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8th out of 580 books
—
341 voters
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
"IRRESISTIBLE!"
--The Boston Globe Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through...more
--The Boston Globe Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through...more
Mass Market Paperback, 215 pages
Published
January 1st 1980
by Pocket
(first published 1979)
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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...more
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...more
view all 13 comments
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?
...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...more
...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...more
They stumbled out of the Heart of Gold and looked around them. It was very quiet among the tall buildings. The ground was covered with brightly-colored objects that, from a distance, looked a little like paperback novels. Trillian picked one up.
"It's a paperback novel!" she said, surprised. "Long Hard Ride, by Lorelei James." She flipped through it. "Hm, who'd have thought that the late inhabitants of Frogstar Z would have been into women's erotica?"
She picked up some more. "Be With Me, by Maya...more
"It's a paperback novel!" she said, surprised. "Long Hard Ride, by Lorelei James." She flipped through it. "Hm, who'd have thought that the late inhabitants of Frogstar Z would have been into women's erotica?"
She picked up some more. "Be With Me, by Maya...more
Mar 18, 2012
K.D. Oliveros
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Tata J (I saw in the 501 Book that you want to read this!)
Recommended to K.D. by:
501 Must Read Books; Top 100 British Novels
Read for the Second Time on March 18, 2012
Rating: 3 stars! (After 3 years, I still liked it!)
Six hundred books... 3 years... in between. Me not being really a sci-fi fan. But, yes...I still liked this book!
Resistance is useless! says the outer space alien who first apprehended Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect. I might as well not resist. My group here in Goodreads, Filipinos, love this book as they voted it as one of their 100 Favorite Books.
I appreciate the creativity and imagination of Douglas Ad...more
Rating: 3 stars! (After 3 years, I still liked it!)
Six hundred books... 3 years... in between. Me not being really a sci-fi fan. But, yes...I still liked this book!
Resistance is useless! says the outer space alien who first apprehended Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect. I might as well not resist. My group here in Goodreads, Filipinos, love this book as they voted it as one of their 100 Favorite Books.
I appreciate the creativity and imagination of Douglas Ad...more
Jun 29, 2007
Jon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Douglas Adams fans
In my experience, readers either love Adams' books or quickly put them down. I, for example, quite literally worship the words Adams puts on the page, and have read the Hitchhiker's Trilogy so many times that I have large tracts of it memorized. But both my wife and father couldn't get past book one: the former because she found it too silly, and the latter because he found the writing to be more about "the author's personality" than plot and character.
Whatever.
The first three books in the Hitc...more
Whatever.
The first three books in the Hitc...more
Review by my daughter, Eliza (who is 10):
"I think it's funny (4.5 stars). The funniest person in the book, in my opinion, is Zaphod, because he loses his head a LOT. (Figuratively, not literally.) He is funny with his way of not knowing what he's doing most of the time."
Kat's review:
"One of the funniest books I ever read. I grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy, and watching Monty Python's Flying Circus on PBS. This book combines the best elements of all three.
I went on to read the entire series. I...more
"I think it's funny (4.5 stars). The funniest person in the book, in my opinion, is Zaphod, because he loses his head a LOT. (Figuratively, not literally.) He is funny with his way of not knowing what he's doing most of the time."
Kat's review:
"One of the funniest books I ever read. I grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy, and watching Monty Python's Flying Circus on PBS. This book combines the best elements of all three.
I went on to read the entire series. I...more
These books definitely have their moments (and this one, the first, is the best). But they are not as good as everyone seems to think they are; they are punny, wacky, occasionally hilarious but often painfully stupid outer-space adventures. The way you feel about Monty Python will probably predict the way you feel about Hitchhiker's, and I find both to be supremely overrated by the nerd contingent.
That being said, Douglas Adams still writes a hell of a lot better than all his clones out there, s...more
That being said, Douglas Adams still writes a hell of a lot better than all his clones out there, s...more
May 07, 2008
Mary Elizabeth
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Mary Elizabeth by:
Everyone
I was quite afraid I wouldn't take to the book considering how many people close to me -- as well as at parties -- would rage, rage, RAGE at my never having read Hitchhiker's Guide. What would the fallout be? Would I be shanked at the next party I went to if, when asked about my liking of the book, I were to shrug? Oh, the anxiety!
But I'm happy to report I did like it.
A lot, too, once the sperm whale and petunia chapter came up, and then all the more when the old world builder (or award-winnin...more
But I'm happy to report I did like it.
A lot, too, once the sperm whale and petunia chapter came up, and then all the more when the old world builder (or award-winnin...more
SF. I've been putting off reading this for a very long time as I was scared of it not being wonderful. It's such a big part of geek culture; what if I thought it was dumb?! But it wasn't. It was wonderful. It's like Monty Python and Kurt Vonnegut melted together and spread on toast -- crisp and tangy and a little bit ridiculous. Plus it turns out that a lot of what I like about Terry Pratchett is the same stuff that Adams does so well. If only someone had told me! Geeks, if you suffer from the s...more
Another classic. If you don't like this series, you probably put your babel fish in the wrong hole. You are the reason that human beings are only the third most intelligent species on earth behind mice and dolphins. So long, and thanks for all the fish!
This is not the best book ever written. It is unlikely to affect you on any deep emotional level and you probably won't spend sleepless nights just thinking about it.
But it's a simple, humourous sci-fi adventure. It won't do something for everybody but I'm a massive fan of Douglas Adams' and his sense of humour. Come on, like it or not, Adams' has some awesomely quotable sayings (not all of these are from this exact book):
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people...more
But it's a simple, humourous sci-fi adventure. It won't do something for everybody but I'm a massive fan of Douglas Adams' and his sense of humour. Come on, like it or not, Adams' has some awesomely quotable sayings (not all of these are from this exact book):
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people...more
THIS REVIEW IS SOLELY FOR CELEBRITY DEATH MATCH
In the darkened interior of a spaceship, there is a creepy silence punctuated by the occasional moan and an insane giggling. Through the door to the deck of the spaceship, two small heads appear. They appear to belong to a little pig and a small bear.
The little pig slips his hand into that of the small bear’s.
“What is it, Piglet?”
“N-n-nothing… I just wanted to be sure of you, Pooh,” replies Piglet.
They step further into the gloomy space. Pooh h...more
In the darkened interior of a spaceship, there is a creepy silence punctuated by the occasional moan and an insane giggling. Through the door to the deck of the spaceship, two small heads appear. They appear to belong to a little pig and a small bear.
The little pig slips his hand into that of the small bear’s.
“What is it, Piglet?”
“N-n-nothing… I just wanted to be sure of you, Pooh,” replies Piglet.
They step further into the gloomy space. Pooh h...more
After all these years, I'm proud to say I'm finally a woman who knows where her towel is.
This book should get 4 1/2 stars, but that's not an option here. It's been around forever, but I always ignored it because I don't generally like sci-fi. I gave it a try because it's in "1001 Books."
What a treat! Silly, smart, satirical, and just a good healthy overdose of pure fun. Can't wait to read it again, which is saying a lot. I rarely re-read books, but this one will make a great traveling companion...more
This book should get 4 1/2 stars, but that's not an option here. It's been around forever, but I always ignored it because I don't generally like sci-fi. I gave it a try because it's in "1001 Books."
What a treat! Silly, smart, satirical, and just a good healthy overdose of pure fun. Can't wait to read it again, which is saying a lot. I rarely re-read books, but this one will make a great traveling companion...more
May 04, 2012
Stacey (prettybooks)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Stacey by:
thereadables and booksandquills
When I said I was going to read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I received a lot of surprised looks. It's probably safe to say that it’s not something I’d ever usually consider reading. So why did I? Firstly because two of my favourite book vloggers, The Readables & Books and Quills, had either read it or were reading it, and I trust their judgement. Secondly, it was only 99p (less than $1) on Amazon. And lastly, because it worked perfectly for my 2012 Classics Challenge (i.e. to read...more
Jan 12, 2010
Namratha Kumar
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
full-fledged-novel,
light-relief,
satire,
sci-fi,
classics,
books-i-love-gollum-style
It’s true what they say... You pick up
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
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...more
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...more
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 o...more
If I remember right, this happened to me freshman year o...more
Jan 06, 2012
Emanuela
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
narrativa-straniera,
sci-fi
Negli anni settanta c'era una certa abitudine a fare l'autostop, come si dice: erano altri tempi. Si incontravano spesso ragazzi e ragazze con il pollice fuori o il cartello che indicava la direzione desiderata.
Io allora ero teenager e con una mia amica, nell'estate del '73, ci siamo fatte scarrozzare in giro per l'Italia chiedendo passaggi, viaggiando su auto, camion e a volte facendo lunghi percorsi a piedi. La cosa non ci spaventava più di tanto perché così facevan tutti e lo stesso Bob Dyla...more
Io allora ero teenager e con una mia amica, nell'estate del '73, ci siamo fatte scarrozzare in giro per l'Italia chiedendo passaggi, viaggiando su auto, camion e a volte facendo lunghi percorsi a piedi. La cosa non ci spaventava più di tanto perché così facevan tutti e lo stesso Bob Dyla...more
Aug 28, 2007
Lorenzo
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british,
aaa-my-library
Dear Isaac, Ray and Philip K,
don't you think you're taking your job a bit too much seriously? Please, relax for a while.
Listen, I've got this book called "The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy" to suggest you. Though I'm not sure you will appreciate it I think you should have a look at it.
You will discover a new planet called sense of humour.
Universally yours,
Lorenzo
don't you think you're taking your job a bit too much seriously? Please, relax for a while.
Listen, I've got this book called "The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy" to suggest you. Though I'm not sure you will appreciate it I think you should have a look at it.
You will discover a new planet called sense of humour.
Universally yours,
Lorenzo
Jun 02, 2008
Melina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who needs a good laugh
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.
Q: What's so bad about being drunk?
A: Just ask a glass of water.
ahhh, good times.
Apr 01, 2008
Carole
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-childhood-college
I hated this book. It was required in one of my English Lit. classes in college. The time spent reading this book is time that I will never get back. I think this book may have shortened my life; it was such a waste of time.
I'd resisted this book for years, partly because I'd already heard the radio dramatization 20 years ago, but also because I tend to avoid anything that smacks of nerdy cultic chic. Or sci-fi.
But I picked it up on a whim at the bookstore yesterday -- the price was right: $1 -- began reading and was hooked instantly by Adams' delightfully impish wit and the simple, uncluttered effervescence of his writing --- and the thing reads with the paciness of one of his hyperspace craft. And even though sci...more
But I picked it up on a whim at the bookstore yesterday -- the price was right: $1 -- began reading and was hooked instantly by Adams' delightfully impish wit and the simple, uncluttered effervescence of his writing --- and the thing reads with the paciness of one of his hyperspace craft. And even though sci...more
Original post at One More Page
When I was new with my current job, one of my colleagues told me about his favorite book, one that, according to him, made him laugh like a crazy loon by himself. I didn't really take note of it, since our reading genres were very different, and even when he lent me a copy of the book, I still didn't give much thought about it. When I first met my new friends at the book club, I saw one of them carry this big black book that looks like a dictionary...or a Bible, eve...more
When I was new with my current job, one of my colleagues told me about his favorite book, one that, according to him, made him laugh like a crazy loon by himself. I didn't really take note of it, since our reading genres were very different, and even when he lent me a copy of the book, I still didn't give much thought about it. When I first met my new friends at the book club, I saw one of them carry this big black book that looks like a dictionary...or a Bible, eve...more
Mar 13, 2010
Tim
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
highly-recommended,
fiction
I suppose from a limited base one couldn't suggest that this was the best book ever written. There are so many books out there, so many genres, but if I had had this as a set work at school I think that the sixth form would have been a whole lot more fun than reading Chaucer and Shakespeare
Definitely in my top ten of all time, a wonderful, irreverent, witty book of superb wordsmithing. Providing us all with quotes to last a lifetime. Been there, done that got the T shirt translates here to "re...more
Jan 28, 2008
John Wiswell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Humor readers, sci fi readers, people in need of a laugh
Douglas Adams' adaptation of his own BBC radio series was a smash hit, and remains one of my favorite novels. Where long introductions were unusual on radio, here they could be extended to whole chapters for his own amusement, and always to the same amusement in his readers. He also added a lot of new wordplay and literary nuance, which led many to mistake this for the original work and the radio show to be the spinoff. But from the destruction of a house, to the destruction of the earth, to the...more
Mostly harmless. That’s the entirety of the entry for Earth in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Of course, it hardly matters now, since Earth was destroyed half an hour ago to make way for a hyperspace express route. Now Arthur Dent is stuck on a stolen spaceship with the two-headed, three-armed President of the Universe, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and the girl he stole from right under Arthur’s nose. Arthur Dent is having a very bad day—and that’s even before he has to deal with the hypochondriac,...more
I absolutely HATED this book. I usually read books before seeing the movie when it's released in theaters, and so I read this book. If there was a point in all his rambling disguised as prose, I missed it. Don't waste your time reading this book. And if possible, the movie was worse.
I read about 150 of 215 pages of this book, and couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I didn't find it funny, and decided to start another book I actually enjoyed reading than to plow through the end of it.
A Reader’s Guide to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Step One: Don’t Panic
Within the first 30 or so pages of this book, the planet will be blown to smithereens and you, gentle reader, will be hurtling through space alongside the zaniest group of characters this side of Alpha Centauri. The plot is not exactly fueled by logic and reason so it can be a bit disconcerting for newcomers. The important thing is to relax and enjoy the ride. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy isn’t beloved for its i...more
Step One: Don’t Panic
Within the first 30 or so pages of this book, the planet will be blown to smithereens and you, gentle reader, will be hurtling through space alongside the zaniest group of characters this side of Alpha Centauri. The plot is not exactly fueled by logic and reason so it can be a bit disconcerting for newcomers. The important thing is to relax and enjoy the ride. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy isn’t beloved for its i...more
The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is in a class all by itself. I have never read anything like it, and for that reason alone I recommend it. A science fiction comedy, it’s about a man’s adventures after being taken from earth by an alien. Not being a big fan of science fiction, I can say that it’s an easy read comparitively when looking at other typical science fiction. I loved the humor and sarcastic wit of the characters and the pure silliness of it. I usually have a hard ti...more
Jan 30, 2012
Kelanth, numquam risit ubi dracones vivunt
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Ho sempre amato la fantascienza, è un genere che mi ha appassionato fin da bambino insieme al fantasy, oggi è difficile trovare dei buoni libri di Science Finction, Asimov rimarrà per sempre un maestro insuperato e un po' come il fantasy dopo aver letto Tolkien sembra tutto stantio.
Questo libro però, badate bene, non è solo fantascienza: filosofia, teologia e tantissima comicità mescolate insieme, con un ritmo da grandissimo romanziere. Decisamente...un capolavoro. Personaggi come Zaphod Beebleb...more
Questo libro però, badate bene, non è solo fantascienza: filosofia, teologia e tantissima comicità mescolate insieme, con un ritmo da grandissimo romanziere. Decisamente...un capolavoro. Personaggi come Zaphod Beebleb...more
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Douglas Noël Adams was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. He is best known as the author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Hitchhiker's began on radio, and developed into a "trilogy" of five books (which sold more than fifteen million copies during his lifetime) as well as a television series, a comic book series, a computer game, and a feature film that was comp...more
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“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.”
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“Don't Panic.”
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