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.

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

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.

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.

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.

More structure and plot than Hitchhiker, it felt more like Pratchett and less like Python, and had me laughing out loud at parts.

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.

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.

A very confusing series and one i will have to come back to one day! As they are epic and wonderful!

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - 4 stars.
The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul

Read the first, haven't read the second.

A bit weird. Near the end of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul the Dracott character brings to mind Donald Trump and Toe Rag could certainly be Steve Bannon.

I felt very stupid while reading this book as I could not really understand what was happening. I just think that this is not my cup of tea, I was just on the edge and I wished I had been able to get into it, if that makes sense.