Gripping read, packed with humour
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"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a confusing, yet gripping book. The author, Douglas Adams, has a very sarcastic and dry sense of humour. This may appeal to some, whereas others might find this tedious. This is a very well written book; however, it may take several reads to fully understand the complexity of it.
This Sci-fi novel follows the life-changing adventures of Arthur Dent, a human being. He is one of the only two surviving humans in the universe, since Earth was demolished, to make way for a hyper-space bypass. Everyone apart from Arthur and his ex-girlfriend were obliterated. On his long and tiring journey, Arthur re-encounters his ex-girlfriend, and meets a journalist for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the president of the universe. Together, they brave several of the terrors of the universe and discover some peculiar things. Overall, this is a great read.
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I guess I'm just old fashioned:
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But I prefer a good old SF classic based on a beleivable storyline: Like The Triffids or The Trouble with Litchen or The Cephae or even Oryx and Crake. I had been recommended the Hitchhikers by several 'intelligent' friends but after reading a couple of chapters I found that the story, like other fantasy, just did not hold my attention, so I dropped it into our local charity shop. Sorry Douglas, I tried, but this one's not for me.
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Really funny
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If you like the bizarre humour of the film then i definately recomend this as well. Be warned though it is very different from the film and has some illogical things in it. But then thats wont makes Douglas Adam's books so damm funny. Or i think so anyway. I got all five in the hitchhiker series and definately recomend them to anyone who likes the Adams kind of humour.
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sorry to the fans, i didn't like it
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Here in Portugal we (thirtysomething people, I mean) didn't get to grow hearing about (or seeing on TV, et coetera) The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
So, because of the movie hype, I bought this book, this tie-in film version of the book.
I must say the book disappointed me and that I really fail to see where it's quality might lie.
There are, yes, some good moments in the book, but they hardly justify the immense following of the book.
I know it's a "science fiction nonsense" type of book and all that.
But I didn't find it entertaining, much less funny or witty.
I disliked the links to the Encyclopaedia Galactica (an Asimov satyrization, of course) for it's lack of originality.
To sum it up, this book has some novelty material and some (scarcely) good material.
Shame that the novelty material isn't good, and that the good ('goodish', I'd say) material isn't novel...
I'd recommend to give it a miss.
Don't Panic, fans.
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You are about to read a cultural classic
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How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."
If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.
I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.
This book has changed my life.
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