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tamararama's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
julicke95's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Once again it started out strong and then sort of fizzled out at the end, but overall I enjoyed it more than the first entry. I didn't know what to expect going into this, but it sure wasn't Thor having a highly explosive temper tantum because he couldn't squeeze his two remaining braincells together to figure out that plane tickets cost money. The whole thing was chaotic, absurd and contrived and I enjoyed the hell out of it. But then, Douglas Adams can describe a fridge for pages at a time and I'll be comfortably entertained. He's just that funny. Sad to hear he never got to continue the series.
tiredcloudy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
laurasauras's review against another edition
4.0
It's a great book, but ultimately I doubt I'll reread it. I love all of the ideas and there's something about how Douglas Adams constructs sentences that is just brilliant, but it's just missing something of the spark that Hitchhiker's has
ira's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
candlekobo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
writersbeard's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
iswendle's review against another edition
4.0
When Private Detective Dirk Gently is on a case he unravels a conspiracy: the entire Norse Pantheon lives on earth, and they are not liking it. It all starts when Kate, a confused American in London who cannot seem to order delivery pizza, is in line at the airport behind a big man when promptly the check-in counter is struck by lightning. She wakes up in the hospital days later, and cannot seem to find the big man anymore. She later finds him (and a coca cola vending machine, which later turns out to be the check-in employee) on her doorstep. He takes her to Valhalla, where a fierce debate is going on.
Dirk investigates this and another inexplicable decapitation case, and also makes his way to Valhalla (the entrance being in an old train station where all tramps go during the day). As it turns out, the All-father Odin has sold Valhalla to a lawyer and an advertiser, through which the Gods have lost all their power. Odin has no problem with this, as he receives utmost care in a very expensive care home in return. Luckily, with a lot of violence, Thor finds the contact, rips it up, and brings back peace to the Norse pantheon.
I read Adams' Hitchikers Guide a long time ago, and upon visiting his later Dirk Gently series I appreciated his style even more. Sure, I laughed my way through the Hitchiker's books but never realised how much I liked the fact that the style keeps you on your toes. The choices of plot devices such as aggresive home invading eagles, Gods who retire to care homes, and completely static coke vending machines just give the entire book a light-hearted theme that makes it so easy to pick up. I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a light and comedic version of my other favourite author, Murakami, a parallel I didn't think of before. Their works are completely different, but they leave a similar imprint after reading them, Murakami being significantly more heavy but still!
Dirk investigates this and another inexplicable decapitation case, and also makes his way to Valhalla (the entrance being in an old train station where all tramps go during the day). As it turns out, the All-father Odin has sold Valhalla to a lawyer and an advertiser, through which the Gods have lost all their power. Odin has no problem with this, as he receives utmost care in a very expensive care home in return. Luckily, with a lot of violence, Thor finds the contact, rips it up, and brings back peace to the Norse pantheon.
I read Adams' Hitchikers Guide a long time ago, and upon visiting his later Dirk Gently series I appreciated his style even more. Sure, I laughed my way through the Hitchiker's books but never realised how much I liked the fact that the style keeps you on your toes. The choices of plot devices such as aggresive home invading eagles, Gods who retire to care homes, and completely static coke vending machines just give the entire book a light-hearted theme that makes it so easy to pick up. I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a light and comedic version of my other favourite author, Murakami, a parallel I didn't think of before. Their works are completely different, but they leave a similar imprint after reading them, Murakami being significantly more heavy but still!
cptskyheart's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0