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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A good laugh or two with Dirk and Douglas Adams
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ha, reading Coleridge's fever dream, uh, I mean alien repair manual, in high school finally paid off! And let's face it - Kubla Khan makes way more sense now!
Jokes aside, this was a really fun read. Adams' absurdist humour is something you'll either love or hate - and I happen to adore it. If confusedly scratching your head while laughing helplessly at the absurdity of life isn't your thing - well, you're not gonna enjoy this book. If it is your thing, strap in for the adventure of a lifetime, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. To really appreciate the plot, I think it's necessary to have at least a "read the Wikipedia article" level of familiarity with Coleridge's Kubla Khan and Rime of the Ancient Mariner - they're woven into the fabric of this story. I laughed my ass off when I realised exactly what the slimy sea creatures of the Ancient Mariner are in this version.
However, I do wish we saw more of the electric monk. He was my favourite character by far - and he made only a very short cameo!
Jokes aside, this was a really fun read. Adams' absurdist humour is something you'll either love or hate - and I happen to adore it. If confusedly scratching your head while laughing helplessly at the absurdity of life isn't your thing - well, you're not gonna enjoy this book. If it is your thing, strap in for the adventure of a lifetime, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. To really appreciate the plot, I think it's necessary to have at least a "read the Wikipedia article" level of familiarity with Coleridge's Kubla Khan and Rime of the Ancient Mariner - they're woven into the fabric of this story. I laughed my ass off when I realised exactly what the slimy sea creatures of the Ancient Mariner are in this version.
However, I do wish we saw more of the electric monk. He was my favourite character by far - and he made only a very short cameo!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-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
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
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:
No
It is a lighthearted story, with an interesting plot. The writing style makes it unique and really entertaining.
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An alien spaceship lands on a barren rock. The engineer makes a mistake in judgement and the subsequent “big bang” kills everyone but him. Stuck on this rock he observes as life begins to sprout around him, he dies and his spirit continues to haunt the land looking for an opportunity to go back in time and fix his mistake.
An absurd story that gets more ridiculous and convoluted as it goes along. Unfortunately, by the half-way mark it started to feel like a joke that has gone on for too long.
An absurd story that gets more ridiculous and convoluted as it goes along. Unfortunately, by the half-way mark it started to feel like a joke that has gone on for too long.