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A review by valjeanval
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
My book club decided to read Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy for their November book club, and I was happy to have an excuse in this, the year I turned 42 and thus became privy to the question of Life, The Universe, and Everything. I've reread H2G2 many times before, so I decided to just lug my omnibus with me everywhere and re-read the whole thing. This will always be my favorite 5 part trilogy and holds a special place in the foundations of my nerdiness, sense of humor, and indeed my Sirius Cybernetics Corporation generated personality matrix.
I remember the first book really well, but the others were almost new again it has been so long since I've read them. Knowing so much more about Adams life than I did before, especially his work in environmentalism, added a layer to the books that I was missing before. In particular the later books that, while still funny, are also often pretty bleak, really remind me of how intelligent these stories are, of how they have so much to say behind the ingenious turns of phrases and sly winks.
I've been pretty depressed these last couple weeks. I know Adams struggled with depression a lot in his life too. His words are not giving me hope, per se, but they are reminding me how important it is to cherish this planet we have. There's so much beauty in the world, even in the art of making a sandwich, and this is literally the only place in the galaxy we will ever feel we belong. We need to take care of it. At least until the Vogons show up.
I remember the first book really well, but the others were almost new again it has been so long since I've read them. Knowing so much more about Adams life than I did before, especially his work in environmentalism, added a layer to the books that I was missing before. In particular the later books that, while still funny, are also often pretty bleak, really remind me of how intelligent these stories are, of how they have so much to say behind the ingenious turns of phrases and sly winks.
I've been pretty depressed these last couple weeks. I know Adams struggled with depression a lot in his life too. His words are not giving me hope, per se, but they are reminding me how important it is to cherish this planet we have. There's so much beauty in the world, even in the art of making a sandwich, and this is literally the only place in the galaxy we will ever feel we belong. We need to take care of it. At least until the Vogons show up.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol, War