Reviews

This is the kind of book that warrants a quiet environment to really let everything sink in, so I'm going to be going back for a second reading in the future if I ever get a quiet environment. It's still pretty good reading in a crowd, but crowds tend to be very...

...Oh, hey, something shiny!

metaphorosis's review against another edition

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3.0

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3 stars

Software developer Richard MacDuff gets caught up in a bizarre situation involving a ghost, time travel, extra-terrestrials, and, of course, a detective.

I first heard The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the radio in London. I went on to the tapes, the books, and even saw the TV show and movie. The non-video versions, with all their differences, were terrifically funny.

Here, Adams branched out into something not Hitchhiker-related. He kept the strange and paradoxical, and attempted similar humor. Unfortunately, it just didn't work as well. Where Hitchhiker had the infamous Infinite Improbability Drive to explain things, this book doesn't, and it shows - strange things just happen, but for no really good reason. The result is an amalgam of gimmicks and gags that is only mildly amusing.

Some parts of the book are fun - there are extended references to Coleridge, and some nice parody of English colleges. A lot of the right elements are there. But it doesn't all hang together very well; the connective plot is thin, and in some cases possibly absent.

All in all, a mildly fun book for Adams fans, but skippable for casual readers.

lumori's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

superverse1731's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

4.0

Just as Reg said, a bit anti-climactic. But just as Dirk said, blast the bloody albatross!
Loved it. Think it'll influence me for quite a while.

starsal's review against another edition

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4.0

A fun romp. Inscrutable in places, often devastatingly funny, and with an absolutely heartbreaking scene about a man, his time machine, and the lost dodos. (Which, I can't help but point out, references my favorite of Adams's books, [b: Last Chance to See|8696|Last Chance to See|Douglas Adams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327867839l/8696._SY75_.jpg|525730].)

hopeanvalkea's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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