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criticallyours's review
2.0
"Why haven't I heard of this book before? I mean, he's written Hitchhiker's!" You may have asked yourself this question before, and the answer is because this book isn't within the same league as THHGTTG. It's not even within the same solar system (I know they're different units of measurement, but you know what I mean) the main point is that the two Dirk Gently books are a huge letdown.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is largely forgettable sluiced with vague annoyance and a strong urge to punch Dirk in the face throughout the whole thing. Lots of random paranormal stuff happens that seem to be loosely connected, then it all ties up at the end which was enjoyable only because I finally knew what happened after 200 pages. Seriously still want to punch Dirk in the face.
The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul was much more enjoyable than the former since it seemed to be shorter (they're both about 246 pages long) and that's because the story is much more connected and I didn't have to wait until the very end to know what was going on. Also, there were Norse gods and I'm somewhat familiar and fond of those - and they didn't act as randomly as the characters of DGHDA. Kate was a refreshingly sharp and put-together woman who managed well despite the confusion of having to travel with Thor (not quite like Trilliam from THHGTTG; Kate's much more human). Dirk got punched in the face in this one, so that desire was sated.
Anyone who has read THHGTTG is familiar with Adams' style - he tends to stray a little off-topic and provide inconsequential details throughout the whole narrative which may or may not become relevant later on in the story. More often than not, they're funny, quirky, and enjoyable.
That same tendency is present within this omnibus, only I had to skim over them because they were decidedly not as enjoyable and only provided lengthy descriptions of a single point and wasted time and effort of concentration.
If you had to pick between the two, go for The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul. You don't really have to read DGHDA to continue to this book. All you need to know is this: Dirk Gently is a "private holistic detective" who "detects and triangulates vectors of the interconnectedness of all things" which is to say that he finds the solution to the problem even if it means that the solution includes the impossible (ie. ghosts and shit) - and he's right. He's extremely lucky in many areas except for money - for example, if he were to give a quack fortune for a quick $20 the universe would somehow make it true even though he isn't psychic.
All in all I'm glad I finally read this since it's been on my bookshelf for years and I had never tried to read it. Time to shuffle it to a lower shelf and give its previous spot to a more-deserving book.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is largely forgettable sluiced with vague annoyance and a strong urge to punch Dirk in the face throughout the whole thing. Lots of random paranormal stuff happens that seem to be loosely connected, then it all ties up at the end which was enjoyable only because I finally knew what happened after 200 pages. Seriously still want to punch Dirk in the face.
The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul was much more enjoyable than the former since it seemed to be shorter (they're both about 246 pages long) and that's because the story is much more connected and I didn't have to wait until the very end to know what was going on. Also, there were Norse gods and I'm somewhat familiar and fond of those - and they didn't act as randomly as the characters of DGHDA. Kate was a refreshingly sharp and put-together woman who managed well despite the confusion of having to travel with Thor (not quite like Trilliam from THHGTTG; Kate's much more human). Dirk got punched in the face in this one, so that desire was sated.
Anyone who has read THHGTTG is familiar with Adams' style - he tends to stray a little off-topic and provide inconsequential details throughout the whole narrative which may or may not become relevant later on in the story. More often than not, they're funny, quirky, and enjoyable.
That same tendency is present within this omnibus, only I had to skim over them because they were decidedly not as enjoyable and only provided lengthy descriptions of a single point and wasted time and effort of concentration.
If you had to pick between the two, go for The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul. You don't really have to read DGHDA to continue to this book. All you need to know is this: Dirk Gently is a "private holistic detective" who "detects and triangulates vectors of the interconnectedness of all things" which is to say that he finds the solution to the problem even if it means that the solution includes the impossible (ie. ghosts and shit) - and he's right. He's extremely lucky in many areas except for money - for example, if he were to give a quack fortune for a quick $20 the universe would somehow make it true even though he isn't psychic.
All in all I'm glad I finally read this since it's been on my bookshelf for years and I had never tried to read it. Time to shuffle it to a lower shelf and give its previous spot to a more-deserving book.
jossarian4's review
5.0
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.
molokov's review against another edition
4.0
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: I tried reading this one aloud to H - she'd not read it before, apparently! However, as a read-aloud book it doesn't go so well as the description is convoluted and it's more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny (like the Discworld books). However, from my point of view, it's an astoundingly clever book and if you are re-reading it for the Nth time like me, spotting all the interconnectedness of all things before the explanation just proves how very clever Adams was when he wrote this. The technology mentioned by name (computers, mostly), of course, is severely dated but was quite cutting edge in the late 80's when this was published. A wonderful clever read, but you've really got to read it twice (and knowing your Coleridge poetry also helps)
The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul: We didn't read this aloud, I just read it by myself. This book is not quite so twistedly clever as the first one, but it's got a rollickingly good story that although being more linear that DGHDA still has enough unusual mysteries to keep you wondering. I do think the resolution is somewhat weak and not having Dirk & Kate meet up at the end again is a bit disappointing. However, it's still quite enjoyable and reading these two books together is certainly worth it.
It also makes me feel somewhat disappointed that the two Dirk Gently TV series that were made strayed so wildly from their source material. They were both good in their own way but they missed so much of the extreme cleverness of these two books.
The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul: We didn't read this aloud, I just read it by myself. This book is not quite so twistedly clever as the first one, but it's got a rollickingly good story that although being more linear that DGHDA still has enough unusual mysteries to keep you wondering. I do think the resolution is somewhat weak and not having Dirk & Kate meet up at the end again is a bit disappointing. However, it's still quite enjoyable and reading these two books together is certainly worth it.
It also makes me feel somewhat disappointed that the two Dirk Gently TV series that were made strayed so wildly from their source material. They were both good in their own way but they missed so much of the extreme cleverness of these two books.
vermidian's review against another edition
3.0
As I have left individual reviews on the individual books, this is more a review of the two books combined as a series.
As always, I enjoy Douglas Adams's sense of humor. I truly love his funny, quotable anecdotes about the little things in society that just happen to be unspoken truths. He has a way of putting things into a particular perspective, if only for a moment, that is both so true and so funny that it really sticks in your mind.
Overall, this book series was not one I particularly loved as much as I'd hoped. Dirk Gently is almost an idiot savant, in a way, and the plots are fairly non sequitur. If you're like me and you try to predict where plots are going from the beginning, good luck with that one because these plots barely come together in the end. I found the second book's plot to be more stable, but I enjoyed the characters less in that book than I did in the first. Still, there was plenty about them to enjoy and if Adams's style of humor is your long dark cup of tea, definitely don't give this one a miss.
As always, I enjoy Douglas Adams's sense of humor. I truly love his funny, quotable anecdotes about the little things in society that just happen to be unspoken truths. He has a way of putting things into a particular perspective, if only for a moment, that is both so true and so funny that it really sticks in your mind.
Overall, this book series was not one I particularly loved as much as I'd hoped. Dirk Gently is almost an idiot savant, in a way, and the plots are fairly non sequitur. If you're like me and you try to predict where plots are going from the beginning, good luck with that one because these plots barely come together in the end. I found the second book's plot to be more stable, but I enjoyed the characters less in that book than I did in the first. Still, there was plenty about them to enjoy and if Adams's style of humor is your long dark cup of tea, definitely don't give this one a miss.
danicacovic's review
5.0
Uzeti uz malo rezerve, jer bih ja verovatno bilo šta što je Daglas Adams ikad napisao ocenila sa pet zvezdica, ali ova knjiga svakako ispunjava sve što se od Adamsa može očekivati (i još više od toga)
anna_lisitsyna's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
spjuver's review
3.0
Now I know why you never hear as much about Dirk Gently as you do of Arthur Dent. These two books were kind of fun and smart in the Douglas Adams-way but the stories never really took off. The twists were too sudden and the endings a bit too deus ex machinae. When there is time-traveling and Gods in the mix there are not many restrictions to what you can do with the story, but I think that it would have been wise not to let those things completely overrule the gist of the story. Adams is a fantastic storyteller and it feels like this fact gets obscured by all the disorder in Dirk Gentlys crazed realities.
elvier's review
4.0
I bought this book after seeing the show on Netflix despite people telling me it wasn't as good. I suppose if you're reading it expecting the tv show in bookform, then yes, it isn't as good.
If you read this expecting Douglas Adams to baffle you with a strange plot that somehow makes sense and some absolutely amazing writing, then no, this is not a good book. It is a great book.
If you read this expecting Douglas Adams to baffle you with a strange plot that somehow makes sense and some absolutely amazing writing, then no, this is not a good book. It is a great book.
tachyondecay's review
3.0
Dirk Gently ... what can I say about Dirk Gently ... well, to be honest, I read this book only because it was written by Douglas Adams. As a huge fan of h2g2, I was expecting something awesome.
What I got was ... okay. Not awesome, perhaps great, definitely okay. There are aspects of Dirk Gently that I find appealing. I enjoyed the geometric conundrum of the sofa, and the Electric Monk, but found other parts a little too bizarre to be enjoyable.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. We are talking about an author once affiliated with the Pythons, who are a shining example of how bizarre British humour can be (and don't love them for it). It doesn't necessarily work as well in a book.
So, I prefer h2g2 when I want to read something by Douglas Adams. Dirk Gently has its merits, but h2g2 feels more natural, more original, and just plain fun.
What I got was ... okay. Not awesome, perhaps great, definitely okay. There are aspects of Dirk Gently that I find appealing. I enjoyed the geometric conundrum of the sofa, and the Electric Monk, but found other parts a little too bizarre to be enjoyable.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. We are talking about an author once affiliated with the Pythons, who are a shining example of how bizarre British humour can be (and don't love them for it). It doesn't necessarily work as well in a book.
So, I prefer h2g2 when I want to read something by Douglas Adams. Dirk Gently has its merits, but h2g2 feels more natural, more original, and just plain fun.
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