Mostly Harmless
by Douglas Adams
published
October 5th 1992
(first published 1993)
by Trafalgar Square
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binding
Hardcover, 224 pages
isbn
0434009261
(isbn13: 9780434009268)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4909)
Read in January, 1995
The fifth of the wildly acclaimed trilogy. Well, as a standalone, and seriously, even as part of the trilogy, this book was rather unecessary. Actually, I think I take that back - as a part of the trilogy it was completely unecessary but as a standalone, it wasn't all that bad. Now, as a whole, the trilogy was pretty far out there every now and then and almost derailed itself a couple times, mostly in So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, but I think that book saved itself and the trilo...more
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Some eight years after writing the fourth Hitch Hiker book Douglas Adams returns to his most famous creation after composing two Dirk Gently novels and travelling to Madagascar to write amusing lines about Limas with Mostly Harmless, the fifth book in the increasing misrepresented Hitch Hiker trilogy.
Arthur was travelling through all the possible, if improbable, dimensions to find an Earth to settle on since Fenny disappeared in hyperspace before crash landing on the world of Bog where he fo...more
Arthur was travelling through all the possible, if improbable, dimensions to find an Earth to settle on since Fenny disappeared in hyperspace before crash landing on the world of Bog where he fo...more
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Read in January, 1992
recommends it for:
Douglas Adams fans
Mostly Harmless was, for many people, a disappointing end to a fantastic series. Adams admitted that he was having a "bad year" when he wrote this book, and it shows: the usual humor and manic pacing are largely gone, replaced by long tracts about actual theoretical science (as opposed to the lunatic-inspired science that created, say, the starship Bistromath), and the tone overall is far darker and more depressive. There are still glimpses of Adams' comedic genius, but ...more
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Read in May, 2008
Starting off a bit too divergent in time and space, and rounding up the few remaining main characters for one last adventure, it would seem that Douglas Adam is straining to be glib about the ineffable laws of the universe. Or rather the many universes we may or may not be aware of, preferring to call it some sort of Mish Mash. Yet halfway through this novel, we can see that every sidestep and meander is in the service of a plot that is as straight and piercing as Time's arrow. Arthur Dent ge...more
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Read in June, 2008
This was good, almost as good as the first one in the series. It had some very good humorous bits and was overall an enjoyable read. However, I'm left with two questions still (STOP reading if you don't like anything that seems remotely like a spoiler!):
1. What happened to Zaphod? Other than he got blasted off into some random space capsule with some government-official-types in the interim short story. I was expecting him to make a return. Oh well.
2. What was the question? You...more
1. What happened to Zaphod? Other than he got blasted off into some random space capsule with some government-official-types in the interim short story. I was expecting him to make a return. Oh well.
2. What was the question? You...more
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Read in January, 1992
recommends it for:
Douglas Adams fans who have read the rest of Hitch Hikers
In 1992 Douglas Adams released the fifth entry in what was, by his own admission the increasingly inaccurately titled Hitch Hikers trilogy.
Unfortunately it felt at the time like it was written with the intention of bringing the story arc to a close so that people would stop asking him to write another darn book. At its end 'Mostly Harmless' does the inverse of so many Hollywood block busters. Instead of setting up an obvious lead into a sequel the book sets about destroying any possi...more
Unfortunately it felt at the time like it was written with the intention of bringing the story arc to a close so that people would stop asking him to write another darn book. At its end 'Mostly Harmless' does the inverse of so many Hollywood block busters. Instead of setting up an obvious lead into a sequel the book sets about destroying any possi...more
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Read in January, 2005
Old blog...
I have been saving the last book of the Hitchhiker's Guide series as a treat for myself. I own the "Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide", which has all five books. And even though they are wildly entertaining, I was afraid I might ruin the magic by reading them all in a row. So since the books I put on hold had not come into the library yet, I busted this book out to read while proctoring the medical student final exam last Friday. (5 hours in a room with people taking a tes...more
I have been saving the last book of the Hitchhiker's Guide series as a treat for myself. I own the "Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide", which has all five books. And even though they are wildly entertaining, I was afraid I might ruin the magic by reading them all in a row. So since the books I put on hold had not come into the library yet, I busted this book out to read while proctoring the medical student final exam last Friday. (5 hours in a room with people taking a tes...more
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If you're gotten to book 5 of the trilogy, presumably you are a fan and really dig the quirky universe that Douglas Adams has created for you. If that's so, I strongly suggest that you stop at book 4, because Mostly Harmless presents a haphazard and dismal end to all our beloved characters and to anything fun and inspiring about that universe. It will probably depress you. Personally I was just stunned at the ending, like suddenly getting smacked with a dead fish, and the scattering of enjoya...more
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To date the most subversive book on science and philosophy I've ever read. At the end you're wondering what the hell happened and maybe you walk around for a while after thinking it over and being all "Man I can't believe that was the ending!" Then maybe years later you walk past a radio playing an interview with Michio Kako or Brian Greene who are talking about strange quark matter and superstring. You go, "yeah, yeah the First Fundamental Law of Probability."
"Wa...more
"Wa...more
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Read in January, 2008
"This is that thing you call sarcasm right?" I love the conversations between Author and Ford. Its always this amusing babble.
I really enjoyed is book and looking back over the whole series it was a great read. Yes it had it's down times but as a whole it was well done. It will definitely be a reread for me sometime in the future. And I do highly recommend it to anyone.
So thats what happened to Elvis? We have aliens who forget who they are, everything about themselves but who l...more
I really enjoyed is book and looking back over the whole series it was a great read. Yes it had it's down times but as a whole it was well done. It will definitely be a reread for me sometime in the future. And I do highly recommend it to anyone.
So thats what happened to Elvis? We have aliens who forget who they are, everything about themselves but who l...more
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Read in January, 1998
I found that as I progressed through the hitchhiker novels they became decreasingly funny. Such was the case with Mostly Harmless. What had been rib-cracking laughter during the first novel was reduced to mere chuckles by the fifth. I have wondered if it was simply because after five successive installments Adam's humor (despite his clever use of language) becomes a bit predictable. Or it might be that, in the end, nihilism (even comedic nihilism) really is just too bleak and emotionally numbin...more
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Read in August, 1997
Mostly Harmless is the fifth book of the Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy, and as such, it's worth reading. However, in many ways I think that its title is a little too apt.
This is my least favourite Hitchhiker book, because it left me slightly depressed by both its storyline and its position as the final book of the trilogy. Even so, it has sequences that are too funny to be missed, most notably the story of (and our hero Arthur's confusion about) the King. Furthermore, it answers questions and cla...more
This is my least favourite Hitchhiker book, because it left me slightly depressed by both its storyline and its position as the final book of the trilogy. Even so, it has sequences that are too funny to be missed, most notably the story of (and our hero Arthur's confusion about) the King. Furthermore, it answers questions and cla...more
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Read in September, 2008
Absolute dribble! What a disappointment! What happened to Adam's witt and humor. This book is nothing more than a random collection of abstract thoughts and a blatant attempt to blow your mind with over-the-top randomness. The story is completely uninteresting and impossible to follow. With Arthur hopping around the Universe trying to find himself, and Ford's billion page long battle with the Hitchiker's Guide corporate office robots, I had to force myself not to throw the book away without...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommended to Tay by:
ninth gradersrecommends it for: people who like sci fi books
This book is about the planet earth getting attacked by aliens, and this guy named adam was attacked. The aliens stole his wife and he has to fight to save his wife and his daughters. I thought this book is an ok book. I liked how the author used descriptive words to give you a big picture. I disliked the ending i thought it was a stupid ending. The expectations were alright. I really didnt expect more than action in this book. My favorite part of this book was when the aliens attacked and took ...more
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Read in March, 2008
It's been a good 20 years since I read the first four Hitchhikers books, which I loved. This one felt very different. The wackiness and comic invention has been toned down, and in its place is a very English strain of wistful melancholy. The plot makes a certain kind of sense if you think about it, although it's not what I would call satisfying. There are a couple of laugh out loud moments, but the overall feeling is one of sadness. Interesting...
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Blechh! Worst. Ending. Ever! I've heard that Douglas Adams wrote this book during a bad time in his life (hey, we all have 'em), but this book more or less stinks. I have chosen to forget that this book was ever written, and that the series ended on a definite high note with "So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish". Those of you who have not had your minds poisoned with this bit of tripe would do well to skip it altogether.
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Read in October, 2008
recommended to █▓▒░▒▓█Eric█▓▒░▒▓█ by:
"So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish"recommends it for: those who read "So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish"
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Read in July, 1993
I'm a huge fan of Douglas Adams, and loved the first four books in the "trilogy". I was sorely disappointed by the fifth and final book in the series though. To me, it seemed like he was thinking "I'm sick of people whining for more Hitchhiker's books. I'll show them." The way the book ends is so...final. I understand Adams was going through a bad period when he wrote this book, and it shows. Don't bother with this one.
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Read in July, 2008
As a nerdy teen of the 80s I devoured the first three books and then ate them again and again until like a toddler on a candy binge my eyes began to bug out and my stomach threatened revolt. But I didn't like the fourth book, and college made me too pretentious to try the fifth, a condition I have been working hard to overcome ever since.
So, all that aside, I think this book was a great way to not only end the series, but obliterate it. There were passages that made me laugh out loud. I real...more
So, all that aside, I think this book was a great way to not only end the series, but obliterate it. There were passages that made me laugh out loud. I real...more
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It should've been named "Mostly Depressing." This alone changed the whole satiric tone of H2G2 into cynicism.
After four great books in an inspiring and wrongly-term trilogy, this book entered and stabbed all of them in the back.
Why, Douglas? Why?
The Salmon of Doubt provides the unsuspecting answer. DNA himself had turned into cynicism. Towards technology... and even life.
Okay, so it's your book. It's sti
After four great books in an inspiring and wrongly-term trilogy, this book entered and stabbed all of them in the back.
Why, Douglas? Why?
The Salmon of Doubt provides the unsuspecting answer. DNA himself had turned into cynicism. Towards technology... and even life.
Okay, so it's your book. It's sti
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