So I just finished The Restaurant at the End of the Universe last night, and I have to say, I was not expecting to enjoy it more than the first book. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely expecting to enjoy it, but with an idea and execution as abstract as Adams' hallmark series is, I kinda felt like there would be some sort of ceiling or early peak reached.
I'm delighted to realize my preconceived notion about that was positively shattered, because I thought book two was absolutely brilliant. That kind of satire has its limitations of course, but when evaluating it for what it is, I had a hard time coming up with anything wrong with it! It felt like Adams had a clearer voice for the story arc he wanted to tell than he demonstrated in book one (which I still enjoyed thoroughly).
I'm reminded of what people say about Discworld, where it took Pratchett a good few books before he really started to find his footing with the universe he was developing. Obviously Discworld is far more vast of a collection than Hitchhiker's Guide, but I'm still curious nonetheless! Fans of the series, what's your take on its progression of quality across the five books? Does each one get better? Does it plateau? Is it shaped like a bell curve?
I've already mentally committed to seeing the series all the way through, so I'm not asking for recommendations or guidance. I'm simply curious what fans of the series have to say about its progression of quality! Because so far for me, that trajectory is pleasantly upward!
by PsyferRL
6 Comments
They are all excellent in their own way. It’s been a long time since I completed all five books but I really don’t remember a discernible lapse in quality between them. I know *Mostly Harmless* has its detractors but I really loved it.
I’ve read the series multiple times throughout the years.
In my opinion, and I think it’s also the prevailing view, the first three books are significantly better than book four and five. But I still read all five every time I do a reread.
I thought 2 and 3 were both better than 1, and I like three best. Book 4 drops off a bit, but still great. Im not sure if I read the 5th one that came out after he died.
Be sure to also check out Dirk Gently
Im with the majority. It peaks at 3, but 4 and 5 aren’t bad
It’s probably been 15+ years since I’ve read the series, but I remember *Restaurant* being my favorite. I believe I liked the first and third books equally. I recall enjoying *So Long* but it was a step down compared to the first 3, and I DNF *Mostly Harmless*
I loved 1-3. 4 was okay. 5 didn’t need to exist.