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Life, the Universe and Everything
by Douglas Adams
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Read in March, 1987
recommends it for:
Fans of the truly absurd!
WARNING: Eddies in the space-time continuum.
And so is his sofa!
The third of the four books in Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker Trilogy", "Life, the Universe and Everything" takes the reader - and the Chesterfield sofa - on a continuum of nonstop madness, as Earthman Arthur Dent and his Betelguesian neighbor Ford Prefect, stranded two million years in Earth's past, hitch a ride on the Chesterfield and materialize in the middle of a match at Lord's Cricket Ground in modern-day...more
And so is his sofa!
The third of the four books in Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker Trilogy", "Life, the Universe and Everything" takes the reader - and the Chesterfield sofa - on a continuum of nonstop madness, as Earthman Arthur Dent and his Betelguesian neighbor Ford Prefect, stranded two million years in Earth's past, hitch a ride on the Chesterfield and materialize in the middle of a match at Lord's Cricket Ground in modern-day...more
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The third and my favourite Hitch Hikers novel reunites Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Marvin the Paranoid Android, Trillian and Zaphod Beeblebrox with Slartibartfast and finally explains why the galaxy allowed the Earth to be destroyed. It turned out that although allot of people had a vested interest in the destruction of the Earth it was our glorification of the Krikket wars by creating a game as insensitive as Cricket that no-one could stomach.
This would be fine except eddies in the space tim...more
This would be fine except eddies in the space tim...more
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Read in July, 2008
I got this one on audio-disk for our driving pleasure over the July 4th holiday. (We had listened to "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" in May.) I've read it before, quite a few times, over the past two decades, and it's one of my favorites. Funny, clever, whimsical, smart, and genuinely original.
Arthur is still wandering about the Universe, just as confused as ever, but being a fairly good sport about it. He learns to fly ("the knack to learning to fly is to throw yo...more
Arthur is still wandering about the Universe, just as confused as ever, but being a fairly good sport about it. He learns to fly ("the knack to learning to fly is to throw yo...more
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Read in August, 2007
Third book in the Hitchhiker "trilogy."
The inhabitants of planet Krikkit find out that they are not alone in the universe and so they plan to destroy everyone who is not them. Our heroes (Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Slartibartfast, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Trillian) must try to save the universe from the white killer robots of Krikkit.
A few of my favorite parts: Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, who is on a quest to personally insult every individual in the Universe - in a...more
The inhabitants of planet Krikkit find out that they are not alone in the universe and so they plan to destroy everyone who is not them. Our heroes (Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Slartibartfast, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Trillian) must try to save the universe from the white killer robots of Krikkit.
A few of my favorite parts: Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, who is on a quest to personally insult every individual in the Universe - in a...more
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Read in March, 2008
A step up from "Restaurant" this book has a little more going for it. A new story line, and one that does not rely (as much) on a repetition of the standard events and phrases.
Adams' penchant for tying the absurdity of sci-fi with the immediacy of modern life hits a high point here. Particular the world of Krikkit, which seems pleasent enough, except for it's homocidal tendencies. And it's merry music which, Adams notes in a running joke, could help Paul McCartney rule the galaxy. ...more
Adams' penchant for tying the absurdity of sci-fi with the immediacy of modern life hits a high point here. Particular the world of Krikkit, which seems pleasent enough, except for it's homocidal tendencies. And it's merry music which, Adams notes in a running joke, could help Paul McCartney rule the galaxy. ...more
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Yay, hitchhikers! Actually, this is my favorite book from the series.
"The point is, you see, there's no point in driving yourself mad by trying to keep yourself from going mad. You might as well give in and save your sanity for later."
"'I thought I was a lemon for a couple of weeks. I kept myself amused all that time by jumping in and out of a gin and tonic.'
'Where did you...'
'Find a gin and tonic?' said Ford, 'I found a small lake that thought it was a gin and tonic. A...more
"The point is, you see, there's no point in driving yourself mad by trying to keep yourself from going mad. You might as well give in and save your sanity for later."
"'I thought I was a lemon for a couple of weeks. I kept myself amused all that time by jumping in and out of a gin and tonic.'
'Where did you...'
'Find a gin and tonic?' said Ford, 'I found a small lake that thought it was a gin and tonic. A...more
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Much more of a solid plot than the other books, which feels odd, because it's not what you expect from Douglas Adams, but still the same great humor and odd ideas.
Very funny to see ARthur, Ford and company in a more traditional space opera type story as the are really the last people you'd expect to be able to save the universe, but Douglas makes it work.
Love the space ship that looks like an Italian bistro, Arthur's fight with Thor, the fact that Trillian gets to actually do something, th...more
Very funny to see ARthur, Ford and company in a more traditional space opera type story as the are really the last people you'd expect to be able to save the universe, but Douglas makes it work.
Love the space ship that looks like an Italian bistro, Arthur's fight with Thor, the fact that Trillian gets to actually do something, th...more
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Read in February, 2008
I thought that the book Life, the Universe, and Everything was very good. Its the third book in the Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide series and that is what made me decide to read the book. As alway the book was extremely funny and illustrated a very comical view on our universe. I love some of Douglas Adams' views on our universe and what could happen. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes funny books and/or enjoys the mysteries ...more
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Another Mis-adventure of Arthur Dent and the insanity of the World of The Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy strikes again! As with the previous two books, you will be scratching your head as to what is going on--so as usual we must sympathize with Arther, who, like us, is mostly confused. After that though, it gets good. As always the limitless irony and quirky characters bring loads of laughter to me. Not for those who seek enlightenment at anything but the goofiness of people.
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Read in May, 2008
Not quite as good as the first two books in the series. I felt like the author got to the end of book 2 and didn't quite have enough to fill another book, so just started making up extra plot lines.
In true Hitchhiker's fashion, the best parts are tangents, such as the Recreational Impossibilities chapter, or only slightly connected to the plot, such as the encounter with Aragak, the reincarnated being who just happens to be every animal ever killed by Arthur Dent.
In true Hitchhiker's fashion, the best parts are tangents, such as the Recreational Impossibilities chapter, or only slightly connected to the plot, such as the encounter with Aragak, the reincarnated being who just happens to be every animal ever killed by Arthur Dent.
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E é aqui que começamos a decair.
Adams não queria mais escrever essa série, está estampado nas letras impressas deste livro. Ele estava escrevendo por pura pressão da editora maldita.
O livro é tão bom quanto pois acho que o sarcasmo estava marcado em qualquer coisa que Adams fosse escrever em sua vida, mas não é a mesma coisa. Está desmotivado, mais paradão e você tem que se esforçar um pouco mais pra achar graça de algo.
Adams não queria mais escrever essa série, está estampado nas letras impressas deste livro. Ele estava escrevendo por pura pressão da editora maldita.
O livro é tão bom quanto pois acho que o sarcasmo estava marcado em qualquer coisa que Adams fosse escrever em sua vida, mas não é a mesma coisa. Está desmotivado, mais paradão e você tem que se esforçar um pouco mais pra achar graça de algo.
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Read in November, 2007
This is a one evening read - light fair, perfect to get carried away to a different universe (or two), very amusing, and the plot is intricate enough to keep up the suspense (even on the second read). Douglas definitly created his own worlds out there, whose details I appreciated more on this second read (not being quite distracted anymore by the search for the meaning of life...).
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Read in March, 2006
I love Douglas Adams' books.. They are SO RANDOM, which is my kind of funny, so I found them hilarious! They contain a lot of spaceship/science talk which for the most part doesn't make sense, but if you have any background in physics and can understand what he's implying, it makes it all the funnier. But no matter your background, you will finish with a big fat "WHAT THE...??"
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Read in January, 1990
The "Hitchhiker's" saga drags on in this book. Too bad it didn't carry on with the strength of the first, but admittedly, that would be asking a lot. However, I can't find much excuse for the drawn-out chapters with Dent floating above the countryside listening to Dire Straits. I think Adams was doing some serious drugs when he wrote this one.
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Read in April, 2008
Quite a big disappointment after the first two in the series. The first three chapters of this book are VERY funny. After that the book falls apart. It's so cluttered it's hard to keep track of any kind of storyline, and it's not funny at all.
Oh well, I'm already on to the fourth one, which is better already.
Oh well, I'm already on to the fourth one, which is better already.
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I love the description of flying...
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say about flying. There is a knack, it says, to flying. The knack lies in learning how to through yourself at the ground and miss."
This is also the book where you find out WHY the pot of petunias said, "oh no, no again".
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say about flying. There is a knack, it says, to flying. The knack lies in learning how to through yourself at the ground and miss."
This is also the book where you find out WHY the pot of petunias said, "oh no, no again".
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Read in January, 2004
Adams showed that aside from being funny, he can also be very philosophical. this book, as the title implies makes you question about your life, the universe and everything. of course, you can still catch yourself with laughing with bits and pieces of your brain with his comedy.
ranee
ranee
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This one gets three stars (as opposed to vol.1's 5 and vol.2's 4 stars) b/c although i'm sure it was brilliant in all its ecentricities, it got to a point where I couldnt quite follow it anymore (and it was overdue at the library). But, at some point I'd like to try another stab at it.
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Read in January, 2006
I was a bit lost. I think these books/movies are over my head or something. I actually checked this out to listen to thinking it was the book the movie was based on so maybe I could understand the movie a bit more.. but, nope, it was, I think, the sequel to the first book....
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Read in January, 2004
I read the first three books of the Hitchhiker series over twenty years ago, and loaned my copies to everyone I knew until I finally lost track of them. My husband gifted me with new copies a few years ago, and when I re-read them I still loved them just as much.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.07 (6833 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.08 (5502 ratings) number of reviews: 113popular shelves
other editions
quote
"'I have detected disturbances in the wash.'
'The wash?'
'The space-time wash.'
'Are we talking about some sort of Vogon laundromat, or what are we talking about?'
'Eddies in the space-time continuum.'
'Ah...is he. Is he.'
'What?'
'Er, who is Eddy, then, exactly?'"
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