The third installment in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe "Trilogy" (the third of five or six installments, depending on how you feel about the one written by Eoin Colfer) follows the pattern of the other books in the series, namely: bits of British humor flogged to death over the course of several chapters along with sardonic observations about modern life and society dressed in Science-Fiction trimmings. No matter what anyone tells you, these books are NOT required reading and in fact - for the most part - they aren't really all that funny, although if you like one of them you'll probably like them all. This one, however, has a section on "Bistromathics" - the idea that the numbers on the bill for large parties' dinners in restaurants often bear little relation to reality - which is worth an entire star by itself, to which we can add another star in thankful gratitude for the book's blessed shortness.

Hitchhiker's, volume 3.

Mostly about Krikkit - and the Bistromathic Drive, which is better than mere Infinite Improbability.

The immortal Wowbanger the Infinitely Prolonged gave himself the task of insulting everyone in the universe - individually (but nearly did Arthur twice).

It has the usual wonderful Adamsness:

The "knack" of learning to fly is to "throw yourself at the ground and miss".

"Aggressively uninterested".

"One thing has suddenly ceased to lead to another".

Slartibartfast, who has one of the best names in literature, "wrote a monograph to set the record wrong about one or two matters he saw as important".

"Time travel is a menace. History is being polluted. The past is now truly like a foreign country. They do things exactly the same there".

"They obstinately persisted in their absence".

To attack a transdimensional planet you need to work out how to "fire missiles at 90 degrees to reality".

"sat in darkened rooms in illegal states of mind".

"One of the least benightedly unintelligent organic lifeforms it has been my profound lack of pleasure not be able to avoid meeting" (Boris took that idea with "I couldn't possibly fail to disagree with you less").


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

Hitchhiker's Guide (vol 1): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Restaurant at the End of Universe (vol 2): 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...

Wasn’t much into the plot with the planet Krikkit. Too much going on. You get Douglas’s usual lovely nonsense and chaos, but in this book it goes too far. Too much nonsense and chaos, and so some of the joy and humor is lost. Enjoyed Agrajag and the weirdness of Arthur’s having killed him accidentally and that being tied to Arthur’s fate. Also loved the silliness of Arthur learning how to fly and the couch on the cricket field being a space time eddy.

3.5/5

Honestamente, nunca sé si de verdad entendí lo que el autor me quería contar o si todo era un absurdo. Siempre voto por lo primero, porque debajo del humor, el sarcasmo y el absurdo se advierte un sentido, un mensaje, que a veces no estoy segura de si lo capté o no.

No puedo decir con seguridad de qué se trata. Hay una especie que en su momento intentó destruir el Universo, pero fueron detenidos. Ahora, están juntando las piezas para volver a intentarlo. Así es como Arthur, Ford, Trilian, Zaphod y Marvin vuelven a unirse para salvarnos.

Es cierto que me gustó menos que los dos anteriores, en la mitad me aburrí un poco y ya no sabía qué estaba pasando (lo que es mucho decir con estos libros). Sin embargo, me gustó el final y como siempre amé el rol de Marvin. Por eso mismo me dolió lo poco que apareció aquí, aunque sus momentos siempre son mis favoritos de los libros.

Mantiene el humor y el absurdo, con bromas sobre distintos aspectos de nuestro mundo y en este caso relacionado con el criquet. Arthur admito que me fue ganando con el paso de los libros, es la visión humana (como nosotros) en este caos y su forma de enfrentarse a todo me parece genial. Además, de por sí es una persona con la que resulta poco agradable porque siempre se queja.

Me gustó, menos que los anteriores y a diferencia de los otros este me aburrió bastante en punto. Sin embargo, disfruté el final y el siempre adorable aporte de Marvin.

Oh man, das war leider nichts.

Wo die ersten Bände noch eine lustige Geschichte für Nerds waren, war "Das Leben, das Universum und der ganze Rest" leider nur noch eine Aneinanderreihung bizzarrer Situationen aus dem Leben der Protagonisten - die sich einen Großteil des Buches gar nicht begegnen. Ich fand es wirklich ziemlich anstrengend und hatte wenig Spaß dabei. Das verrückteste ist, dass ich nicht mal genau sagen kann, worum es eigentlich geht? Irgendwas mit Cricket, aber so einen richtigen Handlungsfortschritt gab es leider nicht.

Erst im letzten Drittel kam wieder das schöne "Per-Anhalter-durch-die-Galaxis-Gefühl" auf. Trotzdem konnte es das nicht mehr retten, Band 3 kann für mich in keinster Weise mit den Vorgängerbänden mithalten.

________________

Ich suche ja oft die Schuld bei mir, deshalb kann es auch einfach daran liegen, dass ich die Vorbände vor rund 3 Jahren gelesen habe, dass das Hörbuchformat einfach der Geschichte nicht gerecht wird oder dass ich momentan einfach Stress habe und mich nicht auf die Story konzentrieren konnte. Im Endeffekt ist es aber wurscht, es hat mir einfach keinen Spaß gemacht und ich hoffe wirklich, dass Band 4 sich wieder eher in Richtung Band 1/2 bewegt.

A marked improvement over book 2. I laughed out loud so many times

Yo Wowbagger!

An ancient danger threatens to resurface and destroy the universe. The townsfolk of Krikkit doesn’t like to see so many bright dots on their night sky, so they plan to correct it, by wiping out every planet in the galaxy. Dent, Ford, Trillian and Zhapod, the crazy quartet of misfortune, will simply try not to make things worse.

An interesting new installment. Arthur and Ford back on the spot light, Trillian with a brief protagonism nearing the end, and, thank God, a whole lot less Zhapod. Adams writing ever so magnificently satirical, far from that perfect #1, but much better than #2. A certainly entertaining sequel, hilarious from time to time, and with some memorable moments. Just loved the introduction of Wowbagger. Marvin was my favorite character, but the throne now belongs to Wowbagger, a highly controversial character, but with an admirable purpose.

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n  PERSONAL NOTEn:
[1982] [224p] [Humor] [Not Recommendable] [“Krikkit believe in peace, justice, morality, culture, sport, family life, and the obliteration of all other life forms”] [“His name was Wowbagger. He was a man with a purpose. Not a very good purpose, as he would have been the first to admit, but it was at least a purpose that keep him on the move.  He would insult the Universe. That is, he would insult everybody in it. Individually, personally, one by one, and in alphabetical order.” ]
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★★☆☆☆ 0.5. Young Zaphod Plays It Safe [1.5]
★★★★★ 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
★★☆☆☆ 2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. Life, the Universe and Everything
★★★★☆ 4. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
★☆☆☆☆ 5. Mostly Harmless
★★★☆☆ 1-5. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  
★★★☆☆ 6. And Another Thing... [2.5]

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Hey Wowbagger!

Un antiguo peligro amenaza con resurgir y destruir el universo. A los ciudadanos de Krikkit no les gusta ver tantos puntos brillantes en su cielo a la noche, por lo cual planean corregirlo, borrando del mapa todos los planetas de la galaxia. Dent, Ford, Trillian y Zhapod, el disparatado cuarteto de la desgracia, simplemente tratarán de no empeorar las cosas.

Una interesante nueva entrega. Arthur y Ford vuelven a la escena principal, Trillian con un leve protagonismo casi al final, y, gracias a Dios, mucho menos Zhapod. La pluma de Adams tan magníficamente satírica como siempre, lejos de esa perfección del #1, pero mucho mejor que #2. Una secuela ciertamente entretenida, muy graciosa a veces, y con algunos momentos para el recuerdo. Simplemente amé la introducción de Wowbagger. Marvin era mi personaje preferido, pero el trono ahora le pertenece a Wowbagger, un personaje altamente controversial, pero con un propósito admirable.

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n  NOTA PERSONALn:
[1982] [224p] [Humor] [No Recomendable] [“Krikkit cree en la paz, justicia, moralidad, cultura, deporte, la vida familiar, y la obliteración de otras formas de vida”] [“Su nombre era Wowbagger. El era un hombre con un propósito. No un propósito muy bueno, como él hubiera sido el primero en admitir, pero era al menos un propósito que lo mantenía en movimiento.  El iba a insultar el Universo. Es decir, insultaría a todos en él. Individualmente, personalmente, uno por uno, y en orden alfabético.”]
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Arthur and Ford are still on prehistoric Earth in the beginning, but thanks to timey-wimey stuff they are getting out of their predicament in no time (which equals approximately 5 years). Meanwhile, Trillian has found a new boyfriend and he is ... divine. The problem is that when Arthur gets back to Earth shortly before its demise (see book 1), there is an alien race from planet Cricket Krikkit who has suddenly become aware of the universe - and doesn't like it. So now our friends, with the help of my favourite fjord-engineer, have to literally save the universe, no matter how depressed Zaphod has become and how improbable it all is.

Weird aliens, white killer robots in addition to our favourite depressed one, a therapy couch, flying, another fantastic spaceship (this time powered by irrational behavior), time travel, a party-that-has-yet-to-end and the shocking realization that Arthur might seem like a bumbling fool but actually is a "mass-me-murderer" (complete with petunias and a squashed fly)! Say WHAT?!

This 3rd installment was once again a blast! Not quite up to the standards of the first book, but deliciously funny, deep in thought, god-critical, sharp, with lots of zingers and puns and therefore easily better than the 2nd volume (which nevertheless wasn't bad).

You want to know the truth? The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?! In its absolute and final form?! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH (Jack Nicholson was right after all and I wonder now if that earnestest of movies had a mad easter egg)!
n  n

One of my favourite parts must have been the principle of flying. If you don't know, the trick is to throw yourself at the ground - and missing. While discussing this particular gem of the book with my buddy-reader, it struck us both how DNA was a master at telling you ridiculous things that shouldn't make sense but do. Every time. And if you really think about it, of course they do! That is the thing about life (as well as the universe and everything)!

Naturally, the quest isn't quite over yet because Arthur has been given some instructions. Will he follow them or stick to bord speak?

In a lot of ways, this book is a lot better than Restaurant at the End of the Universe simply because it has a lot more regular plot action and better-defined enemies despite all the Timey-Wimey stuff that comes necessarily with being a hitchhiker.

Things I've learned:

Arthur Dent is a mass murderer. Or a slightly scattered universal-sequential murderer. Or maybe he's just tactless.

Cricket, or rather, the planet Krikkit is full of a bunch of a-holes.

And I've also learned that I REALLY, REALLY don't want to know the truth.


Which is, when you think about it, completely absurd since I'm going to keep reading the series, and it is filled with NOTHING BUT THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH.


On a side note, I do want to mention that I teared up a little bit when I learned how to fly. Again. And I mean not the teary-eyed kind that comes from cooking some onions with olive oil, but tears of sheer amazement that I've always been flying wrong.

And to think that walking was just a bastard version of the same thing: put one foot forward, fall, and fail to hit the ground. Huh. Amazing.

Bu kitap bir rüya gibi! Hayır hayır iyi anlamda değil. Hani rüyan bütün gece sürüyormuş gibi hissedersin, kalktığında birine anlatırsın da 3-4 cümleyi geçmez. Sonra anlattıklarını kulağınla duyduğunda ne saçma sapan bir rüyaymış ya diye farkına varırsın ya. Hah işte öyle bir rüya gibi bir kitap Hayat, Evren ve Her Şey.

A series losing steam, and it's a real shame given the potential of the first two books--both fun, quick reads. This title is less focused on the sci-fi and philosophical underpinnings of the first two books. Instead, Adams here maintains sequences that hinge on bizarre chains of events and silly, ponderous exchanges between characters who have less and less of an idea as to what exactly is happening around them. These felt a long 200+ pages indeed.

The bon mots and clever passages are fewer and further between than the previous two installments. In fact, much of this book is rather uninspired and infuriating; the Krikkit robots, the Bistromathematics, the reincarnations of the hapless multiple-murder victim Agrajag... none of the set pieces gave me more than a brief chuckle. Much of what aims to pass for characteristic Adams whimsy feels perfunctory, and the string of coincidences that form the crux of the plot are truly slapdash.

The highlights for me here are Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged's perpetual misanthropy and what amounts to the only real meat of the book--the story of the reason why the ultimate question and answer of the universe are (putatively) mutually exclusive. Thus leading to "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish". But nothing here matches the humor of, for instance, the truly inspired chapter containing the Hitchhiker's Guide's entry on The Universe in "Restaurant at the End of the Universe".

When Adams is working with less inspired ideas, his inability to write characters as anything but vehicles for punchlines and guttural confusions is trying. Vonnegut, while a weak painter of convincing personalities, instills a sense of humanity and pathos in the proceedings that eludes Adams. Some sense of feeling and sympathy, perhaps, plays foil to the general absurdity of exposition and content in Vonnegut. This is why he's a better read if you're comparing the two as I feel prone to do, and one of several reasons I'm not too concerned with making it through last installments in this series.

All of that being said, I have to say that the ending is pretty simpatico with me. Maybe Adams should have left it all at that.

I probably won't continue with this series. I liked the first two, was a little annoyed with the chaotic plot, but at this point I am not even enjoying it anymore. I also don't like the characters ( except Marin, he's still great)