Book Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Wacky adventure through space
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
A funny, wild ride
That starts after our world ends
So grab your towel




The World Will End on Thursday.  Don't Panic!

All his life, Arthur Dent has never quite got the hang of Thursdays. This particular Thursday, he awakes with a horrid hangover to see bulldozers outside his windows. It only belatedly dawns on him that his house is set to be demolished that very day.

Unfortunately, things are about to get worse. His friend Ford Perfect arrives to inform him that the world is about to end. Sure enough, the Vorgon fleet arrives to demolish the planet to make way for a bypass. Fortunately for Arthur, Ford is himself an alien who has been marooned on Earth. The two escape just before the planet is destroyed.

I use the word escape loosely, however. They are soon prisoners of the Vorgons and face torture by poetry. Only the Infinite Probability Drive can save them, and they then set out to find the question of life, the universe, and everything.

I first read this book years ago. I loved it then. Then I saw the movie when it hit theaters and laughed all over again. I fully intend to read the rest of the increasingly inaccurately names Hitchhiker's Trilogy (there are five books in all), but wanted to reread this book first.

The book is loosely based on a radio miniseries of the same name. That accounts for the problem I have with the plot. It's very episodic. You can almost picture the cliffhangers the radio show would have had along the way. As a result, some parts of the book seem slower then others as well.

So why the five stars? Because this book is way too much fun. I laughed on just about every page, leading to some very strange looks from my roommate. There are lots of plays on words as well as plenty of sarcasm, understatement, and just plan old fashioned jokes. Then there's the absurd. While it helps make the plot a little weak, it is believable and quite fun. Along the way are some side observations on our culture that are well worth thinking about.

And we are treated to entries from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's the guide within the novel, and explains many of the things we'll see along the way. Obviously, all these entries come from the brilliant mind of author Douglas Adams. Some of these entries are as off the wall and funny as the story itself.

And I can't forget the characters. While Arthur Dent is an every man, his companions along the way are rather over the top. There's Zaphod, the two headed Galactic President whose main job is to deflect attention from the government. Marvin the manic depressive robot who is sure everyone hates him. And the ship's computer who is so overly cheerful it would even give Pollyanna a toothache. Hardly realistic, they fit the tone and over the top fun of the story.

All this is brought together with a light, easy to read style. I fairly flew through the book's pages, and at just over 200, it makes for a quick read.

While the book's wild, wacky story may not suit everyone, those who enjoy science fiction or well done humor will have a field day with this book. There's a reason The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is so well loved by many. Just go with the flow and stick out your thumb.