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Love the writing style but disliked how the story meanders too much and how the ending just sort of...happens. I get that it's a stylistic choice but it's not for me.
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Dirk Gently #1-2
Two Complete Novels: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency / The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul
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Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot...step aside. Here to save the day--or at least the universe--is Dirk Gently, holistic super sleuth. Created by Douglas Adams, best-selling author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently is a universe-class detective in rare form.
Refusing to become bogged down by simple details such as fingerprints and alibis, Dirk Gently takes on the challenges of a world facing total destruction at every turn: the trauma of a truly filthy refrigerator, the secrets of telekinesis, and the attacks of an angry eagle. He comes out holding the key to the meaning of life, but can he make it fit the lock? Find the answer to the meaning of this question in this first ever collection of two bestselling Dirk Gently novels.
--front flap
Refusing to become bogged down by simple details such as fingerprints and alibis, Dirk Gently takes on the challenges of a world facing total destruction at every turn: the trauma of a truly filthy refrigerator, the secrets of telekinesis, and the attacks of an angry eagle. He comes out holding the key to the meaning of life, but can he make it fit the lock? Find the answer to the meaning of this question in this first ever collection of two bestselling Dirk Gently novels.
--front flap
436 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1,1987
This edition
- Format
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436 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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January 1, 1994 by Wings Books
- ISBN
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9780517119129
- ASIN
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0517119129
- Language
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English
About the author
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.
Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its seventeenth season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams was a self-proclaimed "radical atheist", an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, and a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.
Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.
Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its seventeenth season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams was a self-proclaimed "radical atheist", an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, and a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.
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Community Reviews
Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
40(40%)
4 stars
31(31%)
3 stars
29(29%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
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100 reviews All reviews
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Extremely clever albeit a bit slow. Adams is an startlingly good storyteller, who can give even the most inanimate of objects a winning personality and at times make them even more likable than his deeply flawed characters.
Recommended for fans of comedic fiction with magical realism elements, fans of Douglas Adams and hesitantly recommended to fans of urban fantasy.
Cheers!
Mark
Recommended for fans of comedic fiction with magical realism elements, fans of Douglas Adams and hesitantly recommended to fans of urban fantasy.
Cheers!
Mark
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Before American Gods there was... this.
Douglas Adams was one of the best writers of his generation. Most famous for his "Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy" he nevertheless also wrote two classy, witty and weird books about holistic detective Dirk Gently... And it's a pity there are only two of them. Sigh.
Douglas Adams was one of the best writers of his generation. Most famous for his "Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy" he nevertheless also wrote two classy, witty and weird books about holistic detective Dirk Gently... And it's a pity there are only two of them. Sigh.
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I do enjoy these ones, although the HHGttG is definitely better. I decided to re-read these ones because we started watching the Netflix series. I could tell it was at best inspired by the books, but couldn't remember the plots clearly enough to be sure. There really isn't a lot in common between the books and the series, although I suppose they're both good in their own way.
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This is the book that introduced me to Douglas Adams. I got this from a coffee shop that sells some used books, because I recognized his name from Neil Gaiman's blog. I'm so glad I did! The book is hilarious, even ridiculous, and so much fun to read! It made me laugh out loud in several parts, and I thoroughly enjoyed the two novels.
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More structure and plot than Hitchhiker, it felt more like Pratchett and less like Python, and had me laughing out loud at parts.
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I am a member of a Goodreads club which selected 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' to read. Here is a link to my review of that book (four stars):
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I was curious about the sequel, 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul', so I discovered this ebook with both books included on Amazon for only a couple of dollars. I bought it.
If one is looking for a light read which is not about anything serious (or even having much of a plot), but instead is full of the type of humor and goofy off-kilter characters comedian Steve Martin used to do in performance, then the Dirk Gently books might suit you. 'The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul' (three stars for the humor and writing) isn't as good as the previous Gently book, 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' but it is funny. That said, its plot reminded me of Neil Gaiman's doorstopper novel American Gods. However, Douglas Adams handles the same subject - ancient Norse gods sparring with each other even while their relevance to modern society has diminished to a point much like that of an elderly person with dementia - with pure nonsensical and randomized action, having nothing meaningfully symbolic happen and very little mythology included except basic stripped-down elements.
I think the main objective of Adams in writing the Gently series is mostly just for fun and entertainment. There is perhaps an undertone of pointed (like a Dirk?) snark reminding readers of how we often ignore wondrous natural things all about us on one hand, yet maybe these wonders do not effectively mean anything but entertainment for us in their existence on the other hand. Gods definitely are playing with dice in every Douglas Adams book, also.
Douglas Adams wrote 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul' before Neil Gaiman wrote 'American Gods', so I can't help but believe Gaiman got the idea for his book after reading Adams' short silly novel. That's ok with me. I enjoyed both books.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I was curious about the sequel, 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul', so I discovered this ebook with both books included on Amazon for only a couple of dollars. I bought it.
If one is looking for a light read which is not about anything serious (or even having much of a plot), but instead is full of the type of humor and goofy off-kilter characters comedian Steve Martin used to do in performance, then the Dirk Gently books might suit you. 'The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul' (three stars for the humor and writing) isn't as good as the previous Gently book, 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' but it is funny. That said, its plot reminded me of Neil Gaiman's doorstopper novel American Gods. However, Douglas Adams handles the same subject - ancient Norse gods sparring with each other even while their relevance to modern society has diminished to a point much like that of an elderly person with dementia - with pure nonsensical and randomized action, having nothing meaningfully symbolic happen and very little mythology included except basic stripped-down elements.
I think the main objective of Adams in writing the Gently series is mostly just for fun and entertainment. There is perhaps an undertone of pointed (like a Dirk?) snark reminding readers of how we often ignore wondrous natural things all about us on one hand, yet maybe these wonders do not effectively mean anything but entertainment for us in their existence on the other hand. Gods definitely are playing with dice in every Douglas Adams book, also.
Douglas Adams wrote 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul' before Neil Gaiman wrote 'American Gods', so I can't help but believe Gaiman got the idea for his book after reading Adams' short silly novel. That's ok with me. I enjoyed both books.
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Not my first time reading.
Definitely won't be my last, either. It is always nice to take a break from such serious writing in any genre, and Douglas has been a favorite since before I was even a teen.
Definitely won't be my last, either. It is always nice to take a break from such serious writing in any genre, and Douglas has been a favorite since before I was even a teen.
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