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haileyhardcover's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Doctor Who. Torchwood. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. No one does sci-fi comedy better the British.
Having been a massive fan of the movie since its release in 2005, I’ve had Hitchhiker’s on my TBR for far too long. I knew that Adams had co-written the screenplay for the film, so I had high hopes that I would love the book as much, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that much of the movie was taken word-for-word from the text; and it is just as funny, bizarre, and absurd. If you, too, love the movie, do yourself a favor and read the book.
And, hey, this is a scary time we’re living in right now, folks. If this is the end of the world…
Don’t Panic
and always carry a towel
Having been a massive fan of the movie since its release in 2005, I’ve had Hitchhiker’s on my TBR for far too long. I knew that Adams had co-written the screenplay for the film, so I had high hopes that I would love the book as much, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that much of the movie was taken word-for-word from the text; and it is just as funny, bizarre, and absurd. If you, too, love the movie, do yourself a favor and read the book.
And, hey, this is a scary time we’re living in right now, folks. If this is the end of the world…
Don’t Panic
and always carry a towel
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Police brutality, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
voldycat's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
Moderate: War
grp101's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
It’s fucking hilarious, and that’s really all I wanted. I especially liked the part with the “nice cops”. 10/10 satire.
Content Warnings
Minor: Genocide and Police brutality
the earth fucking explodes and it can get very existentialist at timesemmagreenwood's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Genocide
natashalg's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
2.0
The beginning of the book was humorous and entertaining, but as it went on, I found myself bored and the jokes started to fall flat. I understand why this book is a founding modern sci-fi novel, with it's intricate details and descriptions. However, some events were too far fetched for me and lacked excitement. I will not be continuing the series because I read online that in the last book of this series, everyone dies! The Earth blows up (again), so what was the point of the series/book? Why bother at all if you're just going to kill everyone with the same plot device that started this series?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
Moderate: Death
Minor: War
jm_brister's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Overview
Okay, I will have to say that this review is going to be A LOT biased because I really, really love Douglas Adams. This was the book that really launched that love. I mean, this book has everything that a Sci-Fi lover would want, plus it's written with the awesome humor that is Douglas Adams.
The story follows a man named Arthur Dent and what happens on a morning where everything goes wrong. You see, his house is about to be demolished to make room for a bypass. But things get even worse for Arthur when he meets up with an old friend, Ford Prefect, and learns that the Earth is going to be demolished as well. Of course, Ford is not really a human either. He's a writer for an encyclopedia called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and he's been stranded on for years. Throughout the book, Arthur learns the essentials of hitchhiking the galaxy and how to manage the craziness that is the universe. And the reader is delighted with Adams' quirky writing and sometimes odd plot (okay, well I was delighted...).
The series is full of interesting and sometimes quite odd characters. Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, and Trillian are unique and fun characters. Arthur is kind of pathetic in a lovable way. Ford seems like one of the more reasonable characters, but he still has his own quirks. Zaphod is crazy and self-centered, but that somehow makes him more lovable. Trillian is that person that you want to be. I mean, who wouldn't want to get whisked away to outer space and go on an adventure? Okay, well maybe I would want that...
This book may be fun and quirky, but it actually has a lot going on with it. Besides being a strong satirical novel, this book actually broke ground with humor and Science Fiction (I don't know if we would have had shows like Red Dwarf without this book). A lot of this book may seem "silly" on first glance, but it really highlights the absurdity of life. And the writing style is amazing. It is short and succinct when needed for a punchy delivery but complex in content.
Yay! This is a great book. HOWEVER, it is not my favorite Hitchhiker's book. Oh, no. As much as I like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is my favorite of the series (and one of my favorite books of all time). But you'll have to wait for my review on that one. My verdict for this book? Five stars.
Okay, I will have to say that this review is going to be A LOT biased because I really, really love Douglas Adams. This was the book that really launched that love. I mean, this book has everything that a Sci-Fi lover would want, plus it's written with the awesome humor that is Douglas Adams.
The story follows a man named Arthur Dent and what happens on a morning where everything goes wrong. You see, his house is about to be demolished to make room for a bypass. But things get even worse for Arthur when he meets up with an old friend, Ford Prefect, and learns that the Earth is going to be demolished as well. Of course, Ford is not really a human either. He's a writer for an encyclopedia called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and he's been stranded on for years. Throughout the book, Arthur learns the essentials of hitchhiking the galaxy and how to manage the craziness that is the universe. And the reader is delighted with Adams' quirky writing and sometimes odd plot (okay, well I was delighted...).
The series is full of interesting and sometimes quite odd characters. Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, and Trillian are unique and fun characters. Arthur is kind of pathetic in a lovable way. Ford seems like one of the more reasonable characters, but he still has his own quirks. Zaphod is crazy and self-centered, but that somehow makes him more lovable. Trillian is that person that you want to be. I mean, who wouldn't want to get whisked away to outer space and go on an adventure? Okay, well maybe I would want that...
This book may be fun and quirky, but it actually has a lot going on with it. Besides being a strong satirical novel, this book actually broke ground with humor and Science Fiction (I don't know if we would have had shows like Red Dwarf without this book). A lot of this book may seem "silly" on first glance, but it really highlights the absurdity of life. And the writing style is amazing. It is short and succinct when needed for a punchy delivery but complex in content.
Yay! This is a great book. HOWEVER, it is not my favorite Hitchhiker's book. Oh, no. As much as I like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is my favorite of the series (and one of my favorite books of all time). But you'll have to wait for my review on that one. My verdict for this book? Five stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Murder
macliffe's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Genocide
iono's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide
riverofhorton's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This isn't my first time reading this, however it has been over a decade since I last read it. I had managed to forget a lot of the finer points of the story in that time, so to a certain extent it felt like reading a book that I had previously only read a summary of.
It was as enjoyable as I remember it being, with Adams having the ability to encapsulate the British sense of humour perfectly, while maintaining the level of seriousness required at various points.
The only thing I had a problem with was the descriptions of Marvin, with 'Manic Depression' and 'Paranoid' being used interchangeably, implying they are the same disorder, which is wholly inaccurate. I do, however, feel that this is more indicative of the time this was published. Thankfully this doesn't affect the plot in anyway.
Overall this was an enjoyable read and I will be reading the rest of this trilogy and likely some of the author's other work.
It was as enjoyable as I remember it being, with Adams having the ability to encapsulate the British sense of humour perfectly, while maintaining the level of seriousness required at various points.
The only thing I had a problem with was the descriptions of Marvin, with 'Manic Depression' and 'Paranoid' being used interchangeably, implying they are the same disorder, which is wholly inaccurate. I do, however, feel that this is more indicative of the time this was published. Thankfully this doesn't affect the plot in anyway.
Overall this was an enjoyable read and I will be reading the rest of this trilogy and likely some of the author's other work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
cursed10fold's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
Minor: Genocide, Sexism, Police brutality, and War