Post by Rook on Jun 10, 2011 7:37:58 GMT -5
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - A Trilogy in Five Parts
I will be reviewing each as I finish them.
Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Year Published: 1979
Publisher:
Plot Summary: Arthur Dent, a rather unexceptional Englishman, is whisked away on an intergalactic adventure when his friend turns out to be an alien from the vacinity of Betlegeus and they have to hitch a ride off Earth before it's destroyed to make way for an intergalactic by-pass. Ford Prefect and Arthur dent get picked up by Ford's cousin, Zaphod Beeblebrox (President of the Galaxy) who has just stolen the Heart of Gold, the fastest ship in the galaxy powered by the imporbability drive. The group, including Trillian, another earthling, go to the lost planet of Magorathea, a planet that used to build custom planets for the ultra-rich 5 million years ago when the universe was much more wealthy, and find out that Earth was actually a giant computer, purposed with finding the question to the answer to Life the Universe and Everything (the answer of course which is 42.) As they adventure through the galaxy, with the Hitchhiker's Guide as their companion, things we could never dream of are revealed about the universe just outside our doorstep.
Why I recommend the book: Douglas Adam's clever ability to think parallel to an issue is beyond hilarious. This book's rediculousness is like Cracked.com of the 70s. It's a book that's infinitely quotable and easy to read. The best thing is there's nothing slap stick or dumb about it, it's an endless stream of wordplay and clever phrase. It was written as a radio show before it was published as a book and it's obvious in the way the narrative itself is filled with jokes and wit just as much as the dialogue and exposition is. Some classics that everyone reads makes you wonder 'why do people like this stuff?' and then there are the classics that stay around because they are truly timeless. This book, as well as the ones to follow, are the latter.
I will be reviewing each as I finish them.
Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Year Published: 1979
Publisher:
Plot Summary: Arthur Dent, a rather unexceptional Englishman, is whisked away on an intergalactic adventure when his friend turns out to be an alien from the vacinity of Betlegeus and they have to hitch a ride off Earth before it's destroyed to make way for an intergalactic by-pass. Ford Prefect and Arthur dent get picked up by Ford's cousin, Zaphod Beeblebrox (President of the Galaxy) who has just stolen the Heart of Gold, the fastest ship in the galaxy powered by the imporbability drive. The group, including Trillian, another earthling, go to the lost planet of Magorathea, a planet that used to build custom planets for the ultra-rich 5 million years ago when the universe was much more wealthy, and find out that Earth was actually a giant computer, purposed with finding the question to the answer to Life the Universe and Everything (the answer of course which is 42.) As they adventure through the galaxy, with the Hitchhiker's Guide as their companion, things we could never dream of are revealed about the universe just outside our doorstep.
Why I recommend the book: Douglas Adam's clever ability to think parallel to an issue is beyond hilarious. This book's rediculousness is like Cracked.com of the 70s. It's a book that's infinitely quotable and easy to read. The best thing is there's nothing slap stick or dumb about it, it's an endless stream of wordplay and clever phrase. It was written as a radio show before it was published as a book and it's obvious in the way the narrative itself is filled with jokes and wit just as much as the dialogue and exposition is. Some classics that everyone reads makes you wonder 'why do people like this stuff?' and then there are the classics that stay around because they are truly timeless. This book, as well as the ones to follow, are the latter.