Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

16 reviews

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 ! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Mental illness

Minor: Police brutality, Suicide, War, Genocide, Death, Gun violence, and Violence

More details on animal death:

a missile in space gets turned into a sperm whale and falls to the ground

prashiie'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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Animal death, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gore and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide, Confinement, 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Genocide, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Police brutality, Xenophobia, and Violence

Minor: Cannibalism, Misogyny, 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Alcohol

Minor: Body horror, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Police brutality, and Death

nerdkitten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Deportation, and Gun violence

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Genocide, Body horror, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Alcohol, Ableism, Death of parent, Excrement, Murder, and Sexual content

naychapman's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcohol, War, and Gun violence

stephanelli's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, War, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Suicide, Mental illness, and Gun violence

orchidlilly'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Very charming and entertaining, Adams' style of writing is ceaselessly amusing. Whether it be from my joy in reading it or simply the writing style, this book feels much shorter than it actually is. A gripping start to the 'trilogy' it sets up the stage perfectly for the madness to come.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Medical content, and War

pastelkerstin's review against another edition

adventurous funny

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death, and Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide

zosiablue's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

As most know, there's a famous bit in this book about the number 42, and when I read this for the first time when I was young, I told myself I couldn't wait to read it again when I turned 42 years old. And so on my 42nd birthday this year, I did exactly that and had a great time. Still just as punchy and silly and weird now as it was then (though I didn't remember the police bits at the end...). Formative and cozy. Good for 42.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War and Death

Minor: Gun violence