This book's been on my list for some time, and there's always a sense of trepidation when you pick up such a beloved classic. Expectations and hype and all that, and I've been burned too many times before by disappointing scifi/fantasy novels Reddit tends to glaze.
Fortunately though I really enjoyed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I personally wouldn't put it as an all-time favourite or a greatest-ever read or anything but I can also see why so many people love it. It's a breezy, funny and absurd story that both pokes fun at the general conventions of science fiction while still paying tribute to the kind of sense of wonder it can provoke.
I'm familiar with a lot of the concepts and iconography from the book through cultural osmosis, so it was cool to see stuff like 42, Don't Panic and so long and thanks for all the fish in action.
I think the characters for me were really the best part of the book. Arthur himself is pretty much a bland nothing but I don't think he's meant to be anything more than an audience stand-in. Ford, Zaphod and Marvin are all hilarious, and the numerous side characters are a blast to read as well.
The book kinda reminded me of Discworld in a lot of ways, especially the style of humour and being simultaneously a parody and an homage to a specific genre. Also the fact that despite not taking itself too seriously, it could actually be surprisingly deep and thoughtful at times.
THHGTTG gets a solid 4/5 from me. I probably won't get into the sequels right away but will definitely tackle them at some point in the future.
by keepfighting90
5 Comments
Hell yeah! Such an amazing read. Now read restaurant at the end of the world. And the dirk gently series for more wildness.
EDIT: just saw your last line, well, dirk gently then perhaps.
It gets more difficult for new and younger readers as time goes on, but Adams’ works are among my absolute favorites.
Long Dark Teatime of the Soul may be my favorite work of fiction ever.
I’m so glad in 4th grade I found the omnibus in the school library! I laughed so hard, so many times! This is why people need to trust school librarians to pick appropriate books for kids.
Now watch the original BBC TV show. Ignore the movies. They’re terrible.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a beloved classic. I remember that my library copy came with a forward from someone who adored the book in their childhood, and described finding the book throughout his life in different places – seeing people read it on the bus, sharing it amongst classmates, at park benches – it really set the tone for this book being beloved by so many people.
With that said, I did feel like it wasn’t *quite* for me – I totally see why people loved it, but it wasn’t my thing. But it’s definitely nice to finally be ‘in the know’ with the pop culture references