comedy is just not really my thing. However, that being said, Adams' has some of the best quotes EVER (not all of these are from this exact book):
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
"For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons."
"The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
"Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?"
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
"For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons."
"The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
"Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?"
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."
January 16, 2008
Another classic. If you don't like this series, you probably put your babel fish in the wrong hole. You are the reason that human beings are only the third most intelligent species on earth behind mice and dolphins. So long, and thanks for all the fish!
February 15, 2024
Absurdity at its finest.
Arthur Dent is having a bad day, his house is about to be levelled down because it’s in the way of the construction of a new freeway. At the local pub, he encounters his enigmatic friend Ford Prefect. Prefect, a galactic hitchhiker, is leaving the Earth, and taking Dent with him. A minor nuisance; apparently the Earth is just about to be demolished to make way for an interstellar freeway. Dent’s realization is instant, several billions of people are going to have a very bad day.
This is the most ridiculously funny book I’ve ever read. Although that may be because it was my very first of the kind. I think the hype is very well deserved, if you are into that kind of humor. I lost track of how many times it made me laugh, and I’m not really an easy person to make laugh. Outrageously silly sci-fi humor in every single chapter. An unforgettable ride through an absurdity of worlds scattered along the vast craziness of an unfathomable galaxy.
The movie (2005) is a mediocre adaptation at best; even with a stellar cast like Rockwell, Deschanel and Malkovich. It’s not nearly as funny as the book, not by a long shot, at least for me. It doesn’t make it justice and is not exactly faithful to the original work. And sadly, you just can’t bring down the magnificently complex absurdity of Douglas writing to cinematic dialog without losing much of its original magic.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2007] [193p] [Humor] [Highly Recommendable] [Outrageously ridiculous] [Wonderfully crazy galaxy] [Never forget Marvin] []
-----------------------------------------------
★★☆☆☆ 0.5. Young Zaphod Plays It Safe [1.5]
★★��★★ 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
★★☆☆☆ 2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. Life, the Universe and Everything
★★★★☆ 4. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
★☆☆☆☆ 5. Mostly Harmless
★★★☆☆ 1-5. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
★★★☆☆ 6. And Another Thing... [2.5]
-----------------------------------------------
Absurdidad en su máxima expresión.
Arthur Dent tiene un mal día, su casa está a punto de ser derribada porque está en el camino de la construcción de una nueva carretera. En un bar local, se encuentra con su enigmático amigo Ford Prefect. Prefect, un autoestopista galáctico, está por abandonar la Tierra, y se va llevar a Dent con él. Una pequeña molestia; al parecer la Tierra está a punto de ser demolida para darle paso a una autopista intergaláctica. La realización de Dent es instantánea, varios billones de personas van a tener un muy mal día.
Este es el libro más ridículamente gracioso que leí jamás. Aunque eso es tal vez porque fue el primero que leí de su especie. Creo que su fama está muy bien merecida, si te atrae ése tipo de humor. Perdí la cuenta de cuántas veces me hizo reir, y no soy una persona realmente fácil de hacer reir. Atrozmente tonto humor de ciencia ficción en cada capítulo. Un inolvidable paseo a través de una absurdidad de mundos esparcidos a lo largo de la vasta locura de una insondable galaxia.
La película (2005) es una mediocre adaptación cuando mucho; incluso con un elenco estrella como Rockwell, Deschanel y Malkovich. No es ni de cerca tan graciosa como el libro, ni por asomo, al menos para mí. No le hace justicia y no es exactamente fiel a la obra original. Y tristemente, no podés traer la magníficamente compleja absurdidad de la escritura de Douglas a diálogo cinematográfico sin perder mucha de su magia original.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2007] [193p] [Humor] [Altamente Recomendable] [Atrozmente ridículo] [Maravillosamente alocada galaxia] [Nunca olvidar Marvin] []
-----------------------------------------------
Arthur Dent is having a bad day, his house is about to be levelled down because it’s in the way of the construction of a new freeway. At the local pub, he encounters his enigmatic friend Ford Prefect. Prefect, a galactic hitchhiker, is leaving the Earth, and taking Dent with him. A minor nuisance; apparently the Earth is just about to be demolished to make way for an interstellar freeway. Dent’s realization is instant, several billions of people are going to have a very bad day.
This is the most ridiculously funny book I’ve ever read. Although that may be because it was my very first of the kind. I think the hype is very well deserved, if you are into that kind of humor. I lost track of how many times it made me laugh, and I’m not really an easy person to make laugh. Outrageously silly sci-fi humor in every single chapter. An unforgettable ride through an absurdity of worlds scattered along the vast craziness of an unfathomable galaxy.
The movie (2005) is a mediocre adaptation at best; even with a stellar cast like Rockwell, Deschanel and Malkovich. It’s not nearly as funny as the book, not by a long shot, at least for me. It doesn’t make it justice and is not exactly faithful to the original work. And sadly, you just can’t bring down the magnificently complex absurdity of Douglas writing to cinematic dialog without losing much of its original magic.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2007] [193p] [Humor] [Highly Recommendable] [Outrageously ridiculous] [Wonderfully crazy galaxy] [Never forget Marvin] []
-----------------------------------------------
★★☆☆☆ 0.5. Young Zaphod Plays It Safe [1.5]
★★��★★ 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
★★☆☆☆ 2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. Life, the Universe and Everything
★★★★☆ 4. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
★☆☆☆☆ 5. Mostly Harmless
★★★☆☆ 1-5. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
★★★☆☆ 6. And Another Thing... [2.5]
-----------------------------------------------
Absurdidad en su máxima expresión.
Arthur Dent tiene un mal día, su casa está a punto de ser derribada porque está en el camino de la construcción de una nueva carretera. En un bar local, se encuentra con su enigmático amigo Ford Prefect. Prefect, un autoestopista galáctico, está por abandonar la Tierra, y se va llevar a Dent con él. Una pequeña molestia; al parecer la Tierra está a punto de ser demolida para darle paso a una autopista intergaláctica. La realización de Dent es instantánea, varios billones de personas van a tener un muy mal día.
Este es el libro más ridículamente gracioso que leí jamás. Aunque eso es tal vez porque fue el primero que leí de su especie. Creo que su fama está muy bien merecida, si te atrae ése tipo de humor. Perdí la cuenta de cuántas veces me hizo reir, y no soy una persona realmente fácil de hacer reir. Atrozmente tonto humor de ciencia ficción en cada capítulo. Un inolvidable paseo a través de una absurdidad de mundos esparcidos a lo largo de la vasta locura de una insondable galaxia.
La película (2005) es una mediocre adaptación cuando mucho; incluso con un elenco estrella como Rockwell, Deschanel y Malkovich. No es ni de cerca tan graciosa como el libro, ni por asomo, al menos para mí. No le hace justicia y no es exactamente fiel a la obra original. Y tristemente, no podés traer la magníficamente compleja absurdidad de la escritura de Douglas a diálogo cinematográfico sin perder mucha de su magia original.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2007] [193p] [Humor] [Altamente Recomendable] [Atrozmente ridículo] [Maravillosamente alocada galaxia] [Nunca olvidar Marvin] []
-----------------------------------------------
August 5, 2018
It's not you, it's me... well maybe it's also you.
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Some of the humor I liked but it was too absurd for me and it was too slow to really start.
I wish I had liked it as much as everyone else but it definitely didn't make it to my "favorite books of all time" list!
UPDATE: I finally figured out what was my issue with this book. There's a French movie called "Rrrrrrr" (similar humour to Monty Pyton) and I've had way more fun using the jokes out of context with friends than I did actually watching the movie. Recommending it was always a bit weird because it's just an okay movie but... the jokes are funny afterwards.
This summarizes exactly how I feel about this book!
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Some of the humor I liked but it was too absurd for me and it was too slow to really start.
I wish I had liked it as much as everyone else but it definitely didn't make it to my "favorite books of all time" list!
UPDATE: I finally figured out what was my issue with this book. There's a French movie called "Rrrrrrr" (similar humour to Monty Pyton) and I've had way more fun using the jokes out of context with friends than I did actually watching the movie. Recommending it was always a bit weird because it's just an okay movie but... the jokes are funny afterwards.
This summarizes exactly how I feel about this book!
September 18, 2022
A work that showed humanity its insignificance and that madness is a general, entertaining trait in the universe.
One of the greatest milestones of the rare Sci-Fi comedy hybrids, although it´s losing quality after the first 3 parts. Fantasy seems to be more prone to comedy than Sci-Fi, I don´t know why that´s the fact. I would tend to call it kind of Terry Pratchett in space, because of the unique wit, just without the stamina for so many parts. Adams dying in a fitness center of a heart attack comes in here too, although he already stopped continuing the series years before.
More sheer fun than the rest of the serious
It´s just hilarious and very clever, using different comedy tropes in space, not for science! One of these ideas one has once in a lifetime, in Adam's case mixed with talent. It´s mostly constructed by
Running gags, some sci-fi elements, and comedy characters.
Thereby, the wacky protagonists construct the laughs with slapstick, some deeper stuff, and general strangeness. The underlying criticism level isn´t very high in the first part, which can mostly be seen as pure entertainment.
So successful because it´s so easy to read
There is better, more ironic, and more complex sci-fi out there, but nothing as pleasant as Adam's work. No need to think too hard or get depressed about human nature, no info dump and worldbuilding overkills, just characters, puns, and gags mixed with some dept and
The second and third part of the series include some of the best indirect social criticism too.
But it sadly doesn´t improve after that, I´ve read until the fifth one and Adams just can´t live up to the expectations anymore, starts recycling his schemes, and just isn´t as compelling as in the original trilogy. Maybe he had already enough money, wasn´t really motivated, or lost his muse, but it´s quite a shame because there would have been potential as endless as space for more, really good parts.
Useless fandom trivia
The author, as the story goes, had the idea while watching the sky completely wasted, some might say poisoned, by Gösser beer in my home country Austria. I don´t believe this, because Stiegl beer is just much better than this bitter concoction. Whip me with a towel if you have a problem with that, I can easily handle a little intergalactic spanking.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
One of the greatest milestones of the rare Sci-Fi comedy hybrids, although it´s losing quality after the first 3 parts. Fantasy seems to be more prone to comedy than Sci-Fi, I don´t know why that´s the fact. I would tend to call it kind of Terry Pratchett in space, because of the unique wit, just without the stamina for so many parts. Adams dying in a fitness center of a heart attack comes in here too, although he already stopped continuing the series years before.
More sheer fun than the rest of the serious
It´s just hilarious and very clever, using different comedy tropes in space, not for science! One of these ideas one has once in a lifetime, in Adam's case mixed with talent. It´s mostly constructed by
Running gags, some sci-fi elements, and comedy characters.
Thereby, the wacky protagonists construct the laughs with slapstick, some deeper stuff, and general strangeness. The underlying criticism level isn´t very high in the first part, which can mostly be seen as pure entertainment.
So successful because it´s so easy to read
There is better, more ironic, and more complex sci-fi out there, but nothing as pleasant as Adam's work. No need to think too hard or get depressed about human nature, no info dump and worldbuilding overkills, just characters, puns, and gags mixed with some dept and
The second and third part of the series include some of the best indirect social criticism too.
But it sadly doesn´t improve after that, I´ve read until the fifth one and Adams just can´t live up to the expectations anymore, starts recycling his schemes, and just isn´t as compelling as in the original trilogy. Maybe he had already enough money, wasn´t really motivated, or lost his muse, but it´s quite a shame because there would have been potential as endless as space for more, really good parts.
Useless fandom trivia
The author, as the story goes, had the idea while watching the sky completely wasted, some might say poisoned, by Gösser beer in my home country Austria. I don´t believe this, because Stiegl beer is just much better than this bitter concoction. Whip me with a towel if you have a problem with that, I can easily handle a little intergalactic spanking.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
August 12, 2024
See my video review here: https://youtu.be/hfJJDQOroho
This is a book written in 1979 which follows the story of Arthur Dent who is having a bad day because his house is about to be torn down to make way for a highway. However, he has more things to worry about because the Earth is about to be demolished to make way for the galactic highway. Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Perfect are scooped up from Earth just a second before it is wiped out. The two of them travel through the galaxy and encounter many different people along the way including a depressed robot.
The first half of the book was really funny. I was reading this with a family member, and we both were laughing out loud every couple of minutes. The second half of the book was less funny because it was more plot driven. This book won't be for everyone, because some of the humor is a bit dry. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I am not sure if the jokes will really translate that well to the big screen.
Overall, it was a quick read and pretty enjoyable. However, as mentioned earlier, the pacing felt a bit off but keep in mind this book was written in the 1970's before the 8 second attention spans developed by YouTube.
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Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
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This is a book written in 1979 which follows the story of Arthur Dent who is having a bad day because his house is about to be torn down to make way for a highway. However, he has more things to worry about because the Earth is about to be demolished to make way for the galactic highway. Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Perfect are scooped up from Earth just a second before it is wiped out. The two of them travel through the galaxy and encounter many different people along the way including a depressed robot.
The first half of the book was really funny. I was reading this with a family member, and we both were laughing out loud every couple of minutes. The second half of the book was less funny because it was more plot driven. This book won't be for everyone, because some of the humor is a bit dry. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I am not sure if the jokes will really translate that well to the big screen.
Overall, it was a quick read and pretty enjoyable. However, as mentioned earlier, the pacing felt a bit off but keep in mind this book was written in the 1970's before the 8 second attention spans developed by YouTube.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
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December 7, 2011
What does Kim Jong-Il, a thong-wearing mechanic and this missing link furry fellow have to do with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?
...you owe it to yourself and your family to find out.
With the plethora of wonderful reviews already written for this book by my fellow GRs, I decided instead to provide some helpful, practical advice on why reading this book might benefit my fellow goodreaders. Therefore, as both life management tool and a safety warning, I have compiled my:
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:
.
.
Number 5 : It’s a pleasant diversion to keep your mind occupied and pass the time while you are getting electrolysis to remove thoseareas patches blankets of unwanted hair:
…Yikes, somebody please get that man a Klondike Bar.
Number 4 : The book is smart, funny, well-written and full of wonderful commentary on the human condition and clever humor:
Seriously, isn’t the absence of thong-boy reason enough to give this book a chance?
Number 2: North Korea's Kim Jong- il hates this book
...and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
And finally….
Number 1: Understanding the deep, nuanced meaning at the heart of this novel will help better prepare you should you ever find yourself in a situation like this:
Don’t wait until it’s too late…for yourself and your loved ones, read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy today.
If through sharing the above bit ofmeaningless nonsense wisdom, I have: (i) introduced someone to a worthwhile read, or (ii)provided a means of dealing with the agonizing pain of having chunks of fur ripped from their body, or (iii) shown people a picture of a man in a thong changing a tire, or (iv) pissed off a despotic assclown, or (v) simply provided a safety tip regarding avoiding unsolicited sexual advances in the guise of impromptu gift-giving, than I feel I have accomplished something.
I only did this becauseI had a collection of funny pics and couldn’t figure out what else to do with them so I bootstrapped them in to a review I care.
3.5 stars.
...you owe it to yourself and your family to find out.
With the plethora of wonderful reviews already written for this book by my fellow GRs, I decided instead to provide some helpful, practical advice on why reading this book might benefit my fellow goodreaders. Therefore, as both life management tool and a safety warning, I have compiled my:
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:
.
.
Number 5 : It’s a pleasant diversion to keep your mind occupied and pass the time while you are getting electrolysis to remove those
…Yikes, somebody please get that man a Klondike Bar.
Number 4 : The book is smart, funny, well-written and full of wonderful commentary on the human condition and clever humor:
…The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.Number 3: This gentleman DOES NOT appear in the book:
… ‘You know,’ said Arthur, ‘it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.’
‘Why, what did she tell you?’
‘I don't know, I didn't listen.’
… Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mindboggingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God. The argument goes something like this: `I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, ‘for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.’ ‘But,’ says Man, ‘The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.��� ‘Oh dear,’ says God, ‘I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly vanished in a puff of logic.
…For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons
… ‘Ah,’ said Arthur, ‘this is obviously some strange usage of the word safe that I wasn't previously aware of.’
Seriously, isn’t the absence of thong-boy reason enough to give this book a chance?
Number 2: North Korea's Kim Jong- il hates this book
...and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
And finally….
Number 1: Understanding the deep, nuanced meaning at the heart of this novel will help better prepare you should you ever find yourself in a situation like this:
Don’t wait until it’s too late…for yourself and your loved ones, read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy today.
If through sharing the above bit of
I only did this because
3.5 stars.
December 5, 2014
Please, before anything... DON'T PANIC.
This review is harmless, well mostly harmless.
I think that one of the things that one has to keep in mind while reading this book is that it was written in 1979. Having this important factor in perspective, it's quite astonishing the vision of Douglas Adams, the author, presenting a lot of visionary elements, starting with the very "book inside the book", I mean The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, since it's presented as an electronic book. which now it's a very common way to read a lot of books now. Also, he mentioned stuff like "touch-sensitive screens" that yet again, it's now something introduced in our daily lives. Science-Fiction, the good science fiction is defined by being visionary in the moment to be published and a fact, years later. Just like Verne's work predicting events like space rockets and nuclear submarines.
The President of the Universe holds no real power. His sole purpose is to take attention away from where the power truly exists...
Obviously, beside the mesmering tecnology stuff that he predicted, the signature style here is his remarkable sense of humor, SMART sense of humor. In literature and pop culture in general, there were been unforgettable examples of computers like the cold HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the noble K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, also robots like the loyal R2-D2 from Star Wars and the logical robots from I, Robot short story collection. However, nothing of that can prepare you to the experience of meeting "Eddie", the Main Computer of the Heart of Gold spaceship or Marvin, the Paranoid Android. This is one of the best traits of Douglas Adams' wit in the development of artificial intelligence. I wasn't surprised since some months ago, I read Shada by Gareth Roberts but based on the Doctor Who's unaired script written by Douglas Adams where you find another priceless example of a computer with a personality that only Adams is able to develop. You laugh and laugh with them BUT not only because they's funny but also they are truly logical as artifical intelligences in their way to react to situations. Adams' impact of how presenting artificial intelligence can be found too in another novel of Doctor Who, Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris, where the author showed how well he learned Adams' lessons.
Resistance is useless!
I believe that Douglas Adams' involvement in the production of the iconic British sci-fi TV series Doctor Who as script editor and writer of three stories, it was fated since I found remarkable similarities on the premises of both works, this novel and the TV series. Both has a peculiar fellow who stole certain machine and along with companions is travelling around. So, it wouldn't a surprise that he got some inspiration since Doctor Who was widely known since 1963 specially on its native country, England. Of course, his participation on another British TV institution like Monty Python's Flying Circus was a relevant point for Adams to explode his humoristic potential.
To boldly split infinitives that no man had split before...
It's possible that people unfamiliar with Adams' work could think that since this is a novel with comedy, they could think that it can't be a "serious" science-fiction book. However, the brilliance of this novel is its capacity of offering smart humor while using scientific concepts like the theory of faster-than-light objects. Even you won't be able to fight against his priceless explanation behind the UFOs' sightings.
Without spoiling anything, I think that my only reason of getting off a star in my rating of this great novel was its lacking a proper closure. I understand that this the first book in a trilogy of five books (yes, you read correctly, it wasn't a mistake) so the adventures and mysteries will continue in the second book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. However, it was quite unsettling when you are having the time of your life reading it and the book just stopped to have words. I describe it like that since I didn't feel an ending. It was indeed just like the impossibility of not finding more words in the book. What I can give to Adams is that that was quite improbable but in my opinion, quite unlikely way to just "ending" this book.
Certainly I want to read the rest of this great TRILOGY of FIVE books. (Yes, yet again, you read well, and it isn't a mistake)
This review is harmless, well mostly harmless.
I think that one of the things that one has to keep in mind while reading this book is that it was written in 1979. Having this important factor in perspective, it's quite astonishing the vision of Douglas Adams, the author, presenting a lot of visionary elements, starting with the very "book inside the book", I mean The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, since it's presented as an electronic book. which now it's a very common way to read a lot of books now. Also, he mentioned stuff like "touch-sensitive screens" that yet again, it's now something introduced in our daily lives. Science-Fiction, the good science fiction is defined by being visionary in the moment to be published and a fact, years later. Just like Verne's work predicting events like space rockets and nuclear submarines.
The President of the Universe holds no real power. His sole purpose is to take attention away from where the power truly exists...
Obviously, beside the mesmering tecnology stuff that he predicted, the signature style here is his remarkable sense of humor, SMART sense of humor. In literature and pop culture in general, there were been unforgettable examples of computers like the cold HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the noble K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, also robots like the loyal R2-D2 from Star Wars and the logical robots from I, Robot short story collection. However, nothing of that can prepare you to the experience of meeting "Eddie", the Main Computer of the Heart of Gold spaceship or Marvin, the Paranoid Android. This is one of the best traits of Douglas Adams' wit in the development of artificial intelligence. I wasn't surprised since some months ago, I read Shada by Gareth Roberts but based on the Doctor Who's unaired script written by Douglas Adams where you find another priceless example of a computer with a personality that only Adams is able to develop. You laugh and laugh with them BUT not only because they's funny but also they are truly logical as artifical intelligences in their way to react to situations. Adams' impact of how presenting artificial intelligence can be found too in another novel of Doctor Who, Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris, where the author showed how well he learned Adams' lessons.
Resistance is useless!
I believe that Douglas Adams' involvement in the production of the iconic British sci-fi TV series Doctor Who as script editor and writer of three stories, it was fated since I found remarkable similarities on the premises of both works, this novel and the TV series. Both has a peculiar fellow who stole certain machine and along with companions is travelling around. So, it wouldn't a surprise that he got some inspiration since Doctor Who was widely known since 1963 specially on its native country, England. Of course, his participation on another British TV institution like Monty Python's Flying Circus was a relevant point for Adams to explode his humoristic potential.
To boldly split infinitives that no man had split before...
It's possible that people unfamiliar with Adams' work could think that since this is a novel with comedy, they could think that it can't be a "serious" science-fiction book. However, the brilliance of this novel is its capacity of offering smart humor while using scientific concepts like the theory of faster-than-light objects. Even you won't be able to fight against his priceless explanation behind the UFOs' sightings.
Without spoiling anything, I think that my only reason of getting off a star in my rating of this great novel was its lacking a proper closure. I understand that this the first book in a trilogy of five books (yes, you read correctly, it wasn't a mistake) so the adventures and mysteries will continue in the second book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. However, it was quite unsettling when you are having the time of your life reading it and the book just stopped to have words. I describe it like that since I didn't feel an ending. It was indeed just like the impossibility of not finding more words in the book. What I can give to Adams is that that was quite improbable but in my opinion, quite unlikely way to just "ending" this book.
Certainly I want to read the rest of this great TRILOGY of FIVE books. (Yes, yet again, you read well, and it isn't a mistake)
April 2, 2008
I hated this book. It was required in one of my English Lit. classes in college. The time spent reading this book is time that I will never get back. I think this book may have shortened my life; it was such a waste of time.
August 6, 2022
Summary
Along with his friend, Arthur Dent escapes from Earth before it was demolished and goes for a hilarious yet intriguing trip through the galaxy.
Some fascinating facts related to this this book
I thought that this was a book mainly for the younger audience, and I wouldn't enjoy it. Then I accidentally came across an interview of Elon Musk where he discussed his Hitchhiker’s-Guide-inspired Design Philosophy and told that it was this book that inspired him to make SpaceX. That, at last, convinced me to read this book. And it was an absolute joy to read.
Why are so many people obsessed with this book? How did it influence Elon Musk’s design philosophy?
For knowing more about it. I am sharing the excerpts from Elon Musk's interview here.
Science Fiction to Reality
Here Elon beautifully lays out the philosophical points from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which have shaped the way he thinks through tough engineering challenges.
Elon Musks’ Hitchhiker���s-Guide-inspired Design Philosophy
1. "Question everything, including the question".
As Hitchhiker’s Guide teaches us, if you are given access to the Universe’s most powerful supercomputer—a system that can answer any question you throw at it—don’t waste its time with a question you haven’t properly thought through. The same goes for a beautiful human brain.
When approaching any challenge, first ask yourself, “Am I asking the right question?” Alternatively, “Am I being asked the right question?”
2. “Take ages to form your question.”
The climax of the first book in the series focuses on relaying this lesson to its readers: If you don’t understand the question in the first place, you won’t understand the answer it produces.
3. “Question your constraints.”
The world of rocket science comes with a load of constraints: Time, physical, budgetary, the list goes on. But, Elon warns, “Don’t design to your constraints without calling into question those constraints.”
4. “Don’t optimize a thing that shouldn’t exist.”
We all find ourselves in the midst of a task that suddenly seems silly. “Why am I doing this?” We are creatures of habit, and we are great at following orders. But, sometimes, we forget that orders come from creatures of habit. And, sometimes, habits must be broken in the name of efficiency and progress. SpaceX’s extremely fast-paced innovation makes it clear that they are great at putting this lesson into practice.
5. “The product errors reflect organizational errors.”
To be a great leader, you have to understand the trickle-down effect of your organizational errors. They will flow all the way down the chain, injecting themselves right into your products and services.
That goes for any level of organization, all the way up to whole societies. Starting on page 1, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy does a wonderful job poking fun at the absurdity of error-filled bureaucratic processes that trickle all the way down from a government body, forming persistent issues in the daily lives of its citizens.
My favourite lines from this book
Verdict
4/5 This is one of the best Science Fiction classics out there that can make us laugh and think at the same time.
Along with his friend, Arthur Dent escapes from Earth before it was demolished and goes for a hilarious yet intriguing trip through the galaxy.
Some fascinating facts related to this this book
I thought that this was a book mainly for the younger audience, and I wouldn't enjoy it. Then I accidentally came across an interview of Elon Musk where he discussed his Hitchhiker’s-Guide-inspired Design Philosophy and told that it was this book that inspired him to make SpaceX. That, at last, convinced me to read this book. And it was an absolute joy to read.
Why are so many people obsessed with this book? How did it influence Elon Musk’s design philosophy?
For knowing more about it. I am sharing the excerpts from Elon Musk's interview here.
Science Fiction to Reality
Here Elon beautifully lays out the philosophical points from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which have shaped the way he thinks through tough engineering challenges.
Elon Musks’ Hitchhiker���s-Guide-inspired Design Philosophy
1. "Question everything, including the question".
As Hitchhiker’s Guide teaches us, if you are given access to the Universe’s most powerful supercomputer—a system that can answer any question you throw at it—don’t waste its time with a question you haven’t properly thought through. The same goes for a beautiful human brain.
When approaching any challenge, first ask yourself, “Am I asking the right question?” Alternatively, “Am I being asked the right question?”
2. “Take ages to form your question.”
The climax of the first book in the series focuses on relaying this lesson to its readers: If you don’t understand the question in the first place, you won’t understand the answer it produces.
3. “Question your constraints.”
The world of rocket science comes with a load of constraints: Time, physical, budgetary, the list goes on. But, Elon warns, “Don’t design to your constraints without calling into question those constraints.”
4. “Don’t optimize a thing that shouldn’t exist.”
We all find ourselves in the midst of a task that suddenly seems silly. “Why am I doing this?” We are creatures of habit, and we are great at following orders. But, sometimes, we forget that orders come from creatures of habit. And, sometimes, habits must be broken in the name of efficiency and progress. SpaceX’s extremely fast-paced innovation makes it clear that they are great at putting this lesson into practice.
5. “The product errors reflect organizational errors.”
To be a great leader, you have to understand the trickle-down effect of your organizational errors. They will flow all the way down the chain, injecting themselves right into your products and services.
That goes for any level of organization, all the way up to whole societies. Starting on page 1, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy does a wonderful job poking fun at the absurdity of error-filled bureaucratic processes that trickle all the way down from a government body, forming persistent issues in the daily lives of its citizens.
My favourite lines from this book
“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.”
"For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen.”
“Don’t panic.”
Verdict
4/5 This is one of the best Science Fiction classics out there that can make us laugh and think at the same time.
May 3, 2024
3.5 stars
Clever & witty, but not (to me) a laugh out loud sort of funny.
It is, however, an excellent little book about the absurdity of our place in the universe. And definitely worth reading at least once.
The characters are all obnoxious and silly in the best way possible and so is the plot, but for the life of me, I can't think of a way to describe this thing without spoilers.
Psst - be nice to mice!
If you don't want to take the time to read the book?
The short answer is 42.
This was my 2nd time around with this story, and I enjoyed the audiobook version read by Stephen Fry this time. <-- you can't really go wrong with that.
Clever & witty, but not (to me) a laugh out loud sort of funny.
It is, however, an excellent little book about the absurdity of our place in the universe. And definitely worth reading at least once.
The characters are all obnoxious and silly in the best way possible and so is the plot, but for the life of me, I can't think of a way to describe this thing without spoilers.
Psst - be nice to mice!
If you don't want to take the time to read the book?
The short answer is 42.
This was my 2nd time around with this story, and I enjoyed the audiobook version read by Stephen Fry this time. <-- you can't really go wrong with that.
August 27, 2021
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1), Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction series created by Douglas Adams.
The broad narrative of Hitchhiker follows the misadventures of the last surviving man, Arthur Dent, following the demolition of the planet Earth by a Vogon constructor fleet to make way for a hyperspace bypass.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «راهنمای مسافران مجانی کهکشان»؛ «راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها»؛ نویسنده: داگلاس آدامز؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نهم ماه سپتامبر سال2016میلادی
عنوان: راهنمای مسافران مجانی کهکشان؛ نویسنده: داگلاس آدامز؛ فرزاد فربد؛ تهران، پنجره، 1386؛ در 207ص؛ شابک 9789647822336؛ موضوع: داستانهای خیال انگیز علمی و خنده دار از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
عنوان: راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها؛ نویسنده: داگلاس آدامز؛ آرش سرکوهی؛ تهران، چشمه، 1394؛ در 205ص؛ شابک9786002292902؛
راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها، داستان «آرتور دنت»، مردی از طبقه ی متوسط «انگلیس»، و نقش ناخواسته ی او را، برای دریافتن معنی زندگی، روایت میکند؛ رمان با حادثه ای آغاز میشود، که برای ساکنان کره ی زمین رخداده است، اما در رمان آن رخداد، رویدادی فرعی است؛ «وگون»ها که یکی از نژادهای کهکشان هستند، سیاره ی زمین را، برای احداث یک بزرگراه بین کهکشانی، نابود میکنند؛ کره ی زمین نابود میشود، اما «فورد» و «آرتور دنت (دوست فورد)» چند ثانیه پیش از نابودی زمین، به یاری دستگاهی که «فورد» به همراه دارد، خود را به سفینه ی «وگون»ها منتقل کرده، و از آن پس با «اتواستاپ» زدن، سفر خود را در کهکشانها ادامه میدهند؛ «فورد پریفکت»، از پژوهشگراان مؤسسه ای ست، که کتاب راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها را منتشر میکند؛ او سالها پیش از نابودیِ زمین، برای پژوهش میدانی به زمین سفر کرده بود؛ رمان، ماجراهای سفرهای این دو دوست، و نقشِ «آرتور» را، برای دریافتن معنی زندگی، در بافتی جذاب، و با زبانی روان، با واژه میآراید؛
گویا روانشاد «داگلاس آدامز»، برای نگارش همین سری شش کتاب در خیال خویش کاشته داشته اند، پنج کتاب، در زمان زنده بودن نویسنده، منتشر شد، عنوان کتاب نخست با عنوان سری یکسان است؛ و چهار کتاب دیگر سری، با عنوانهای: «رستوران آخر جهان»؛ «زندگی، جهان و همه چیز»؛ «خداحافظ و ممنون از اون همه ماهی»؛ و «بیشترش چیزی خاصی نیست»؛ نامگذاری شده اند؛
روانشاد «داگلاس آدامز» در سال2001میلادی، از درب سرای این دنیا بگذشتند، و پس از درگذشت ایشان؛ «ایون کالفر»، نویسنده ی «ایرلندی»، با اجازه ی بیوه ی «آدامز»، و با بهره گیری از آرشیو یادداشتها، و نوشته های چاپ نشده ی «داگلاس آدامز»؛ جلد ششم و آخرین کتاب از همین مجموعه را نیز، با عنوان: «راستی تا یادم نرفته...» را نوشتند، و در سال 2009میلادی منتشر کردند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 24/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 04/06/1400هجری خورشید؛ ا. شربیانی
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction series created by Douglas Adams.
The broad narrative of Hitchhiker follows the misadventures of the last surviving man, Arthur Dent, following the demolition of the planet Earth by a Vogon constructor fleet to make way for a hyperspace bypass.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «راهنمای مسافران مجانی کهکشان»؛ «راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها»؛ نویسنده: داگلاس آدامز؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نهم ماه سپتامبر سال2016میلادی
عنوان: راهنمای مسافران مجانی کهکشان؛ نویسنده: داگلاس آدامز؛ فرزاد فربد؛ تهران، پنجره، 1386؛ در 207ص؛ شابک 9789647822336؛ موضوع: داستانهای خیال انگیز علمی و خنده دار از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
عنوان: راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها؛ نویسنده: داگلاس آدامز؛ آرش سرکوهی؛ تهران، چشمه، 1394؛ در 205ص؛ شابک9786002292902؛
راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها، داستان «آرتور دنت»، مردی از طبقه ی متوسط «انگلیس»، و نقش ناخواسته ی او را، برای دریافتن معنی زندگی، روایت میکند؛ رمان با حادثه ای آغاز میشود، که برای ساکنان کره ی زمین رخداده است، اما در رمان آن رخداد، رویدادی فرعی است؛ «وگون»ها که یکی از نژادهای کهکشان هستند، سیاره ی زمین را، برای احداث یک بزرگراه بین کهکشانی، نابود میکنند؛ کره ی زمین نابود میشود، اما «فورد» و «آرتور دنت (دوست فورد)» چند ثانیه پیش از نابودی زمین، به یاری دستگاهی که «فورد» به همراه دارد، خود را به سفینه ی «وگون»ها منتقل کرده، و از آن پس با «اتواستاپ» زدن، سفر خود را در کهکشانها ادامه میدهند؛ «فورد پریفکت»، از پژوهشگراان مؤسسه ای ست، که کتاب راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها را منتشر میکند؛ او سالها پیش از نابودیِ زمین، برای پژوهش میدانی به زمین سفر کرده بود؛ رمان، ماجراهای سفرهای این دو دوست، و نقشِ «آرتور» را، برای دریافتن معنی زندگی، در بافتی جذاب، و با زبانی روان، با واژه میآراید؛
گویا روانشاد «داگلاس آدامز»، برای نگارش همین سری شش کتاب در خیال خویش کاشته داشته اند، پنج کتاب، در زمان زنده بودن نویسنده، منتشر شد، عنوان کتاب نخست با عنوان سری یکسان است؛ و چهار کتاب دیگر سری، با عنوانهای: «رستوران آخر جهان»؛ «زندگی، جهان و همه چیز»؛ «خداحافظ و ممنون از اون همه ماهی»؛ و «بیشترش چیزی خاصی نیست»؛ نامگذاری شده اند؛
روانشاد «داگلاس آدامز» در سال2001میلادی، از درب سرای این دنیا بگذشتند، و پس از درگذشت ایشان؛ «ایون کالفر»، نویسنده ی «ایرلندی»، با اجازه ی بیوه ی «آدامز»، و با بهره گیری از آرشیو یادداشتها، و نوشته های چاپ نشده ی «داگلاس آدامز»؛ جلد ششم و آخرین کتاب از همین مجموعه را نیز، با عنوان: «راستی تا یادم نرفته...» را نوشتند، و در سال 2009میلادی منتشر کردند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 24/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 04/06/1400هجری خورشید؛ ا. شربیانی
April 2, 2022
Re-Read 4/2/22:
Read this book for the first time with my daughter. I figured it is a piece of culture and I'm nothing if not a man of culture. Plus, the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys.
Out of almost all of the hilarious things in this book, my daughter was supremely taken by:
"You want me," said Prosser, spelling out this new thought to himself, "to come and lie over there..."
"Yes."
"In front of the bulldozer?"
"Yes."
"Instead of Mr. Dent?"
"Yes."
"In the mud."
"In, as you say, the mud."
We have, in point of fact, put towels on our heads and acted out the scene more than a few times. Not 42 times, however. There are only so many hours in the day.
I think it was a hit. But we must always remember... Don't Panic.
Original Review:
I'm a firm believer that every budding reader ought to read this book first so they can be utterly and completely ruined for literature for the rest of their lives.
Of course, if you're an older reader, with experience and verve when it comes to words, you might also be completely ruined for literature for the rest of your life, too, but I'm not counting you. In fact, I don't care about you.
I have a towel.
And I know how to USE IT. It's almost, but not quite entirely unlike having a clue.
Fortunately, I, myself had been totally ruined for literature early on in my life and I think I might have read this book around seven or eight times before I got the idea that nothing else I would ever read would quite stack up to it, and afterward, I just decided to become Marvin and assume that the whole world was not quite worth living.
But, again, fortunately, I remembered that I was an Earthling and I could replace most of my cognitive centers with "What?" and get along quite nicely. So that's what I did and ever since I've been reading normal books and saying "What?" quite happily.
You SEE? Happy endings DO happen. As long as you're not a pot of Petunias. Of course, that story would take WAY too long to tell.
I think I want to grab a bite to eat. Maybe I ought to meet the meat.
Read this book for the first time with my daughter. I figured it is a piece of culture and I'm nothing if not a man of culture. Plus, the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys.
Out of almost all of the hilarious things in this book, my daughter was supremely taken by:
"You want me," said Prosser, spelling out this new thought to himself, "to come and lie over there..."
"Yes."
"In front of the bulldozer?"
"Yes."
"Instead of Mr. Dent?"
"Yes."
"In the mud."
"In, as you say, the mud."
We have, in point of fact, put towels on our heads and acted out the scene more than a few times. Not 42 times, however. There are only so many hours in the day.
I think it was a hit. But we must always remember... Don't Panic.
Original Review:
I'm a firm believer that every budding reader ought to read this book first so they can be utterly and completely ruined for literature for the rest of their lives.
Of course, if you're an older reader, with experience and verve when it comes to words, you might also be completely ruined for literature for the rest of your life, too, but I'm not counting you. In fact, I don't care about you.
I have a towel.
And I know how to USE IT. It's almost, but not quite entirely unlike having a clue.
Fortunately, I, myself had been totally ruined for literature early on in my life and I think I might have read this book around seven or eight times before I got the idea that nothing else I would ever read would quite stack up to it, and afterward, I just decided to become Marvin and assume that the whole world was not quite worth living.
But, again, fortunately, I remembered that I was an Earthling and I could replace most of my cognitive centers with "What?" and get along quite nicely. So that's what I did and ever since I've been reading normal books and saying "What?" quite happily.
You SEE? Happy endings DO happen. As long as you're not a pot of Petunias. Of course, that story would take WAY too long to tell.
I think I want to grab a bite to eat. Maybe I ought to meet the meat.
December 17, 2020
“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”
Another great reread of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Always entertaining and so absurdly profound!
~~~
Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an entertaining romp through the galaxy. It's a book I've read several times (first in high school); however, after reading Kurt Vonnegut's most overtly science fiction novel, The Sirens of Titan, it almost felt like a fresh experience. Of course, Vonnegut and Adams are very different writers. Still, the influence of Vonnegut is evident in Adams' seminal novel of nerd culture. The absurdity of the human condition explored in Sirens (something which Vonnegut refuses to take seriously but can't treat as a punchline either) gets a funny and entertaining twist in Adams' work. While I view Sirens as a better novel, it took Adams to turn that absurdity into such an entertaining adventure.
Another great reread of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Always entertaining and so absurdly profound!
~~~
Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an entertaining romp through the galaxy. It's a book I've read several times (first in high school); however, after reading Kurt Vonnegut's most overtly science fiction novel, The Sirens of Titan, it almost felt like a fresh experience. Of course, Vonnegut and Adams are very different writers. Still, the influence of Vonnegut is evident in Adams' seminal novel of nerd culture. The absurdity of the human condition explored in Sirens (something which Vonnegut refuses to take seriously but can't treat as a punchline either) gets a funny and entertaining twist in Adams' work. While I view Sirens as a better novel, it took Adams to turn that absurdity into such an entertaining adventure.
March 22, 2009
What can I say? I wish I had been in the movie, although it was bad and I guess I should be happy about NOT being in it.
December 16, 2021
Jedyny element, który mi się podobał to Marvin
February 20, 2018
Not sure what it was about this book that made me not like it as much as I was hoping. When I was growing up I remember watching the BBC TV show and playing the text adventure on my Commodore 64 (yes, I am getting old). Before I actually read it, lots of my friends recommended it and the cool, edgy people all loved it (basically, the hipsters of the 90s! 😉)
When I finally read it, it seemed a bit dry to me. Perhaps that was the famous dry British humor? Also, it felt like Adams was trying to include a joke in every sentence. I started to think that perhaps the TV show and the text adventure streamlined the humor and made it more accessible to me.
I do think that a lot of people will like this one and sing its praises - and you don't even need to be cool and edgy! But if you like your British humor in controlled, coherent doses, you may have the same experience as me.
When I finally read it, it seemed a bit dry to me. Perhaps that was the famous dry British humor? Also, it felt like Adams was trying to include a joke in every sentence. I started to think that perhaps the TV show and the text adventure streamlined the humor and made it more accessible to me.
I do think that a lot of people will like this one and sing its praises - and you don't even need to be cool and edgy! But if you like your British humor in controlled, coherent doses, you may have the same experience as me.
May 23, 2020
What a weird little book.
Something I'll do, almost immediately after finishing a book, is Google the heck out of the genre it belongs to. For example, after finishing Furiously Happy, I wanted to find a book that would make me laugh as much as it did. When in doubt, turn to Google. I have googled "most funny books" , "funny fiction books" and " comedy books". Each time, this was one of the top results. And since, I got Audible for Christmas, I thought I would give it a try. (But also because Google is shoving it down my throat.)
I'm still not totally sure how I feel about it. I keet waffling. One chapter, I'd be laughing and thinking I would definitely rate it 5 Stats but the next, I would be bored and wanted to rate it 3. (I decided on 3.5 stars).
This book is described as sci-fi AND comedy. A very very weird combo. I like both of those genres separately but together they were just weird. I love chocolate and I love grilled cheese but would I put them together? Heck, no. (Well, I might but I've been known to have weird food combos. Cheese and chocolate. Eggs and syrup. Apple's and chips.)
Aside from the genres, the plot was very creative. They story open a with the end. The end of earth. Two aliens and two aliens the travel the Universe and hilarity ensues. That's all fine and good but then the book just ended. I can only describe at as like when your walking and reading and you run into a wall and your nose gets all scraped up. (Not that that's happened to me or anything 😶)
All in all, I have very mixed feelings. I loved the idea and the humor. I also loved the sci-fi aspect but when all of that was combined it was not all that great
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Bottom Line:
3.5 Stars: Weird, but funny
Age Recommendation: 11+ (Slight cursing, violence)
For fans of: 5th Wave, Furiously Happy
Cover: 5/10
Plot: 6/10
Character: 8/10
*******
Update: it did but what the heck was that ending?!? RTC
*******
this has better live up to the hype
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Something I'll do, almost immediately after finishing a book, is Google the heck out of the genre it belongs to. For example, after finishing Furiously Happy, I wanted to find a book that would make me laugh as much as it did. When in doubt, turn to Google. I have googled "most funny books" , "funny fiction books" and " comedy books". Each time, this was one of the top results. And since, I got Audible for Christmas, I thought I would give it a try. (But also because Google is shoving it down my throat.)
I'm still not totally sure how I feel about it. I keet waffling. One chapter, I'd be laughing and thinking I would definitely rate it 5 Stats but the next, I would be bored and wanted to rate it 3. (I decided on 3.5 stars).
This book is described as sci-fi AND comedy. A very very weird combo. I like both of those genres separately but together they were just weird. I love chocolate and I love grilled cheese but would I put them together? Heck, no. (Well, I might but I've been known to have weird food combos. Cheese and chocolate. Eggs and syrup. Apple's and chips.)
Aside from the genres, the plot was very creative. They story open a with the end. The end of earth. Two aliens and two aliens the travel the Universe and hilarity ensues. That's all fine and good but then the book just ended. I can only describe at as like when your walking and reading and you run into a wall and your nose gets all scraped up. (Not that that's happened to me or anything 😶)
All in all, I have very mixed feelings. I loved the idea and the humor. I also loved the sci-fi aspect but when all of that was combined it was not all that great
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Bottom Line:
3.5 Stars: Weird, but funny
Age Recommendation: 11+ (Slight cursing, violence)
For fans of: 5th Wave, Furiously Happy
Cover: 5/10
Plot: 6/10
Character: 8/10
*******
Update: it did but what the heck was that ending?!? RTC
*******
this has better live up to the hype
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
May 15, 2024
Arthur Dent is having a bad day his home is being demolished, a new highway bypass is needed progress you know, it's for his own good...really, so goodbye house. On the bright side (by the way), it does not matter either. Earth too will no longer be, soon just billions of inconsequential floating pieces scattered throughout the cosmos, no one left to remember. The powers of the galaxy have decided this little insignificant, dull planet at the edge of the Milky Way must go. A hyperspatial express route is being built, Earth is in the path no big deal to the rest of the universe, just a few souls disappear think of the convenience to others , people... His friend drops by, Mr. Ford Prefect and finds Arthur lying in the mud in front of the bulldozers, and asks him what's new ? And can he go to the local pub for a drink, they must talk... Seems okay to Dent, but first the intelligent man gets a gentleman's solemn sacred promise, from a bureaucrat (who shall remain nameless), that his house will still be standing when he gets back. Even has Mr. Prosser, replace him in the dirt (I can never keep a secret). After a few drinks which relaxes Arthur, Ford tell's his friend he's an alien from a another planet in the vicinity of the great star Betelgeuse, just 600 light-years away. Dent always thought Prefect was an eccentric man but this being England, perfectly permissible, goes on to explain he's a researcher for something called, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". A weird sound emulates from the outside disrupting this enlightening discussion, Arthur jumps up runs out the door and sees that there are no more gentlemen in the world now. Home gone, but the over excited man starts calling the wrecking crew unkind names. Such language (I will not repeat them, in mixed company, besides this is a family site ). People should be calm, always calm nothing to be concerned about, remember you are English...Looking up, odd yellow streaks in the sky Dent wonders, Ford did say the Earth would be destroyed today but he is strange...Stiff upper lip ...But something is occurring, though. Ford arrives and the noise level rises also...A short time later the waking, Dent...Mr. Dent, comes to in the dark in an alien spaceship , one of those that vaporized his not quite beloved planet, with Ford there... Evil green, and very ugly aliens the Vogons who like to torture people by reciting bad poetry, I mean really bad Vogon poetry, resulting in captives welcoming death, rather than listen to another word... Captain Jeltz hates hitchhikers, and Ford had a devise to enter the ship, secretly. But the clever friends say they loved the excruciating poem, of the captain's; obvious lying, the angry poet has the two rudely thrown off the craft into space, without... spacesuits...these aliens, are barbarians... They can hold their breaths for thirty seconds, so don't worry... A miracle, on the 29th second, they're saved by the President of the galaxy , in a stolen vessel. And the runaway politician ( surprisingly not exactly honest), Zaphod Beeblebrox is on board, so is his two heads and three arms, with his girlfriend Trillian and Marvin, the paranoid robot, don't talk to it, he's very depressing, you would want to crush him, with your bare hands ... As the semi cousin (what's that?) of the president, Ford Prefect is in luck. All the galaxy, are after the Heart of Gold, the new spaceship which can cross the Milky Way, in a flash, on ship the greedy, seek the legendary, lost and fabulously rich planet, Magratha. In the vastness of the whole endless Universe everything's is possible, except an android like Marvin...Remember the Guide's motto, "Don't Panic"...
January 1, 2019
Don’t panic.
This is a wholly remarkable book.
For those of you who have NOT read Douglas Adams’ classic, drop what you’re doing right this very instant and go get a book. You can buy a copy at the bookstore, download it from Kindle, or check it out at the library.
No, seriously, literally stop what you’re doing and go get a copy and do nothing for the next three to four hours as you read this brilliant and hilarious book. Go ahead, leave work, duck out of school, cancel that appointment and just read and enjoy. Tell them Dr. Johnny Fever has prescribed this and it is necessary for your health.
Go on, it’s OK, we’ll wait for you.
(background music plays softly)
OK! You’re back! It was AMAZING! RIGHT?
Douglas Adams’ takeoff from this great start is something to read. SF? Sure. Fantasy? Probably. Adams humorous writing and good as pizza dialogue makes this GREAT. I’d call this a lovingly fun satire of 60s era weird SF, with some fun science of his own, but all tongue in cheek and entertaining.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
This is a wholly remarkable book.
For those of you who have NOT read Douglas Adams’ classic, drop what you’re doing right this very instant and go get a book. You can buy a copy at the bookstore, download it from Kindle, or check it out at the library.
No, seriously, literally stop what you’re doing and go get a copy and do nothing for the next three to four hours as you read this brilliant and hilarious book. Go ahead, leave work, duck out of school, cancel that appointment and just read and enjoy. Tell them Dr. Johnny Fever has prescribed this and it is necessary for your health.
Go on, it’s OK, we’ll wait for you.
(background music plays softly)
OK! You’re back! It was AMAZING! RIGHT?
Douglas Adams’ takeoff from this great start is something to read. SF? Sure. Fantasy? Probably. Adams humorous writing and good as pizza dialogue makes this GREAT. I’d call this a lovingly fun satire of 60s era weird SF, with some fun science of his own, but all tongue in cheek and entertaining.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
February 21, 2024
Watch my video review by clicking here.
3.5 stars rounded up for goodreads. Was fun and silly, but ultimately felt like a poor mans Discworld that I would have enjoyed far more when I was younger.
3.5 stars rounded up for goodreads. Was fun and silly, but ultimately felt like a poor mans Discworld that I would have enjoyed far more when I was younger.
May 17, 2017
Review of the audio, read by Stephen Fry:
Overall, Fry earns a solid 'B+' for his rendition of the classic Hitchhiker's Guide. Fry has the perfect 'narrator' voice, and I generally enjoyed most of his character voices. Ford Prefect often has a rakish tone, his reading of Arthur Dent is note-perfect clueless, and Zaphod Beeblebrox has a deliciously smarmy confidence. It was a bit of a revelation to find Marvin more amusing in audio than when I read the book, although I feel like Fry might have given him a tad too much despondent enthusiasm. His reading of the Vogon gibberish as the Babel fish was inserted and translated it into English had me laughing.
No, my biggest problem is that I think sometimes Fry got a little too involved in the story, and his character voices bled together. He'd suddenly remember who was speaking, and pull Zaphod out of dashing Ford territory and back into cocky confidence, but it was often enough and in dialogue enough that I definitely noticed as a trend, not an instance.
Well, no matter; still utterly engaging. There was a distracting formatting issue where the pause between chapters must have been edited out between the end of the previous chapter, Fry reading the chapter heading (ex. "Chapter Five") and the continuation of the story, there was no pause at all.
Though Audible claims this is unabridged, I either spaced out a few moments (entirely possible) or it isn't, quite. I'll have to give it another listen-through as I'm driving. But I'm definitely enthusiastic about moving on to The Restaurant at the End of the Universe if Fry is reading.
Overall, Fry earns a solid 'B+' for his rendition of the classic Hitchhiker's Guide. Fry has the perfect 'narrator' voice, and I generally enjoyed most of his character voices. Ford Prefect often has a rakish tone, his reading of Arthur Dent is note-perfect clueless, and Zaphod Beeblebrox has a deliciously smarmy confidence. It was a bit of a revelation to find Marvin more amusing in audio than when I read the book, although I feel like Fry might have given him a tad too much despondent enthusiasm. His reading of the Vogon gibberish as the Babel fish was inserted and translated it into English had me laughing.
No, my biggest problem is that I think sometimes Fry got a little too involved in the story, and his character voices bled together. He'd suddenly remember who was speaking, and pull Zaphod out of dashing Ford territory and back into cocky confidence, but it was often enough and in dialogue enough that I definitely noticed as a trend, not an instance.
Well, no matter; still utterly engaging. There was a distracting formatting issue where the pause between chapters must have been edited out between the end of the previous chapter, Fry reading the chapter heading (ex. "Chapter Five") and the continuation of the story, there was no pause at all.
Though Audible claims this is unabridged, I either spaced out a few moments (entirely possible) or it isn't, quite. I'll have to give it another listen-through as I'm driving. But I'm definitely enthusiastic about moving on to The Restaurant at the End of the Universe if Fry is reading.
October 17, 2016
“You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young."
"Why, what did she tell you?"
"I don't know, I didn't listen.”
Did this make you laugh already? Fine, because the rest of Douglas Adams' famous novel includes many more of those humorous elements.
I have a very difficult personal history with Sci-Fi novels; some of them I could appreciate but not enjoy; some I could appreciate but got bored with them very quickly; but The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first Sci-Fi novel which ever made me simultaneously appreciate, enjoy and even love the book. Love is a strong word, but if a book is filled with sentences like “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't” or “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job” or “My capacity for happiness you could fit into a matchbox without taking out the matches first”, then I simply can't help but fall in love with it.
“So this is it," said Arthur, "We are going to die."
"Yes," said Ford, "except... no! Wait a minute!" He suddenly lunged across the chamber at something behind Arthur's line of vision. "What's this switch?" he cried.
"What? Where?" cried Arthur, twisting round.
"No, I was only fooling," said Ford, "we are going to die after all.”
I could go on and quote the entire book now, that's how much fun it was reading this and that's how quotable the book is. But Douglas Adams didn't only attempt (and succeed) to write this groundbreaking approach to the science fiction genre, he was also able to make you think a lot about several important questions: What is the meaning of life? Why do we live? Why do we die? What is the meaning of the Universe? Adams intentionally answers these questions in rather absurd ways, mainly because it is impossible to find ultimate answers and definitions for these topics. But those are all questions everyone has already asked themselves, and Adams isn't afraid to tackle them in a way that the reader can't help but laugh about it.
“For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.”
If you haven't read this book yet, perhaps because you are afraid of the Sci-Fi genre (which I was as well, until I started my adventures with Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Marvin and all the others in this book): then don't hesitate to read it. But don't be mistaken, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is (probably) not the best book you will ever find, it is (probably) not going to make you cry because of its emotional intensity, it is (probably) not going to keep you on the edge of your seat due to its ming-bogglingly suspenseful plot. Adams' book is rather an episodic account of several random adventures in the cosmic space, and for me it was mostly Adams' writing style which it was impossible to resist. He lures his readers into the story and before you even realize it, you are probably already laughing.
And don't forget to bring your towel!
April 10, 2020
چی میگید اگر بهتون بگم توی این کتاب رئیس جمهور شدن "ترامپ "پیش ببینی شده؟
(کتاب سال ۱۹۷۹ نوشته شده )
کتاب طنز بانمکیه، توش میتونی جمله های فلسفی باحال پیدا کنی برای استوری اینستاگرامت و خودتو کول نشون بدی. دربارهی معنای زندگی ام سوال می پرسه و جوابشم نمیده طبق معمول. نکتهش اما این نیست . چیزی که همهی این کتاب میخواد بگه اینه که برو زندگی کن،حالشو ببر و سوالاتی رو که جوابشون دو به توان بینهایت غیر محتمله، بیخیال شو. مثل منکه هیچی از فیزیک کوانتوم حالیم نمیشه بنابراین وانمود میکنم اصلا وجود نداره.
راستی شاید براتون جالب باشه بدونید معنی اسم من به زبان ساکنان سحابی ماژلان میشه *دختری که هیچی از فیزیک کوانتوم نمیفهمه و هیچ وقت ته دیگ سیب زمینی هاش نمیسوزه.*
..
همهی کتاب رو توی چهار ساعت خوندم. نه اینکه خیلی خفن و پرکشش باشهها، فقط برای اینکه صدای رعد و برق و بارون نمی ذاشت بخوابم.
.
.
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عذاب وجدان گرفتم ...بیانصافی نباشه داستانشهم بانمک بود خب. احتیاج داشتم به طنزش. جلدهای بعدی رو هم میخونم.
فکر کنم نوجوونا بیشتر ازش خوششون بیاد. شاید!
(کتاب سال ۱۹۷۹ نوشته شده )
کتاب طنز بانمکیه، توش میتونی جمله های فلسفی باحال پیدا کنی برای استوری اینستاگرامت و خودتو کول نشون بدی. دربارهی معنای زندگی ام سوال می پرسه و جوابشم نمیده طبق معمول. نکتهش اما این نیست . چیزی که همهی این کتاب میخواد بگه اینه که برو زندگی کن،حالشو ببر و سوالاتی رو که جوابشون دو به توان بینهایت غیر محتمله، بیخیال شو. مثل منکه هیچی از فیزیک کوانتوم حالیم نمیشه بنابراین وانمود میکنم اصلا وجود نداره.
راستی شاید براتون جالب باشه بدونید معنی اسم من به زبان ساکنان سحابی ماژلان میشه *دختری که هیچی از فیزیک کوانتوم نمیفهمه و هیچ وقت ته دیگ سیب زمینی هاش نمیسوزه.*
..
همهی کتاب رو توی چهار ساعت خوندم. نه اینکه خیلی خفن و پرکشش باشهها، فقط برای اینکه صدای رعد و برق و بارون نمی ذاشت بخوابم.
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.
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عذاب وجدان گرفتم ...بیانصافی نباشه داستانشهم بانمک بود خب. احتیاج داشتم به طنزش. جلدهای بعدی رو هم میخونم.
فکر کنم نوجوونا بیشتر ازش خوششون بیاد. شاید!
February 27, 2023
I need a Babel fish and make it translate my mind.
"Whatever happened to my mind, I did it."
.
.
.
"This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time."
Story: Earth is demolished. A man is secretly taken to another planet. So enjoy I say.
It's filled with weirdos because most of them are beings from somewhere else (to keep it subtle or to make it worse) and the story is chaotic and funny as heck.
But really though, reading this series talking about demolishing the Earth during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic did made me question my choice of books.
(And every book I pick up these days are either too depressing or stressed the heck out of me. I question my choices. Yes, I do that a lot these days.)
I was going crazy trying to calm down and understand what was going on in the first few chapters. But then chapter 6 started and there's no going back. Of course, we gotta read the first 5 chapters to get this feeling.
I love this chapter! Funny yet the discussion going on in there. Fun! Faith vs Man.
My favourite character would be Ford. He would be someone I would want to punch in the face but cannot survive without.
Arthur. Oh Arthur. You remind me of us humans that I keep getting all the second-hand embarassment whenever you appear.
Trillian. The way her character is reminds me of some of the most calmest yet intriguing people. I like how her vibes scream sarcasm towards Gaphod, the semi-cousin of Ford.
And what the hell is wrong with Grunthos (yes, that's a real fictional character's name... Real and fictional.) Torture yourself with the poems by Poet Master Grunthos. (My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles....yes, get the hint.) The horror! I cried laughing there!
And you will meet a few more characters. Almost philosophical ones I would say.
Marvin, you will be remembered.
The more pages you turn, the more you will enjoy the story. There's nothing normal here. Because, of course, it didn't happen on our planet. Let your imagination have its exercise and be tickled with an imaginary world somewhere out there.
The entire read reminds me so much of the nerds Sheldon Cooper, Lennerd, Howard and Raj. Like they have written a story together finally!
(The irony though that the book series happened years before the show.)
Another story there, Magrathea. It could happen. Myth?
Love the space time I had with the first book!
Parts like this out of nowhere got me laughing out loud
("Ah...! What's happening?it thought.
Er, excuse me, who am I?
Hello?
Why am I here? What's my purpose in life?
What do you mean by who am I?")
Of course, it's not always about the human and humanlike beings here.
I just wish no fictional animal was harmed in the story.
The end of chapter 21 made me quite emotional. I wish I never have to say such lines. Ever.
And (bam!) the chapters that followed this until the end made this read a perfect read for me. I am telling you this is the kind of book the more pages you read the more you get invested.
I kept telling myself "this is so chaotic", "do I need to be worried about how worried I am now while reading this crazy story?" and "I want to go there". Actually the whole story felt rather claustrophobic too.
I really love the last few chapters more. It's everything you need to think about you, the world you live in and what might be actually happening as opposed to what we are made to believe all our lives.
And human, be very scared of mice. (Now I know why we go crazy sht seeing mice!)
"Resistance is useless."
👉 Just pick up this book. It's funny at first but then you will know it ain't so funny.
"Whatever happened to my mind, I did it."
.
.
.
"This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time."
Story: Earth is demolished. A man is secretly taken to another planet. So enjoy I say.
It's filled with weirdos because most of them are beings from somewhere else (to keep it subtle or to make it worse) and the story is chaotic and funny as heck.
But really though, reading this series talking about demolishing the Earth during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic did made me question my choice of books.
(And every book I pick up these days are either too depressing or stressed the heck out of me. I question my choices. Yes, I do that a lot these days.)
I was going crazy trying to calm down and understand what was going on in the first few chapters. But then chapter 6 started and there's no going back. Of course, we gotta read the first 5 chapters to get this feeling.
I love this chapter! Funny yet the discussion going on in there. Fun! Faith vs Man.
My favourite character would be Ford. He would be someone I would want to punch in the face but cannot survive without.
Arthur. Oh Arthur. You remind me of us humans that I keep getting all the second-hand embarassment whenever you appear.
Trillian. The way her character is reminds me of some of the most calmest yet intriguing people. I like how her vibes scream sarcasm towards Gaphod, the semi-cousin of Ford.
And what the hell is wrong with Grunthos (yes, that's a real fictional character's name... Real and fictional.) Torture yourself with the poems by Poet Master Grunthos. (My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles....yes, get the hint.) The horror! I cried laughing there!
And you will meet a few more characters. Almost philosophical ones I would say.
Marvin, you will be remembered.
The more pages you turn, the more you will enjoy the story. There's nothing normal here. Because, of course, it didn't happen on our planet. Let your imagination have its exercise and be tickled with an imaginary world somewhere out there.
The entire read reminds me so much of the nerds Sheldon Cooper, Lennerd, Howard and Raj. Like they have written a story together finally!
(The irony though that the book series happened years before the show.)
Another story there, Magrathea. It could happen. Myth?
Love the space time I had with the first book!
Parts like this out of nowhere got me laughing out loud
("Ah...! What's happening?it thought.
Er, excuse me, who am I?
Hello?
Why am I here? What's my purpose in life?
What do you mean by who am I?")
Of course, it's not always about the human and humanlike beings here.
I just wish no fictional animal was harmed in the story.
The end of chapter 21 made me quite emotional. I wish I never have to say such lines. Ever.
And (bam!) the chapters that followed this until the end made this read a perfect read for me. I am telling you this is the kind of book the more pages you read the more you get invested.
I kept telling myself "this is so chaotic", "do I need to be worried about how worried I am now while reading this crazy story?" and "I want to go there". Actually the whole story felt rather claustrophobic too.
I really love the last few chapters more. It's everything you need to think about you, the world you live in and what might be actually happening as opposed to what we are made to believe all our lives.
And human, be very scared of mice. (Now I know why we go crazy sht seeing mice!)
"Resistance is useless."
👉 Just pick up this book. It's funny at first but then you will know it ain't so funny.
August 20, 2017
From what I can tell, I'm not in the majority when it comes to rating The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I'm giving it a 3, which means I still liked it... but unfortunately, I wasn't as fond of the humor as most people are.
This was a book club selection from about 6 or 7 years ago. We agreed to read just the first one in the series. And it was the first science-fiction novel we took on. I was excited. Several had already read it but wanted to again.
I'm generally a fan of crazy humor. I love Spaceballs, the movie. I kinda liken it to that, but for some reason, this wasn't as funny as I felt everyone said it was. Tons of laughs. Many great lines. The characters were memorable. I'm pretty sure there are a few movie or cartoon adaptions of it.
And I honestly would recommend that everyone read it -- even non SF fans. There are parts you will totally enjoy. But it's hard to get into for a non-SF reader right from the beginning. My first reactions were "Oh that's not possible..." But then I realized I wasn't reading a typical novel, so I suspended the lil' bit o' grouch in me... and I was able to enjoy it.
Very imaginative. Lots of cool commentary on life as other people would see it. A fair approach for someone new to the universe, so to speak.
I may go back and read it now that I'm older and have read a few other SF and fantasy books. I'm curious... what's the huge appeal for others about this book?
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
[polldaddy poll=9729544]
[polldaddy poll=9719251]
This was a book club selection from about 6 or 7 years ago. We agreed to read just the first one in the series. And it was the first science-fiction novel we took on. I was excited. Several had already read it but wanted to again.
I'm generally a fan of crazy humor. I love Spaceballs, the movie. I kinda liken it to that, but for some reason, this wasn't as funny as I felt everyone said it was. Tons of laughs. Many great lines. The characters were memorable. I'm pretty sure there are a few movie or cartoon adaptions of it.
And I honestly would recommend that everyone read it -- even non SF fans. There are parts you will totally enjoy. But it's hard to get into for a non-SF reader right from the beginning. My first reactions were "Oh that's not possible..." But then I realized I wasn't reading a typical novel, so I suspended the lil' bit o' grouch in me... and I was able to enjoy it.
Very imaginative. Lots of cool commentary on life as other people would see it. A fair approach for someone new to the universe, so to speak.
I may go back and read it now that I'm older and have read a few other SF and fantasy books. I'm curious... what's the huge appeal for others about this book?
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
[polldaddy poll=9729544]
[polldaddy poll=9719251]
November 24, 2019
★★ /5
This was fine… I guess?
This was definitely easy to read and absorb, but at the same time, it didn’t feel like a real book. The ridiculousness of the plot sometimes was just too much and brought up me from the story. Some parts of this book were actually really interesting, but a lot of things were just annoying. I didn’t really like the character, at least for me they didn’t have the proper motivation for their actions.
I understand why people like it, but sadly it was just not for me.
This was fine… I guess?
This was definitely easy to read and absorb, but at the same time, it didn’t feel like a real book. The ridiculousness of the plot sometimes was just too much and brought up me from the story. Some parts of this book were actually really interesting, but a lot of things were just annoying. I didn’t really like the character, at least for me they didn’t have the proper motivation for their actions.
I understand why people like it, but sadly it was just not for me.
February 9, 2017
Hitchhiker's, volume 1.
Earth is destroyed to make way for a bypass. Fortunately for Arthur Dent, his friend Ford Prefect turns out to be an alien and manages to escape, with Arthur.
The plot is not bad, but it's the writing that is fantastic:
Vogon ships "hung in the sky in exactly the way bricks don't".
The Hooloovoo is a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue.
The old man who said nothing was true but was later found to be lying.
"After a second or so, nothing continued to happen".
"This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays" (borrowing from Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's).
"Bits of it were dullish grey. Bits of it were dullish brown. The rest of it was rather less interesting". "An acute attack of no curiosity".
"Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea".
"It's unpleasantly like being drunk. What's so bad about being drunk? Try asking a glass of water."
God refuses to prove he exists because proof denies faith and without faith he is nothing. But the Babel fish is a dead giveaway - so God disappeared in a puff of logic.
Infinite improbability drive.
Brief summary and favourite quotes from the other four of the five books, as follows:
Restaurant at the End of Universe (vol 2): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Life, the Universe and Everything (vol 3):
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish (vol 4): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mostly Harmless (vol 5): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
And Another Thing...( vol 6), by Eoin Colfer : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Adams' thoughts on the Babel Fish are cited by linguist David Crystal in Language Death
Earth is destroyed to make way for a bypass. Fortunately for Arthur Dent, his friend Ford Prefect turns out to be an alien and manages to escape, with Arthur.
The plot is not bad, but it's the writing that is fantastic:
Vogon ships "hung in the sky in exactly the way bricks don't".
The Hooloovoo is a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue.
The old man who said nothing was true but was later found to be lying.
"After a second or so, nothing continued to happen".
"This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays" (borrowing from Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's).
"Bits of it were dullish grey. Bits of it were dullish brown. The rest of it was rather less interesting". "An acute attack of no curiosity".
"Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea".
"It's unpleasantly like being drunk. What's so bad about being drunk? Try asking a glass of water."
God refuses to prove he exists because proof denies faith and without faith he is nothing. But the Babel fish is a dead giveaway - so God disappeared in a puff of logic.
Infinite improbability drive.
Brief summary and favourite quotes from the other four of the five books, as follows:
Restaurant at the End of Universe (vol 2): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Life, the Universe and Everything (vol 3):
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish (vol 4): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mostly Harmless (vol 5): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
And Another Thing...( vol 6), by Eoin Colfer : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Adams' thoughts on the Babel Fish are cited by linguist David Crystal in Language Death
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