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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
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
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: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.theirgracegrace's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A classic of British science fiction, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy follows Arthur Dent, a normal English man who is the sole survivor of Earth after it is instantly demolished to make way for an intergalactic freeway. His journey takes him to space ships (properly owned and stolen), terrible poetry recitals, and a planet shrouded in myth that manufactures planets. Along the way, he learns absolutely wacky (and generally useless) information about the cosmos, meets a depressed robot, and discovers the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Minor: Misogyny, Cannibalism, and War
spookily's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
guessgreenleaf's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Genocide, Violence, and War