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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
More 3.5. I would say the last quarter goes off the rails, but it's more of a conductor playing fast and loose with track switching throughout the book than anything.
Little morsels of supernatural occurrences are sprinkled throughout the nontraditional start of this murder mystery as Richard, our every man conduit in this odd tale, visits an old professor at his college with a fascinating secret. This seemingly insignificant meal that he has during the Coleridge (as in the poet) dinner is key to unraveling the mystery going forward. An Electric Monk and his horse is dumped into this realm to complicate everything and a murder occurs, which serves as the catalyst of our protagonists' involvement though it rapidly takes a backseat in the conclusion.
We actually don't meet Dirk Gently until well into the first half of the book. A Sherlock Holmes in his cleverness, eccentricity, and lack of social finesse, Dirk comes into the picture as he spies Richard, an old schoolmate, doing something particularly unusual. He then uses his unconventional mind to solve the whole thing with the professor and the salt cellar, the appearance of Michael Wentin Weakes (another odd character that seemingly had unconnected chapters throughout), and the mysterious landscape at the start of the book. It's difficult to describe without spoilers though I'm afraid I've already written too much - better just to read it as it is quite a quick and easy read.
Little morsels of supernatural occurrences are sprinkled throughout the nontraditional start of this murder mystery as Richard, our every man conduit in this odd tale, visits an old professor at his college with a fascinating secret. This seemingly insignificant meal that he has during the Coleridge (as in the poet) dinner is key to unraveling the mystery going forward. An Electric Monk and his horse is dumped into this realm to complicate everything and a murder occurs, which serves as the catalyst of our protagonists' involvement though it rapidly takes a backseat in the conclusion.
We actually don't meet Dirk Gently until well into the first half of the book. A Sherlock Holmes in his cleverness, eccentricity, and lack of social finesse, Dirk comes into the picture as he spies Richard, an old schoolmate, doing something particularly unusual. He then uses his unconventional mind to solve the whole thing with the professor and the salt cellar, the appearance of Michael Wentin Weakes (another odd character that seemingly had unconnected chapters throughout), and the mysterious landscape at the start of the book. It's difficult to describe without spoilers though I'm afraid I've already written too much - better just to read it as it is quite a quick and easy read.
Entertaining, but not as wholly strange, funny and ontologically satisfying as the Hitchhiker's Guide.
funny
slow-paced
This was a light read and mildly entertaining, but (although it might not be very fair) I kept comparing it with The Hitchhiker's Guide (which blew me over and made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions). Albeit a pleasant reading experience, it simply wasn't as funny as I expected it to be.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
I'm a big fan of HHGTTG but this just wasn't as good. Not nearly as funny and a bit of a mess plot-wise. Dirk doesn't even show up until like 60% of the way through the book. The last 25% of the book is pretty good but slogging my way through the first three quarters was rough.
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A perfect circle. Easy read, fun to get through. World building and character building are amazing.
One of the craziest, most entertaining, weirdest, and probably brilliant books I have ever read. I'm still not sure I understood it, I just might have to read it again and it will a pleasure, of that I'm sure.
Kept me laughing, with satisfyingly subtle detail (makes you think "aha!" when you catch it) and a tidy plot. Great for a quick adventure!