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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
The universe is a joke.
Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey.
Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.
For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.
It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').
Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.
We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.
It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demnading the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.
It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.
Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey.
Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.
For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.
It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').
Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.
We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.
It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demnading the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.
It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
this was good, but i didn't really get the hype
pros:
- it's certainly imaginative, and also bizarre. It reminded me very much of Welcome to Nightvale in the sheer weirdness of stuff, and the irreverent writing style.
- it's funny in places and there's some strong one liners that I now wish I'd underlined. One I do remember because I liked it so much was Ford saying: I'm dangerous, and Arthur says: Yes, you fall apart so fast that everyone around you gets hit with shrapnel, or something like that.
- I liked the ending, and the earth getting a second chance.
cons:
- my main problem was that there was zero character development. I really didn't give one shit for Arthur or Ford or Trillian or anybody. I found Zaphod vaguely interesting as the only one with any backstory, but mostly none of them got developed.
- beyond that, Arthur Dent is the most boring character ever. Which is half the point, I'm aware, but it's annoying. He hardly ever does anything.
- the "joke" about Marvin being continually depressed is awful. Not funny. Not the first time and not the four hundredth. Very bad taste for anyone who actually understands what it's like to be depressed.
- it was also kind of complicated, in a dull way, in that there's a lot of characters and i lost track. Also, all the names are stupid, and not in a particularly funny way.
so yeah, I didn't really enjoy it. sorry. It was like Nightvale, except there was no coherent plot, character development or interesting characters to root for, imo.
pros:
- it's certainly imaginative, and also bizarre. It reminded me very much of Welcome to Nightvale in the sheer weirdness of stuff, and the irreverent writing style.
- it's funny in places and there's some strong one liners that I now wish I'd underlined. One I do remember because I liked it so much was Ford saying: I'm dangerous, and Arthur says: Yes, you fall apart so fast that everyone around you gets hit with shrapnel, or something like that.
- I liked the ending,
cons:
- my main problem was that there was zero character development. I really didn't give one shit for Arthur or Ford or Trillian or anybody. I found Zaphod vaguely interesting as the only one with any backstory, but mostly none of them got developed.
- beyond that, Arthur Dent is the most boring character ever. Which is half the point, I'm aware, but it's annoying. He hardly ever does anything.
- the "joke" about Marvin being continually depressed is awful. Not funny. Not the first time and not the four hundredth. Very bad taste for anyone who actually understands what it's like to be depressed.
- it was also kind of complicated, in a dull way, in that there's a lot of characters and i lost track. Also, all the names are stupid, and not in a particularly funny way.
so yeah, I didn't really enjoy it. sorry. It was like Nightvale, except there was no coherent plot, character development or interesting characters to root for, imo.
Content Warnings
Depression is treated glibly and as a joke.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This books is a genre-defining piece of science-fiction, practically creating Science Fantasy.
So incredibly clever and very funny, a true delight for anyone who reads it.
So incredibly clever and very funny, a true delight for anyone who reads it.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just read this for the second time. In my teens it was a daring, hip, cooler-than-cool discovery. In my late thirties, it is a frothy confection. A good read for January.