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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
CW: cigarettes, suicidal ideation, mention of drug use, decapitation, homelessness, and Heathrow Airport.
The second book of the never completed Dirk Gently trilogy, this one is a little more supernatural and a little less inscrutable that the previous book, though my perception of how easy it is to fathom may be influenced by the amount of time I have invested in Rick Riordan's "Magnus Chase" books. This one is also full of good clean wit and humour which had me chuckling to myself all over the place.
Near the beginning of the story (or where we join in on the story... as all things are interconnected, you see) there is a kerfuffle with an entitled Norwegian in an airport, that ends in a BANG and a hospital stay, and things proceed as can be expected from there, to the ridiculous and occasionally impossible.
This book is different from the previous one in that most of the main interesting characters are women. Instead of a problematic sofa, there is a problematic refrigerator, and an odd coke vending machine. Also, the weirdness is clearly caused by supernatural forces.. or squabbling gods, rather than a more sci-fi plot line. Ridiculous fight scenes with eagles may or may not occur. In case of wounds apply sedra, apricot-seed oil, bitter orange blossom, almond oil, sage and comfrey.
Thematically, Adams had more to say in this book. Apart from actually looking at the urban decay, rather than just whinging about urban crawl and the weather, through Dirk he levels some contempt and direct hatred at swindlers who opportunistically cheat vulnerable people. Perhaps this is an apology of sorts, or a clarification as to Dirk's stance. It seems a bit hypocritical, as his main income in the previous book appeared to come from convincing little old ladies that he would find their missing/dead cat(s). (When you consider this deeper, it really does seem silly, because Dirk never actually got PAID by those cat ladies, and probably never actually expected to, despite the fuss he liked to make over he bills).
Adams likens elder fraud to the colonisation of the indigenous peoples of North America. His most nefarious villain is a callous and opportunistic Capitalist speculator (also a lawyer) who prides himself on his ability to separate fools from their money, and I may be reading too much into it, but it seems, in one plotline, to imply selling off the world for the promise of nice blankets... which hits a little close to the bone. I think it's marvellous.
The second book of the never completed Dirk Gently trilogy, this one is a little more supernatural and a little less inscrutable that the previous book, though my perception of how easy it is to fathom may be influenced by the amount of time I have invested in Rick Riordan's "Magnus Chase" books. This one is also full of good clean wit and humour which had me chuckling to myself all over the place.
Near the beginning of the story (or where we join in on the story... as all things are interconnected, you see) there is a kerfuffle with an entitled Norwegian in an airport, that ends in a BANG and a hospital stay, and things proceed as can be expected from there, to the ridiculous and occasionally impossible.
This book is different from the previous one in that most of the main interesting characters are women. Instead of a problematic sofa, there is a problematic refrigerator, and an odd coke vending machine. Also, the weirdness is clearly caused by supernatural forces.. or squabbling gods, rather than a more sci-fi plot line. Ridiculous fight scenes with eagles may or may not occur. In case of wounds apply sedra, apricot-seed oil, bitter orange blossom, almond oil, sage and comfrey.
Thematically, Adams had more to say in this book. Apart from actually looking at the urban decay, rather than just whinging about urban crawl and the weather, through Dirk he levels some contempt and direct hatred at swindlers who opportunistically cheat vulnerable people. Perhaps this is an apology of sorts, or a clarification as to Dirk's stance. It seems a bit hypocritical, as his main income in the previous book appeared to come from convincing little old ladies that he would find their missing/dead cat(s). (When you consider this deeper, it really does seem silly, because Dirk never actually got PAID by those cat ladies, and probably never actually expected to, despite the fuss he liked to make over he bills).
Adams likens elder fraud to the colonisation of the indigenous peoples of North America. His most nefarious villain is a callous and opportunistic Capitalist speculator (also a lawyer) who prides himself on his ability to separate fools from their money, and I may be reading too much into it, but it seems, in one plotline, to imply selling off the world for the promise of nice blankets... which hits a little close to the bone. I think it's marvellous.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The better of the two Dirk Gently books. But I do them a disservice by saying that, because they are both phenomenal. The plot in this one seems to me to be a great deal more interesting.
This story’s really amazing and I just couldn’t stop reading it till the end.
Fantastic. I'd forgotten how much I loved Adams' mad-cap writing style. Involves some of the "gods of old times exist diminished in our times" later seen in Neil Gaiman's works.
I love Douglas Adams, so it's possible I just wasn't in the mood for this.
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Followed it up until Thor was flying around on his hammer , pretty much from then on I was confused. Still enjoyed it though.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Douglas Adams is always fun to read. Witty and completely absurd, this Dirk Gently tale is a hilarious critique on society while also offering a surreal look at a fantastical world within our own. Not perhaps on the same level as Hitchhiker's Guide, this book has its slow parts but makes up for it with the outrageous ending. Worth the read for any fan of Douglas Adams.