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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I first read this book when it was originally published in paperback in 1988. That was literally half a lifetime ago, as I was 24 at the time. Over the last few years I've been returning to some of the books I read in my teens and 20s, to see how they resonate with me now that I am older, if not entirely wiser.
The first thing to strike me upon re-reading this book 27 years later is that I could recall nothing of the story. I mean, yes, I knew there was a detective named Dirk Gently, I knew it was a bit weird and froopy in that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy sort of way, but I could not recall any real plot details at all, nor any of the characters. I vaguely remembered something about cats. Cats are mentioned several times, though they play no significant role in the novel. I think I just like cats and projected.
The plot is a convoluted affair that unfolds like some complicated contraption you can't recognize until it's finished unfolding itself. You then stand back and say, "Aha, so that's what it is!" Despite the narrative being at turns mysterious and then more mysterious still, Adams keeps events moving along briskly and the characters are more nuanced than in Hitchhiker's, while still apt to say clever things we could only wish to come up with in our daily conversations. Eventually the mysteries come clear--the story is a time travel/ghost/romantic comedy of sorts that follows a few very peculiar days in the life of a software engineer who can't remove a stuck sofa from his staircase--and all ends well, given the previously unrevealed cosmic scale of the stakes at hand.
What impresses me most about the book, and this may seem an odd thing to say in context of Adams, is how mature the writing is. There are ideas on the interplay of math, science, art, philosophy, mortality and more here, handled with wit and grace and occasionally genuine pathos (the scenes of Gordon Way after his meeting with the electric monk stand out vividly in their depiction of despair and sadness). I suspect when I was 24 most of this was lost on me, as I was expecting a Hitchhiker's retread, which Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is very much not. Unfulfilled, my brain apparently flushed nearly all memory of the book, to better make room for all that great late 80s music and fashion. I forgot Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency but remember parachute pants.
I very much recommend this novel for those not needing their stories filled with car chases and instant gratification, or for anyone who has ever been flummoxed by seemingly immovable furniture.
The first thing to strike me upon re-reading this book 27 years later is that I could recall nothing of the story. I mean, yes, I knew there was a detective named Dirk Gently, I knew it was a bit weird and froopy in that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy sort of way, but I could not recall any real plot details at all, nor any of the characters. I vaguely remembered something about cats. Cats are mentioned several times, though they play no significant role in the novel. I think I just like cats and projected.
The plot is a convoluted affair that unfolds like some complicated contraption you can't recognize until it's finished unfolding itself. You then stand back and say, "Aha, so that's what it is!" Despite the narrative being at turns mysterious and then more mysterious still, Adams keeps events moving along briskly and the characters are more nuanced than in Hitchhiker's, while still apt to say clever things we could only wish to come up with in our daily conversations. Eventually the mysteries come clear--the story is a time travel/ghost/romantic comedy of sorts that follows a few very peculiar days in the life of a software engineer who can't remove a stuck sofa from his staircase--and all ends well, given the previously unrevealed cosmic scale of the stakes at hand.
What impresses me most about the book, and this may seem an odd thing to say in context of Adams, is how mature the writing is. There are ideas on the interplay of math, science, art, philosophy, mortality and more here, handled with wit and grace and occasionally genuine pathos (the scenes of Gordon Way after his meeting with the electric monk stand out vividly in their depiction of despair and sadness). I suspect when I was 24 most of this was lost on me, as I was expecting a Hitchhiker's retread, which Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is very much not. Unfulfilled, my brain apparently flushed nearly all memory of the book, to better make room for all that great late 80s music and fashion. I forgot Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency but remember parachute pants.
I very much recommend this novel for those not needing their stories filled with car chases and instant gratification, or for anyone who has ever been flummoxed by seemingly immovable furniture.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Whoops, finished this one a while back, actually! And, for my first actual reading of a Douglas Adams work, loved it! Nonsensical and, well, sensical all at the same time. Fantastic watching the little bits tie together and made me appreciate the TV adaptation all the more. Can't wait to read the next one.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
I adored this book. I've really come like Douglas Adams a lot, and Dirk Gently didn't disappoint.
I would try and explain the plot of this book, but it is so convoluted and twisted (in the very best of ways) that all I can say is read it yourself to find out. It involves immovable couches, missing cats, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, time travel, and all other sorts of wonderful things.
My favorite think about this book is how terribly clever Douglas Adams is. His sense of humor is razor sharp, and he has a way of being able to take something completely ridiculous and not only make is seem somewhat sensible, but also completely hilarious.
Douglas Adams is also a pro at understanding who we really are as humans. One of my favorite teachers always said that one of the best things about Shakespeare was the way he could tap right into the human psyche. He could take anyone from any walk of life, male or female and of any socioeconomic status, put them in any kind of situation, and give you a completely authentic and accurate reaction to whatever they're going through. I kind of feel the same way about Douglas Adams. He just knows how human beings work.
I've read all of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, and even though I loved all of them (Arthur Dent is probably one of my favorite literary characters ever), I almost want to say that I liked Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency a bit more. Maybe it's because with Hitchhiker's, there was quite a bit of science-y stuff that zoomed straight over my head. That's not to say that there aren't some lofty concepts in the book (like Richard's music program, or how his couch got stuck in his stairway), but I think these were easier for me to understand, so I therefore felt like I "got" more of the book.
Any way you slice it, though, I loved Dirk Gently. There are just so many good things about it. It's easily solidified Douglas Adams on my list of favorite authors. If you're looking for some witty, imaginative science-fiction, I think you'd really enjoy this book.
I would try and explain the plot of this book, but it is so convoluted and twisted (in the very best of ways) that all I can say is read it yourself to find out. It involves immovable couches, missing cats, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, time travel, and all other sorts of wonderful things.
My favorite think about this book is how terribly clever Douglas Adams is. His sense of humor is razor sharp, and he has a way of being able to take something completely ridiculous and not only make is seem somewhat sensible, but also completely hilarious.
Douglas Adams is also a pro at understanding who we really are as humans. One of my favorite teachers always said that one of the best things about Shakespeare was the way he could tap right into the human psyche. He could take anyone from any walk of life, male or female and of any socioeconomic status, put them in any kind of situation, and give you a completely authentic and accurate reaction to whatever they're going through. I kind of feel the same way about Douglas Adams. He just knows how human beings work.
Spoiler
I was especially aware of this whenever Gordon Way came up, after he'd been murdered. I just felt like the way he reacted to being dead and being a ghost made so much sense. It was such a human reaction, and I was amazed that Douglas Adams could come up with something like that.I've read all of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, and even though I loved all of them (Arthur Dent is probably one of my favorite literary characters ever), I almost want to say that I liked Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency a bit more. Maybe it's because with Hitchhiker's, there was quite a bit of science-y stuff that zoomed straight over my head. That's not to say that there aren't some lofty concepts in the book (like Richard's music program, or how his couch got stuck in his stairway), but I think these were easier for me to understand, so I therefore felt like I "got" more of the book.
Any way you slice it, though, I loved Dirk Gently. There are just so many good things about it. It's easily solidified Douglas Adams on my list of favorite authors. If you're looking for some witty, imaginative science-fiction, I think you'd really enjoy this book.
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:
No
Well that was wild.
This is the first Douglas Adams novel I've read, and I must say that I understand why my friend is such a fan.
The writing was entertaining, the story was engaging, and overall the novel was a real page turner which gave me a lot of laughs, which I would recommend to almost anyone.
This is the first Douglas Adams novel I've read, and I must say that I understand why my friend is such a fan.
The writing was entertaining, the story was engaging, and overall the novel was a real page turner which gave me a lot of laughs, which I would recommend to almost anyone.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was great. I put off reading this as I wanted to still have books left to read by Douglas Adams, yet, I don't understand that impulse. I really should have read this sooner - it was amazing.
I enjoy Douglas Adams and this story was no exception.