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verpissdich's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Light hearted and very fantastical. The main appeal is the frivolity with which it is written, which borders at times on excessive but treads the line skillfully.
I like the paranoid android. Plot uses extreme coincidence as a plot mechanism in itself, which is quite clever and allows for a believable and highly improbable storyline.
It is clear the author either truly does not take themselves seriously, or makes a very concerted effort to appear as though they don't care too much. However, the prose is not dumbed down.
The book is too short to fully develop the characters, possibly due to the original format being a radio show. But readers probably aren't intended to fully understand all the characters anyways, it's meant for entertainment.
Overall a good, light, whimsical read with decent prose and clever storyline mechanisms.
I like the paranoid android. Plot uses extreme coincidence as a plot mechanism in itself, which is quite clever and allows for a believable and highly improbable storyline.
It is clear the author either truly does not take themselves seriously, or makes a very concerted effort to appear as though they don't care too much. However, the prose is not dumbed down.
The book is too short to fully develop the characters, possibly due to the original format being a radio show. But readers probably aren't intended to fully understand all the characters anyways, it's meant for entertainment.
Overall a good, light, whimsical read with decent prose and clever storyline mechanisms.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
funyuns_the_movie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death
Minor: Genocide and War
chelseazhao's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, but I will say that if I hadn’t watched and loved the movie (many many times) I would probably be a bit more confused as to what was going on.
I really do like the satire and commentary that this book has going for it. And there were quite a few times that I laughed out loud at the comedy.
But sometimes it gets so far removed from real life that I can’t wrap my head around what is actually written on the page. I feel like this would be a great book to read as an audiobook.
I really do like the satire and commentary that this book has going for it. And there were quite a few times that I laughed out loud at the comedy.
But sometimes it gets so far removed from real life that I can’t wrap my head around what is actually written on the page. I feel like this would be a great book to read as an audiobook.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicide
hjb_128's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Genocide and War
maddie_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is my favourite book of all time. I can't remember the first time I read it , but it was over 10 years ago. Just re-reading it again in January 2024. Douglas Adams has such a unique, creative voice and this book is so fun to read. I've read books trying to emulate this style and there is just no comparison. I could see how this book might not be for some readers, because Adams has a very distinctive, quirky and weird writing style and a lot of the book is really "out there" but those are all the reasons I absolutely love this book. There is a plot, an interesting set of characters, tons of tangents, and lots of fantastic examinations into modern society. Some of the references might go over your head because its almost 50 years old and its very British, but there's enough it the book that it doesn't matter if you miss some things. It's so sad the author died when he was only 49, I believe we missed out on so many wonderful and wacky stories when we lost such a creative mind. Rest in peace Douglas Adams, and thanks for all the fish !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, and War
More details on animal death:k_shimer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Alcohol, and War
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The narrator was amazing. This book is incredibly chaotic, Alice in wonderland vibe, absolutely bonkers would be tge ideal description. Read it if you want to be delightfully confused.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Kidnapping
vilmuska's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Genocide, Suicide, Violence, and Colonisation
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Very adventurous and at times, laugh-out-loud hilarious. You won't find a whole lot of substance here, but a book like this doesn't need it.
For what it does, it does very well.
For what it does, it does very well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Genocide, Violence, Medical content, and Alcohol
ameydireads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
"Earth: Mostly Harmless"
The Earth is destroyed and Ford escapes just in time with his friend Arthur. They encounter many kinds of adventures and life-threatening situations. Arthur also along the way learns more about the Universe and Earth.
From the very first page I was captivated by the author's humour and satire and continued to be so until the end of the book. All the characters were very interesting and quirky. We have, for example, Ford who does not understand sarcasm which makes his interactions with Arthur very enjoyable. There were also some things that were so ridiculously funny that I laughed out loud and at the same time it makes one think about life.
Definitely a nice book which is also easy to read, even for readers who normally don't read science fiction.
The Earth is destroyed and Ford escapes just in time with his friend Arthur. They encounter many kinds of adventures and life-threatening situations. Arthur also along the way learns more about the Universe and Earth.
From the very first page I was captivated by the author's humour and satire and continued to be so until the end of the book. All the characters were very interesting and quirky. We have, for example, Ford who does not understand sarcasm which makes his interactions with Arthur very enjoyable. There were also some things that were so ridiculously funny that I laughed out loud and at the same time it makes one think about life.
Definitely a nice book which is also easy to read, even for readers who normally don't read science fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gore and Gun violence
Minor: Confinement, Suicide, and War
One character (a robot) has depression.