The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
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Book Summary Information
Author: Douglas AdamsIntroduction: Neil Gaiman
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-04-30
ISBN: 0345453743
Number of pages: 832
Publisher: Del Rey
Book Reviews of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Book Review: tough choice, but in the end...
Summary: 5 Stars
Douglas Adams. A well read man; a humorous man; a great man; a dead man. Over the course of his life he achieved his greatness in many walks of life, but received the most recognition from his many writings. More specifically it was his Hitchhiker series and Dirk Gently novels which brought him much of his fame and an impressive cult following. One reason why these are both such hits is due to how, while having a strong voice that easily makes them recognizable as works of Adams, they still manage to be quite different from each other, especially in ways of humor, characters, and just overall feel. So with these differences the question may arise of "which of the books is better?" to which I would have to say that The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Is slightly better than Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
Being the author is Douglas Adams there's practically a guarantee that either set of books is going to give you a good laugh, but they will do so each in their own way. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (H2G2) is big on playing with the English language and presenting the reader with quirky events that one would never see coming, but fit quite well into the story. An example of such happenings is when the Earth is nonchalantly destroyed by a fleet of giant ships which "hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." The Dirk Gently (DG) books on the other hand, while also having its fun with wordplay, will give you less quirky but equally odd happenings at great detail and emphasized with the utmost importance that make no sense at the time, but come together at the end of the book into one huge punch line. An example of this is an electric monk that "believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe." The next thing that makes these books what they are, are the characters.
Another thing that Adams is also known for is taking one or two seemingly ordinary people and throwing them in with a group of other people/circumstances that are anything but. In H2G2 it is the character Arthur Dent, who is simple enough, but soon finds himself to be one of the last living humans, and is flying through space with the two headed hipster president of the galaxy, a manically depressed robot, and a man with an unhealthy sunny disposition and odd obsession with towels. The H2G2 stories are filled with characters that play with impossibilities and fantasy themes as a baby does rattle whilst on a whirlwind adventure. The DG books, however, go about things slightly different. These books take several ordinary people, have them encounter events that seem completely unrelated to each other which involve a few other exceptionally bizarre characters, which then turn out to all be closely tied together at the aforementioned end of the book giant punch line. Lastly is the overall feel of the books.
While both of these series will be likely found in the science fiction section of a library/ bookstore, H2G2 has much more of a science fiction theme than that of DG. It takes place all over space, time, and other dimensions. Also, it is a more fun and fantasy storyline, involving slapstick, jokes and puns, and a more linear and conventional storyline using a heroes journey template. DG is quite different though. It has some science fiction aspects; a robot, time travel, and alternate worlds, but still feels like normal fiction despite these things. Another difference is the story set up. It will give small bits of what one person in the story is doing, which seems to have little importance to the plot, then jump to a different character and do the same. The character and seemingly random events jumping continue for the majority of the books, up until the end, where as previously stated, they all seems to snap instantly together, leaving the reader with an enjoyable "Oohhh...I get it now." And chuckle. Also there is a little darker or gritty feel to the books. They swear, involve people being shot or decapitated, have a dirty detective slinking about, and just come off as feeling more of a darker comedy than that of the H2G2 books.
So in the end, even though both sets of books are some of the best bits of humor you're likely to find from the same man. And while they mange to maintain a tone that is distinct to the author, they have their differences. These differences then lead to preferences, which is why I say The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy series is slightly better than those of the Dirk Gently books; due to its many jokes, nonstop great story, and lightheartedness that all can enjoy.
Summary of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
At last in paperback in one complete volume, here are the five classic novels from Douglas Adams?s beloved Hitchiker series.The Hitchhiker?s Guide to the Galaxy
Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space.
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Facing annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat.
Life, the Universe and Everything
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky? so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription conspires to thrust him back to reality. So to speak.
Mostly Harmless
Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself?
It's safe to say that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of the funniest science fiction novels ever written. Adams spoofs many core science fiction tropes: space travel, aliens, interstellar war--stripping away all sense of wonder and repainting them as commonplace, even silly.
This omnibus edition begins with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which Arthur Dent is introduced to the galaxy at large when he is rescued by an alien friend seconds before Earth's destruction. Then in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Arthur and his new friends travel to the end of time and discover the true reason for Earth's existence. In Life, the Universe, and Everything, the gang goes on a mission to save the entire universe. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish recounts how Arthur finds true love and "God's Final Message to His Creation." Finally, Mostly Harmless is the story of Arthur's continuing search for home, in which he instead encounters his estranged daughter, who is on her own quest. There's also a bonus short story, "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe," more of a vignette than a full story, which wraps up this completist's package of the Don't Panic chronicles. As the series progresses, its wackier elements diminish, but the satire of human life and foibles is ever present. --Brooks Peck
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