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214 of 223 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't forget to bring a towel, December 12, 2002
No matter how many times I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I've read it quite a few times already, it never fails to thrill me and induce bouts of almost uncontrollably hearty laughter. With this novel, Douglas Adams gave life to a phenomenon that will long outlive his tragically short life, delighting millions of readers for untold years to come. I'm not sure if science fiction had ever seen anything like this before 1979. This is science fiction made to laugh at itself while honoring its rich tradition, but it is much more than that. Adams' peculiarly dead-on humor also draws deeply from the well of sociology, philosophy, and of course science. Whenever Adams encountered a sacred cow of any sort, he milked it dry before moving on. Beneath the surface of utter hilarity, Adams actually used his sarcasm and wit to make some rather poignant statements about this silly thing called life and the manner in which we are going about living it. This is one reason the book is so well-suited for multiple readings-a high level of enjoyment is guaranteed each time around, and there are always new insights to be gained from Adams' underlying, oftentimes subtle, ideas and approach. Arthur Dent is your normal human being, and so he naturally is more concerned about his house being knocked down than facing the fact that the world is about to end. His friend Ford Prefect, he comes to learn, is actually a researcher from a planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, but before he can even begin to comprehend this fact, he finds himself zipped up into the confines of the Vogon space cruiser that has just destroyed the planet Earth. Things become even trickier for him when he discovers the great usefulness of sticking a Babel fish into his ear and then meets the singular President of the Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox and his shipmate Trillian, both of whom Arthur actually met months before at a party. Such impossible coincidences are explained by the fact that Beeblebrox's ship is powered by the new Infinite Improbability Drive. Dent grows more and more confused during his travels on board the Heart of Gold, and the story eventually culminates with an amazing visit to an astronomically improbable world. Much of the humor here is impossible to describe; this novel must be read to be appreciated. It seems like every single line holds a joke of some kind within it. The characters are also terrific: the unfortunate Arthur Dent, who basically has no idea what is going on; Ford Prefect, Arthur's remarkable friend from Betelgeuse; Zaphod Beeblebrox, with his two heads, three arms, and cavalier attitude; Trillian the lovely Earth girl who basically flies the Heart of Gold; Slartibartfast the planet builder and fjord-make extraordinaire; and my favorite character of all, Marvin the eternally depressed robot. Life-"loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it" is the Paranoid Android's philosophy. One brilliant thing that Adams does is to step away from the action every so often to present interesting facts about the universe as recorded in the Hitchhiker's Guide; here we learn about Vogon poetry, the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, Trans Galactic Gargle Blasters, and other fascinating tidbits about life in the crazy universe Adams created. He even gives the reader the ultimate answer to the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything in these pages. This novel is just an amazingly hilarious read that will leave you yearning for more; to our great fortune, Adams indeed left us more in the form of four subsequent books in the Hitchhiker's "trilogy." If you don't like science fiction, it doesn't matter; read this book just for the laughs. The most amazing thing about Adams' humor is the fact that everyone seems to "get" it. Adams broke all the rules in writing a novel quite unlike any that had come before it, and he succeeded in spades. This may well be the funniest novel ever written.
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97 of 105 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review of the audio versions only, March 9, 2004
Since there are many reviews of the book itself, I thought someone should review the audio versions independently. There are two versions of this title in audio format, the dramatized edition, which is abridged, and the version read by the author, which is unabridged; I have both! I you are a fan of the dramatized versions of books please be sure before you buy which version you are getting. I enjoyed both the dramatized version and the version read by Douglas Adams himself as each has its own pros and cons. The Dramatized version, done by the BBC (or at least the version that I have is), is very well done, as are all of the BBC dramatizations. The cast does a fantastic job as does the special effects team on the sounds. Be aware that dramatized versions are typically abridged, which is not a big problem generaly but some people don't care for it. This version was originally released as a multiple part radio program so if you are familiar with that format you have a good idea of this version. The only drawbacks are the it is in an outmoded format (cassette) and that it is abridged. The unabridged spoken version is read by the author, Douglas Adams, and is very good. This is a special treat since he has passed on. I enjoy the ability to hear the author's concept of how the story should read in his own voice. This version has a permanent home on my iPod so that anytime I need a little boost, I can queue it up. It is easy to listen to and quite enjoyable but if you are used to the dramatized versions of audio books you may find that it takes 5 or 10 minutes to get used to the single voice. It is worth it though! I would recommend either audio version to anyone that commutes or has at least thirty minutes of free time at a stretch. Both versions are well done and are enjoyable to listen to. For anyone who has not experienced audio books before, I would recommend a good tile like this to start off with.
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49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Long Douglas, and thanks for all the laughs., May 15, 2001
With the passing of Douglas Adams on Friday 5/11/2001, I picked up this book after quite a number of years and gave it a good ol' read....and you know what... this novel will forever be poignant, witty and downright entertaining. I laughed all over again. I mean, I really laughed. I'm going to miss Douglas. Douglas wasn't just at the forefront of comedy-sci-fi....he basically created the genre. My only regret, along with quite a number of fans, is that we shall never again relish in the adventures of Arthur Dent and the gang. No more Vogon poetry. No more Pan Galactic Gargleblasters. No more Babel fish. No more tongue-twisting names. Therein lies the real shame. New readers to Douglas Adams, take heart! Each of the novels that make up this series are all fantastic tales! If you own a copy of Hitchhiker's, you hold in your hands a classic! Cherish it always and read it as it was intended.... as a truly light-hearted romp through the cosmos. Take a look at some of the reviews listed here. Over four hundred people can't be wrong. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is without a doubt one of the greatest books of all time by a quirky and innovative author. (We'll just have to forgive him for wearing a digital watch.) Thank-you Douglas for the fun and adventures. You were one of a kind. May we one day meet at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. The first round's one me. I'll bring the towel. A classic. A gem. You must own this novel.
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