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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Fun! I had forgotten most of the story but this version was wonderfully read by excellent voice actors.
No wonder I couldn't get through this when first tried to read it in middle school. Whereas the Hitchhiker books (which I still adore, of course) are perfect for introducing kids to smart, absurd humor in middle or high school, Dirk Gently seems more like a book for adults. It's got a lower joke-per-minute quotient but more plot, more characterization, and more heart. And of course it's still very funny. The plot is worse that the Big Sleep for complexity, and parts of it don't entirely check out, but I didn't really care--it's not about the details, it's about the whole (pun intended). And the whole is at least a minor masterpiece.
Incidentally, the Wikipedia page for this book is fascinating.
Incidentally, the Wikipedia page for this book is fascinating.
It's no h2g2 but still has the crazy douglas adams style that we all know and love. If your looking for a thrilling whodunit you should probably look the other way. If you want to know how the main character's couch got stuck in his hallway at a mathematically impossible angle read on and be amazed.
3.5 stars
Douglas Adams is one of those authors whose works never fail to entertain me. In my opinion, Adams could even make a grocery list seem like the funniest joke in the world. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency contains dozens of interesting, funny and insightful quotes, as well as a generous dose of deus ex machina (DA trademark). The writing style itself gives me the warm fuzzies. However, the shenaningans of this book failed to fully transport me into the world of silliness – unlike the HHGttG trilogy in five parts. The tension didn't hold me glued to my seat, and I would even have been content leaving the mystery unsolved. Recommended for Adams fans; others are suggested to proceed with caution.
Douglas Adams is one of those authors whose works never fail to entertain me. In my opinion, Adams could even make a grocery list seem like the funniest joke in the world. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency contains dozens of interesting, funny and insightful quotes, as well as a generous dose of deus ex machina (DA trademark). The writing style itself gives me the warm fuzzies. However, the shenaningans of this book failed to fully transport me into the world of silliness – unlike the HHGttG trilogy in five parts. The tension didn't hold me glued to my seat, and I would even have been content leaving the mystery unsolved. Recommended for Adams fans; others are suggested to proceed with caution.
Thoroughly enjoyable, impossible to explain to other people. Some parts were extremely funny (the horse in the bathroom, the silent conversations on wall posters, the ever returning secretary who refused to act as one), but other parts were simply weird, especially the ending. I loved this book as a whole, but if I attempt to break it down and explain it to someone, it somehow falls apart. I want more of Dirk Gently, but this is the type of book that will remain a private pleasure because I cannot anticipate what would happen if I recommended it to others.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked it. It had some really funny bits. I also appreciated that it was written in the 1980s and deals with normal 1980s culture. Insofar as time machines are normal, of course. It's a fun book, but I didn't think it was as meaningful as some of Adams' other books. Or some of Terry Pratchett's, for that matter.
I liked this as much as I liked the first H2G2 book - it had charm and the character of Dirk Gently was intriguing! He was sly and clever without being annoying or insincere, and I think that the reader is encouraged to forgive him for a lot because his heart is in the right place. A cute read, and I'm definitely going to read the next book.
I had read this in college and subsequently forgot pretty much everything about it, so the mix of travel through time and space, aliens and ghosts, and disputed clairvoyance was freshly delightful.