The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, published in 1979 is a thrilling work of science-fiction and highly entertaining to read. It is a well-written book, with a surplus of thought-provoking ideas. The prose conceals flashes of brilliance and unearths pearls of wisdom. The characters are themselves illuminating, with respect to their sharp perceptions, astute assessments of the situation, quick reactions, and outright candor. You get the impression that the story could very easily have been about a likable group of college students who plan to go on a road trip for spring break, so that they can experience all that life has to offer, let off a little steam, and reduce some stress before final exams.
But, alas, the book is more complicated than that. It is more like, what if you know for certain that identifiable flying objects piloted by alien beings are in close proximity, and you have the coded electronic transporter boarding pass device, granting you unlimited access to go anywhere in the universe, right there in your hot little hand.
You find that this quite interesting group of individuals demonstrates great camaraderie and superlative rapport in their timely interactions. They provide keen insight, regarding their interpretations of recent events and take on a variety of pertinent subjects. Such as: "what should we do next in order to survive imminent disaster?"
Basically, they learn to get along exceedingly well together as they travel through the galaxy in a space ship they've somehow managed to commandeer and fly out to distant points as yet unknown. The space ship, incidentally, as it turns out, incorporates the latest and greatest technology ever seen anywhere.
Again, the book is cleverly written, of a deeply philosophical nature, and incredibly fun to read. I'd recommend it to anyone. "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" is the next title in the book series.
R. Royce saw the note attached to the refrigerator with a small magnetic ornament in the shape of a wild-flower. It read, "We decided to let you sleep in. Be back in a jiffy with your truck of chinchillas."
"Good morning, Royce," said Cornelius Korn. "Are you ready to travel?"
"Where is everyone?" asked Royce.
"They went to gas up the vehicles for the trip to Minnesota. As you know we need to deliver four truck-loads of the cute, cuddly critters to the new chinchilla ranch up near the Canadian border," explained Korn.
"I thought we were still in the early planning stages for that assignment," said Royce. "How'd you get the ball rolling so fast?"
"In case you weren't aware, the democratic process can work miracles in times of great need. The majority voted we go now," said Korn. "Plus, we have just received a sizable cash advance on our proceeds, the amount we get upon final delivery."
"Apparently, you didn't need my vote," said Royce. "Doesn't matter. I'm all for the plan."
"The Montana rancher sold us all of his chinchillas, but he's holding on to the minks and sables," said Korn.
"Makes perfect sense to me," said Royce. You can make very expensive, complete fur coats out of mink or sable. They manufacture the chinchilla fur hides into fashionable leather coat collars, hats, gloves, and accessories. It involves different manufacturing processes entirely."
"Some people keep them as pets, as well," added Korn. "They're docile, playful, and curious. Intelligent creatures."
"You say that we're delivering paired couples of chinchillas to the rancher in Minnesota?" asked Royce. "And we get a share of the profits for the first litters?"
"That's right," said Korn. "$20 bonus, for each baby chinchilla born upon or after arrival at the destination. $80 each, for the red-haired, striped, or spotted blondes. That's because they're rarer breeds and much in demand."
"I can see how this venture might prove profitable," said Royce. "What do the girls have to say about our travel prospects?
"Mostly, they want to experience fine dining along the way, stay in scenic hotels, and go to the International Mall in Minneapolis," said Korn. "Who can argue with their logic?"
"Not me," said Royce. "Here they are now. Let's get this show on the road. Shall we?"
"We're all fueled up and ready to roll," said Raquel Remington. "I've been thinking about those chinchillas. Maybe we should do some additional research."
"I agree," said Alexis Sue Shell. "There may be a big demand for chinchilla oil in the field of medicine."
"Or, for the wild, musky chinchilla scent, in the perfumery industry," continued Raquel.
"We'll definitely have to look into the matter and make discrete inquiries accordingly," said Korn, nonchalantly. Which probably meant that he had other sticks in the fire, as well. For all they knew, he might already have sold some of the cute, furry creatures to NASA for their Mission to Mars program. His next detour: The Biology Unit, Life Support Section, Advanced Obscure Scientific Research Corporation, a subsidiary of NASA. It was inevitable, and so conveniently nearby the chinchilla ranch.
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Books Are Superior To Moving Pictures: The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2022
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy never appealed to me, beyond the opening sequences where a human (Arthur Dent) is pulled from our planet which is soon to be pulverized to make way for a galactic freeway. I like that concept, but then was turned off by the various space creatures that come next in the television and movie adaptations of this story. I don’t think I ever made it through to the end of even one of these. They were just too weird So I never bothered to read Douglas Adams’ novel. I assumed I knew all that it had offer: a pleasing narration, a great premise, and oddball characters that eventually consume the best of what the story has to offer. Of course, I was wrong. Where the moving picture versions allow the director to explore one vision of this tale, my mind can create many alternate ideas. My imagination soared into space this time as I read the story, following along with Arthur and Ford Prefect. The aliens as described in the book don’t overwhelm the story, but instead complement the adventure. The novel still has that fantastic setup, plus the wit of narration, but the book also maintains a focus on the plight of the humans that I didn’t encounter in the film adaptations. This story is one of the most pleasant that I have ever read, although it builds towards surprising profundity as we experience the frailty of human existence. Adams tosses deep and complex ideas into the mix much more often as we near the end of this adventure and, as many other reviewers have pointed out, it all ends too soon.
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2022
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 1, 2019
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 12, 2022
So I never bothered to read Douglas Adams’ novel. I assumed I knew all that it had offer: a pleasing narration, a great premise, and oddball characters that eventually consume the best of what the story has to offer. Of course, I was wrong.
Where the moving picture versions allow the director to explore one vision of this tale, my mind can create many alternate ideas. My imagination soared into space this time as I read the story, following along with Arthur and Ford Prefect. The aliens as described in the book don’t overwhelm the story, but instead complement the adventure. The novel still has that fantastic setup, plus the wit of narration, but the book also maintains a focus on the plight of the humans that I didn’t encounter in the film adaptations.
This story is one of the most pleasant that I have ever read, although it builds towards surprising profundity as we experience the frailty of human existence. Adams tosses deep and complex ideas into the mix much more often as we near the end of this adventure and, as many other reviewers have pointed out, it all ends too soon.
Books Are Superior To Moving Pictures: The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 12, 2022
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy never appealed to me, beyond the opening sequences where a human (Arthur Dent) is pulled from our planet which is soon to be pulverized to make way for a galactic freeway. I like that concept, but then was turned off by the various space creatures that come next in the television and movie adaptations of this story. I don’t think I ever made it through to the end of even one of these. They were just too weirdReviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 12, 2022
So I never bothered to read Douglas Adams’ novel. I assumed I knew all that it had offer: a pleasing narration, a great premise, and oddball characters that eventually consume the best of what the story has to offer. Of course, I was wrong.
Where the moving picture versions allow the director to explore one vision of this tale, my mind can create many alternate ideas. My imagination soared into space this time as I read the story, following along with Arthur and Ford Prefect. The aliens as described in the book don’t overwhelm the story, but instead complement the adventure. The novel still has that fantastic setup, plus the wit of narration, but the book also maintains a focus on the plight of the humans that I didn’t encounter in the film adaptations.
This story is one of the most pleasant that I have ever read, although it builds towards surprising profundity as we experience the frailty of human existence. Adams tosses deep and complex ideas into the mix much more often as we near the end of this adventure and, as many other reviewers have pointed out, it all ends too soon.
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Top reviews from other countries
Mr. M. Harris
Always struggled with this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 16, 2021Suziey
Hyperspeed straight to Red Dwarf!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 30, 2020
Mr. M. Sotiriadis
Fairly entertaining!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 17, 2020
Paul Durrant
Almost as good as the Radio Series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 7, 2017
