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34th out of 257 books
—
445 voters
The Dirk Gently Omnibus (Dirk Gently #1-2 omnibus)
Dirk Gently is a detective - well, a sort of detective. There is a long and honourable tradition of great detectives and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. Sherlock Holmes observed that once you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Dirk Gently, however, does not like to eliminate the impossible.In Dirk Gently's Holis...more
Hardcover, 512 pages
Published
August 2nd 2001
by William Heinemann
(first published 1987)
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Jun 04, 2007
Mont'ster
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of silly SF / fantasy
It is a real shame that Mr Adams has stopped writing. Owing to his abscense of a belief in the afterlife, we cannot, in all probability, expect any future Douglas Adams novels; but this is a natural consequence of the fact that he is now, in fact, quite dead. But his books are still very funny and, if you run across it cheap, you should get a copy of him reading his books.
This was just about the most random book I have ever read. In short, pretty much exactly like Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Four Parts.
I thought the first story, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, was a lot more linear and easy to follow than the the second, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.
They both had some excellent lines, and Adams' trademark humor and witticisms are present in both, but just in terms of reading a story that I could actually follow? Infi...more
I thought the first story, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, was a lot more linear and easy to follow than the the second, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.
They both had some excellent lines, and Adams' trademark humor and witticisms are present in both, but just in terms of reading a story that I could actually follow? Infi...more
This omnibus consists of two stories centered on the holistic detective Dirk Gently. The first of these involves an electric monk: a labour saving device designed to believe things so that humans can get on with living. It also involves time travel, a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (beautifully intertwined into the narrative in Chapter 6. Of the two stories this is definitely the better one, with more humour and better writing: it was hard to put down. However, the there was a nagging sensation...more
Dirk Gently is a detective, but not some ordinary detective. He seeks answers in the fact that things are con nected with each other in an almost unexplainable way, a metaphysical way, or as Dirk says it: in an holistic way. So try to explain how these following components fit together in one story: a missing cat, two ghosts, a dodo, an Electric Monk, a professor, an ex university student, a greedy detective, detecting and triangulating vectors of interconnectedness of all things and the saving...more
Dirk Gently is a detective - well, a sort of detective. There is a long and honourable tradition of great detectives and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. Sherlock Holmes observed that once you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Dirk Gently, however, does not like to eliminate the impossible.In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency a simple search for a missing cat reveals two ghosts, a dodo, an Electric Monk, the devastating secret t...more
"Why haven't I heard of this book before? I mean, he's written Hitchhiker's!" You may have asked yourself this question before, and the answer is because this book isn't within the same league as THHGTTG. It's not even within the same solar system (I know they're different units of measurement, but you know what I mean) the main point is that the two Dirk Gently books are a huge letdown.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is largely forgettable sluiced with vague annoyance and a strong urge...more
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is largely forgettable sluiced with vague annoyance and a strong urge...more
Dirk Gently ... what can I say about Dirk Gently ... well, to be honest, I read this book only because it was written by Douglas Adams. As a huge fan of h2g2, I was expecting something awesome.
What I got was ... okay. Not awesome, perhaps great, definitely okay. There are aspects of Dirk Gently that I find appealing. I enjoyed the geometric conundrum of the sofa, and the Electric Monk, but found other parts a little too bizarre to be enjoyable.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course...more
What I got was ... okay. Not awesome, perhaps great, definitely okay. There are aspects of Dirk Gently that I find appealing. I enjoyed the geometric conundrum of the sofa, and the Electric Monk, but found other parts a little too bizarre to be enjoyable.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course...more
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.
Aug 03, 2011
Kylie
added it
Love love love. :D I found I liked the storyline of the first book the most, but the technical language (real or not) was at times a bit off-putting. I can't help but wish that Adams had been able to write more of the series, but hopefully the BBC might take up the gauntlet since they did so well with their adaptation.
I am methodically listening to audiobooks from A-z at my library and this happened to be the first one. To be fair though it was only the audiobook of the Dark Tea Time of the Soul.
It turned out to be exactly what I expected, lots of zany but hilarious non-sensical stuff. Just like all of Douglas Adams books.
It turned out to be exactly what I expected, lots of zany but hilarious non-sensical stuff. Just like all of Douglas Adams books.
Книгата ме остави неудолетворен. Всякаш някой е взел голяма ножица и я е отрязал на половина - всичките герой си остават висящи във въздуха и въпреки опцията "сам да си представя какво ще стане", предпочитам тези версии на героите да бъдат довършени от техният родител.
Includes the two books about Dirk Gently; Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency & The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul. As a true Douglas Adams fan you simply can't live without them, they tell you everything you need to know about life - and more...
This omnibus contains the stories Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (DGHDA) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (TLDTTOTS).
I really liked the DGHDA, which I read years before (probably shortly after reading THGTTG), but Dirk's other adventure turned out as quite a disappointment to me. Where the one was truly absurd, the other felt somewhat.. cheap. Absurdity (as all writing) needs proper thougt before being put to paper. TLDTTOTS sometimes seemed to lack it.
Then again, perhaps my tas...more
I really liked the DGHDA, which I read years before (probably shortly after reading THGTTG), but Dirk's other adventure turned out as quite a disappointment to me. Where the one was truly absurd, the other felt somewhat.. cheap. Absurdity (as all writing) needs proper thougt before being put to paper. TLDTTOTS sometimes seemed to lack it.
Then again, perhaps my tas...more
I've read the Dirk Gently books several times, but not for years, so it was fun to rediscover the absurd, hilarious madness. Adams' wit, insight, and imagination will always have an effect on me, no matter how many rereadings.
Very funny! These are good books to have around if you need some light reading. I knew someone who was depressed from reading too much heavy philosophy in college, so I lent him these books. He was laughing out loud soon after.
Wonderful stuff. Even more weird that Hitchhiker, if that is possible. Love Thor roaming around with a coco-cola vending machine under his arm.
I have read this series so many times and to this day it is still one of the flat out most
hilarious things ever written. Douglas Adams best work.
hilarious things ever written. Douglas Adams best work.
Again, one I've read many times. Douglas Adams's ideas of how life and the universe work cheer me up every time. Just hope he's right!
Nov 01, 2012
Afshan
added it
Funny and insane...the signature style of Douglas Adams...its sad that he won't write again... so good lended to us for such a short time...
Eclectic pulp detective style novels written by a sci-fi comedic writer
I did not enjoy this book as I found it boring.
I really loved it! Both stories are entertaining. It was just a very fun book to read.
Jul 02, 2010
Jessie
is currently reading it
love, true love.
Only slightly less brilliant than "Hitchhikers Guide"!
Apr 23, 2009
Johnanthony
added it
Fiction
.
Is it possible that it's even funnier the fifth time through?
Absurd, not the best of plots, but still very enjoyable
Being a massive hitchhiker's fan, I was all set to love the Dirk Gently books. They were random and the concept was interesting, but I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed.
A classic Douglas Adams work. Multiple plots intertwine and come together, developing into a robust story that entertains and surprises. Slow start, but good fun.
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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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