Review of the audio, read by Stephen Fry:

Overall, Fry earns a solid 'B+' for his rendition of the classic Hitchhiker's Guide. Fry has the perfect 'narrator' voice, and I generally enjoyed most of his character voices. Ford Prefect often has a rakish tone, his reading of Arthur Dent is note-perfect clueless, and Zaphod Beeblebrox has a deliciously smarmy confidence. It was a bit of a revelation to find Marvin more amusing in audio than when I read the book, although I feel like Fry might have given him a tad too much despondent enthusiasm. His reading of the Vogon gibberish as the Babel fish was inserted and translated it into English had me laughing.

No, my biggest problem is that I think sometimes Fry got a little too involved in the story, and his character voices bled together. He'd suddenly remember who was speaking, and pull Zaphod out of dashing Ford territory and back into cocky confidence, but it was often enough and in dialogue enough that I definitely noticed as a trend, not an instance.

Well, no matter; still utterly engaging. There was a distracting formatting issue where the pause between chapters must have been edited out between the end of the previous chapter, Fry reading the chapter heading (ex. "Chapter Five") and the continuation of the story, there was no pause at all.

Though Audible claims this is unabridged, I either spaced out a few moments (entirely possible) or it isn't, quite. I'll have to give it another listen-through as I'm driving. But I'm definitely enthusiastic about moving on to The Restaurant at the End of the Universe if Fry is reading.

This is one of those books that I had been meaning to read for ages and thanks to my awesome friend, Roya, I finally did. I will be honest, this is one of those books that I couldn’t have finished by myself. Thanks Roya!

As a big fan of science-fiction, I felt obligated to read this book. This book is a classic and so many of my friends love it that I just had to try. However, I knew I might need help for reading this for two personal reasons. First, I am too used to a serious tone in my science-fiction stories. Science-fiction and humor in one book? Fascinating and a little hard to believe. I wasn’t sure this combo could even work. Second, I don’t easily laugh. Almost 90% of books and 98% of movies that are supposed to be very humorous and funny, only succeed in making me smile.

Now this book's introduction actually managed to make me laugh several times! The introduction raised my hopes and I started to look forward to the story. Unfortunately, I found the beginning of the story boring and I had to drag myself through it. As I continued to read, I kept wondering, where is the appeal? How come so many of my friends love this? Why is this book SUCH A BIG DEAL? I thought perhaps it's necessary to read the entire series. I reminded myself that sometimes the first book is more like a pilot episode and the series gets better as it continues.

I did love Arthur as the main character and I specially loved his reactions to all the madness. But I didn’t really care for all the other characters that were running around. Except Marvin. He was awesome too.

While I think the author has a very nice sense of humor, I didn’t find the story that hilarious. But the book IS filled with witty and memorable sayings and these sayings were one of my motivations to continue. Eventually I got so far into the story that I couldn’t leave it unfinished since I was very curious about several intertwining plots. I am sorry to say the book ended very abruptly and the story was left unfinished. I was like…what the hell did I just read?

So...I didn’t love this book while reading it. I didn’t enjoy it that much either. Many events were just a little too random for me. I actually really love nonsense stories that have their own unique logic, like "Alice in Wonderland" or "Howl's moving castle" but I had a hard time finding any kind of logic in many parts of this story. All the Petunias and whale sperms were just too random.

So…why 4 stars?

I actually started to really like this book when I finished it and got around to thinking about it. The thing is, this book was first published in 1979. I completely forgot this tiny important detail when I was looking in the story for the appeal. With this in mind, I came to see the ingenuity of the author.

I am sure there are people that find Startrek: the original series very silly and don’t pay much attention to the depth of the stories and their messages. I love this series and while I too laugh at many scenes that really are funny to today’s viewers, I also take this series very seriously. Startrek was a visionary series at the time of its creation and the same applies to Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy.

“To boldly split infinitives that no man had split before... “

This books contains many visionary elements, from electronic books, holograms and computers networked together to usable portable information devices and touch-sensitive objects. Even the guide, the book inside the book, is very similar to Wikipedia, a database full of instantly available information. The artificial intelligences like Marvin, the depressed paranoid Android and Eddie, the spaceship’s mind are very unique and memorable. The quotes and sayings that I mentioned above also play an important role in my rating. Many of them are unique, witty and simply unforgettable. Here are a few famous examples:

…"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

…"Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?"

…"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."

…“‘You know,’ said Arthur, ‘it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.’
‘Why, what did she tell you?’
‘I don't know, I didn't listen.’”

…“Arthur: If I asked you where the hell we were, would I regret it?
Ford: We're safe.
Arthur: Oh good.
Ford: We're in a small galley cabin in one of the spaceships of the Vogon Constructor Fleet.
Arthur: Ah, this is obviously some strange use of the word safe that I wasn't previously aware of.”

…“The President of the Universe holds no real power. His sole purpose is to take attention away from where the power truly exists...”

…“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”

The plot IS too random and some events ARE too silly, but all the visionary elements, great quotes and funny commentary on human behavior and society, make it worth reading.

So...give this book a try if you are a big fan of science-fiction and want to read the classics. Give this book a try even if you are like me and might not find this story very humorous. Do keep in mind how old this book actually is and that it started out as radio broadcasts.

Don’t look too hard for logic. In this book, the universe is a joke and that’s kind of the whole point of the story.

“The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double-backwards-somersault through a hoop whilst whistling the 'Star Spangled Banner', but in fact the message was this: So long and thanks for all the fish.”

The universe is a joke.

Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey.

Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.

For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.

It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').

Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.

We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.

It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demanding the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.

It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.

It’s true what they say... You pick up n  The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxyn and either chuck it away when your head starts to whirl OR you totally appreciate the head-whirling sensation, plunge right in and don’t surface till you have reached the Restaurant at the End of The Universe.

It is with great delight and spots before my eyes that I can proclaim that I belong to the latter breed. You need a wee bit of whimsy, a lot of quirky and a love for all things whacky (all three which I possess in abundance) to appreciate the magnificence of this space odyssey.

The plot is fairly simple. Seconds before planet Earth is completely demolished to make way for a galactic bypass, bemused Englishman Arthur Dent is whisked away to safety by his friend, Ford Prefect. Ford is not an out-of-work actor as he has led everyone to believe. He is in fact, the resident of a small planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse and a researcher for the revised edition of ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’.

Together, the bursting-with-enthusiasm Ford and the bursting-with-disbelief Arthur get set to cruise around the galaxy. Adding to the comedy of errors are Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed galactican president; Trillian, a lady who by some bizarre coincidence had once given Arthur the ditch at an earth-party and Marvin, the oppressively-depressed robot who could drive even a spaceship to suicide.

Along the way, they have many a hit-and-fly situation with various warped creatures who inhabit the universe…they listen to some truly terrible poetry…they land on the legendary planet, Magrathea…and even learn about the super-intelligent computer *DEEP THOUGHT* and it’s mission to answer the question to Life, The Universe and everything. All this while trying to find a decent cup of tea...

Douglas Adams was the king of one-liners and whip-smart dialogue. He took human flaws, failings and reams of red-tape and converted it into a seriously funny tale. Many argue that the written work is just a reflection of Adams’thoughts…well hell..which book isn’t?!?

I have hemmed and hawed over the years wondering whether I should pick up the book or not…always inhaling it in bits and pieces. All I can say to the still-wary is this: grab the spaceship by it’s tail-lights and get geared for a mad-trip of a lifetime.

Don’t panic.

This is a wholly remarkable book.

For those of you who have NOT read Douglas Adams’ classic, drop what you’re doing right this very instant and go get a book. You can buy a copy at the bookstore, download it from Kindle, or check it out at the library.

No, seriously, literally stop what you’re doing and go get a copy and do nothing for the next three to four hours as you read this brilliant and hilarious book. Go ahead, leave work, duck out of school, cancel that appointment and just read and enjoy. Tell them Dr. Johnny Fever has prescribed this and it is necessary for your health.

Go on, it’s OK, we’ll wait for you.

(background music plays softly)

OK! You’re back! It was AMAZING! RIGHT?

Douglas Adams’ takeoff from this great start is something to read. SF? Sure. Fantasy? Probably. Adams humorous writing and good as pizza dialogue makes this GREAT. I’d call this a lovingly fun satire of 60s era weird SF, with some fun science of his own, but all tongue in cheek and entertaining.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Not sure what it was about this book that made me not like it as much as I was hoping. When I was growing up I remember watching the BBC TV show and playing the text adventure on my Commodore 64 (yes, I am getting old). Before I actually read it, lots of my friends recommended it and the cool, edgy people all loved it (basically, the hipsters of the 90s!

I came to Douglas Adams in the way a lot of guys do, probably: I was introduced to it by someone far nerdier than I. Some of us become nerds when people we come in contact with share their obsessions; others are born nerds, and somehow organically discover Monty Python & the Holy Grail or, say, the original BBC miniseries version of this book. And then they make you watch it, twice, and spoil all the jokes by quoting them alongside it.

If I remember right, this happened to me freshman year of high school, which is a good time for The Hitchhiker's Guide. Douglas Adams' humor is offbeat and makes you feel smart for getting it, and if there is anything a 14-year-old boy likes to have reinforced, it is his smug sense of self-satisfaction.

I went on to read the sequels, which kind of petered out for me (not sure I ever finished Mostly Harmless), but the first book is pretty hard to dislike. Though when I re-read it my senior year as part of a sci-fi/fantasy English elective, I don't know if the entire class appreciated it quite as much as I was expecting, perhaps because I didn't know that they weren't taking the course because they liked the idea of reading Tolkien for credit, but because they needed the credit to graduate and the teacher was really nice. Like, open book, multiple choice quiz nice. And some of them still didn't pass. How is reading 25 pages of Anne McCaffrey homework? It was homework for me to stop reading after 25 pages! Not that I did.

So, you know this book, I am sure. Probably in more than one of its incarnations: TV series, radio play, big budget Hollywood movie. I love its elasticity -- each medium offers a slightly different take on the plot, which seems appropriate for a "trilogy" that somehow has five installments. Though it's humor, it really is a great sci-fi book, with a lot of ingenious concepts (my favorite being the Improbability Drive, which makes the most unlikely things happen, or the Point of View Gun, which shows you just how insignificant you are on a universal scale).

After experiencing all of the various versions, I am getting a little sick of the jokes (Vogon poetry and depressed space whales are only funny so many times), but it was still an easy choice for this day of the book challenge.

Facebook 30 Day Book Challenge Day 25: Favorite book you read in school.

I read this book about 51,017 times when I was in seventh grade. I wore my copy out. That was a time in my life when I very much would have preferred to belong to some alien species, trapped here through no fault of my own. Also: "The ships hung in the air in much the same way that bricks don't." How can you improve on writing like that?

Q: What's so bad about being drunk?
A: Just ask a glass of water.

ahhh, good times.

Full review now posted!

I finally know the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

This was my third attempt at reading this book, because it’s just so gosh-darned silly that I could never get past the first three or so chapters. Well, what was the difference this time, you might be asking. The difference was a British gentleman by the name of Stephen Fry. I would have never made it all the way through this admittedly short book without the voice talents of Stephen Fry. The man is a genius! Every character had a completely unique voice, and they were all engaging. I’m not positive which came first, the movie or the audiobook, but Fry’s version of Arthur Dent sounded incredibly similar to Martin Freeman, who played Dent in the movie.

I’m not usually an audiobook girl. I tend to get frustrated with the slow pace and pick up the print version of whatever book I was listening to, because I can just read faster. But I never had that desire listening to Fry. He was absolutely fabulous, and now I want to track down other audiobooks he’s read. Just another reason to wish I was British, so I could have Audible access to his readings of Harry Potter. *disgruntled sigh*

Onto the book itself. I’m pretty sure Douglas Adams is a national treasure of the U.K., as he well should be. These books are meant to be silly, and they most definitely are. The tone of his writing was great, and I love the idea of the story, but something about the humor didn’t translate well for me. It was just too much, somehow, as stated earlier. Honestly, the book itself would have been somewhere between a 2 and 3 star read for me (please don’t lynch me!) had it not been for Fry’s marvelous audio. His reading saved the day and bumped the book up to 4 stars for me. I did end up really enjoying listening to this story, though I’m not sure I’ll continue the series. However, I’m glad to have read this book, and to now understand the cultural references and impact Adams provided here.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

For more of reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings

Hitchhiker's, volume 1.

Earth is destroyed to make way for a bypass. Fortunately for Arthur Dent, his friend Ford Prefect turns out to be an alien and manages to escape, with Arthur.

The plot is not bad, but it's the writing that is fantastic:

Vogon ships "hung in the sky in exactly the way bricks don't".

The Hooloovoo is a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue.

The old man who said nothing was true but was later found to be lying.

"After a second or so, nothing continued to happen".

"This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays" (borrowing from Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's).

"Bits of it were dullish grey. Bits of it were dullish brown. The rest of it was rather less interesting". "An acute attack of no curiosity".

"Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea".

"It's unpleasantly like being drunk. What's so bad about being drunk? Try asking a glass of water."

God refuses to prove he exists because proof denies faith and without faith he is nothing. But the Babel fish is a dead giveaway - so God disappeared in a puff of logic.

Infinite improbability drive.


Brief summary and favourite quotes from the other four of the five books, as follows:

Restaurant at the End of Universe (vol 2): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Life, the Universe and Everything (vol 3):
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish (vol 4): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Mostly Harmless (vol 5): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

And Another Thing...( vol 6), by Eoin Colfer : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Adams' thoughts on the Babel Fish are cited by linguist David Crystal in Language Death

استفاده از رگه‌های طنز در آثار فانتزی یا علمی تخیلی، کار عجیبی نیست، ما در آثاری مثل «هری پاتر» یا «تلماسه» هم گاهی با شوخی‌های نویسنده مواجه شده‌ایم. اما کسی هری پاتر و تلماسه را اثر کمدی نمی‌داند.
حالا در مجموعه‌ی «راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپ‌زن‌ها» تعداد این شوخی‌ها آنقدر زیاد است که رسما می‌‌توانیم کتاب را ترکیبی از ژانر علمی-تخیلی و ژانر کمدی بدانیم.
و ترکیب این دو ژانر، بهتر از چیزی که انتظار داشتم درآمده و از معدود نکات مثبت کتاب است.
داگلاس آدامز داستان را ابتدا به صورت بخش‌های نیم ساعته برای پخش در رادیو بی‌بی‌سی می‌نویسد، و بعد که کارش می‌گیرد و مشهور می‌شود، از سوی ناشران پیشنهادهایی برای چاپ داستانش در قالب رمان دریافت می‌کند و سرانجام، این مجموعه آنقدر معروف و محبوب می‌شود که از روی آن فیلم و سریال و بازی کامپیوتری هم ساخته می‌شود.
در مقدمه‌ی بامزه‌ی نویسنده در آغاز کتاب (این مقدمه در ترجمه‌ی فارسیِ کتاب وجود ندارد و من آن را از نسخه‌ی انگلیسی نقل به مضمون می‌کنم) داگلاس آدامز نوشته:
n  

در زمان نوشتن کتاب، از دنیا کمی اوقاتم تلخ شده بود و نتیجه این شد که در تمام طرح‌های ذهنم برای داستان، قرار بود کره‌ی زمین نابود شود.

n
بله! داستان از این قرار است که در همان ابتدای کتاب، نویسنده موقعیتِ کمیکی خلق می‌کند که کره‌ی زمین توسط آدم فضایی‌ها به منظور احداث بزرگراه فضایی، نابود می‌شود و «آرتور دنت» که یک انسان زمینیِ از همه‌جا بی‌خبر است، با کمک دوستش «فورد پریفکت» که یک موجود فضایی است که برای تحقیق به زمین آمده، موفق به فرار از زمین قبل از نابودی آن می‌شود. (نویسنده نام فورد پریفکت را انتخاب کرده تا نشان دهد این شخصیت از قوانین زمینی بی‌اطلاع بوده، چون فورد پریفکت در واقع نام یک مدل معروف خودروی فورد ساخت بریتانیا بوده)
خلاصه که داستان درباره‌ی سفرهای فضایی جناب آرتور دنت و ماجراهای اوست.
این مجموعه در شش جلد چاپ شده که در واقع پنج جلد اول را خودِ داگلاس آدامز نوشته و جلد ششم بعد از مرگ او بر اساس یادداشت‌هایش توسط نویسنده‌ی دیگری نوشته شده است.
به طور خلاصه نظرم در مورد کتاب -حداقل جلد اولش- این است که داستان، پر از ایده‌های بسیار خلاقانه است، اما این ایده‌ها به خوبی پرداخت و اجرا نشده‌اند. مثلا نویسنده توانسته تیپ شخصیت‌های بسیار جالب و بامزه‌ای خلق کند. از «زاپود بیبلبروکس» که برای دزدیدن سفینه، رئیس جمهور کهکشان شده تا رباتی که آنقدر اطلاعات زیادی دارد که افسرده شده یا رباتی دیگر که زیادی شاد و شنگول است. اما هیچ کدام از شخصیت‌ها عمق کافی ندارند و در واقع شخصیت‌پردازیِ کتاب خوب نیست.
به علاوه داستان، تعلیق و هیجان لازم را به عنوان یک اثر علمی تخیلی ندارد. بدتر از همه این که سؤالی که برای من در حین خواندن کتاب مرتب تکرار می‌شد این بود که «خب حالا که چی؟!». میخواهم بگویم کتاب پیام روشن و درون‌مایه‌ی آشکاری مثل بعضی از علمی تخیلی‌های معروف از جمله «تلماسه» ندارد. (گرچه مقایسه‌ی تلماسه با این مجموعه خیلی هم مقایسه‌ی درستی نیست)
به نظرم هیچ‌کدام از شوخی‌های کتاب آنقدر خنده‌دار نیست که خواننده قهقهه بزند، ولی انصافاً بعضی از شوخی‌ها پیچیده و عمیق هستند و به مسائل اجتماعی- سیاسی کنایه می‌زنند.
شاید بعدها یک جلد دیگر از این مجموعه را هم بخوانم تا ببینم داستان به جای جالبی می‌رسد یا نه.

درباره‌ی ترجمه
از ترجمه به چند دلیل راضی نیستم:
• تمام کتاب به زبان محاوره یا به اصطلاح، فارسی شکسته ترجمه شده است و من از توضیحات مترجم در مقدمه‌ی کتاب در این باره قانع نشدم. شاید داستان در رادیو طور دیگری خوانده می‌شده یا شاید زبان محاوره با فضای داستان تضادی نداشته باشد، ولی ربطی به زبان اصلی کتاب ندارد.
• علاوه بر تعداد انگشت شماری غلط واضح در ترجمه‌ی کتاب، تعدادی از اصطلاحات داستان هم ترجمه‌ی دقیق یا باکیفیتی ندارند مثلا Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster ترجمه شده به مشروب الکلی رعد پان کهکشانی. در مورد اصطلاح «اتواستاپ‌زن» که ترجمه‌ی کلمه‌ی «hitchhiker» است هم، توضیحات مترجم در مقدمه برایم قانع کننده نیست. نمی‌دانم، شاید فقط منم که کلمه‌ی اتواستاپ‌زن را نشنیده‌ام و این کلمه برایم ناآشنا و وصله‌ی ناجور به زبان فارسی است. (شما تا حالا این کلمه را شنیده بودید؟) برای من «مسافر بین‌راهی» با این که می‌دانم ترجمه‌ی صددرصد دقیقی برای hitchhiker نیست، ترجمه‌ی قابل قبول‌تری است.
• بعضی قسمت‌های داستان سانسور شده‌اند مثل طرز تهیه‌ی همان مشروب الکلی رعد پان کهکشانی!
یک نکته‌ی جالب هم این که ناشر و مترجم متوجه شده‌اند اگر کلمه‌ی god را به جای «خدا» به «ایزد» ترجمه کنند، می‌توانند حداقل در مورد بحث‌های آتئیستیِ کتاب، از چنگ سانسور وزارت ارشاد بگریزند. این هم از عجایبی است که در کمتر جایی از زمین، و حتی کهکشان‌ها پیدا می‌شود!

What does Kim Jong-Il, a thong-wearing mechanic and this missing link furry fellow have to do with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?
n  n
...you owe it to yourself and your family to find out.

With the plethora of wonderful reviews already written for this book by my fellow GRs, I decided instead to provide some helpful, practical advice on why reading this book might benefit my fellow goodreaders. Therefore, as both life management tool and a safety warning, I have compiled my:

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:
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n  Number 5n: It’s a pleasant diversion to keep your mind occupied and pass the time while you are getting electrolysis to remove those areas patches blankets of unwanted hair:
n  n
…Yikes, somebody please get that man a Klondike Bar.

n  Number 4n: The book is smart, funny, well-written and full of wonderful commentary on the human condition and clever humor:

n   …The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.

t… ‘You know,’ said Arthur, ‘it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.’tt
‘Why, what did she tell you?’tt
‘I don't know, I didn't listen.’

… Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mindboggingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God. The argument goes something like this: `I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, ‘for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.’ ‘But,’ says Man, ‘The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.’ ‘Oh dear,’ says God, ‘I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly vanished in a puff of logic.

t …For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons

t… ‘Ah,’ said Arthur, ‘this is obviously some strange usage of the word safe that I wasn't previously aware of.’n

Number 3: This gentleman DOES NOT appear in the book:

n  n

Seriously, isn’t the absence of thong-boy reason enough to give this book a chance?

Number 2: North Korea's Kim Jong- il hates this book
n  n
...and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

And finally….

Number 1: Understanding the deep, nuanced meaning at the heart of this novel will help better prepare you should you ever find yourself in a situation like this:
n  n

Don’t wait until it’s too late…for yourself and your loved ones, read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy today.

If through sharing the above bit of meaningless nonsense wisdom, I have: (i) introduced someone to a worthwhile read, or (ii)provided a means of dealing with the agonizing pain of having chunks of fur ripped from their body, or (iii) shown people a picture of a man in a thong changing a tire, or (iv) pissed off a despotic assclown, or (v) simply provided a safety tip regarding avoiding unsolicited sexual advances in the guise of impromptu gift-giving, than I feel I have accomplished something.

I only did this because I had a collection of funny pics and couldn’t figure out what else to do with them so I bootstrapped them in to a review I care.

3.5 stars.