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The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

(Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #2)

Douglas Adams

4.22 · Rating details · 198,831 ratings · 4,704 reviews

In the beginning the universe was created...this made a lot of people angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

You decide.

Come along on a zany journey to the low-rent neighborhood of the Cosmos with earthling Arthur Dent, sexy space cadet Trillian, that imperturbable alien Ford Prefect and Zaphod Beebelbrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head Honcho of All Creatio ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 256 pages

Published October 1982 by Pocket Books (first published October 12th 1980)

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4.22 ·

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· 198,831 ratings · 4,704 reviews

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May 28, 2009 J.G. Keely rated it it was amazing

Shelves: humor, science-fiction, novel, reviewed, uk-and-ireland, space-opera

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 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 lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.

For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.

It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').

Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.

We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.

It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demnading the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.

It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it. ...more

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Dec 24, 2013 Henry Avila rated it really liked it

Captain Jeltz, our old, not so good friend, ( a callous butcher) from the previous book, is after the stolen spaceship, with the unlikely name,"Heart of Gold", again! On board are Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, and the ex -President of the Galaxy, the thief, Zaphod Beeblebrox ( nobody cares about Marvin, the annoying robot). The unsmiling captain likes killing, that's what he does best. The fugitive ship is just about to be no more, with the help of the cruel Vogan ( a bad poet too), and h Captain Jeltz, our old, not so good friend, ( a callous butcher) from the previous book, is after the stolen spaceship, with the unlikely name,"Heart of Gold", again! On board are Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, and the ex -President of the Galaxy, the thief, Zaphod Beeblebrox ( nobody cares about Marvin, the annoying robot). The unsmiling captain likes killing, that's what he does best. The fugitive ship is just about to be no more, with the help of the cruel Vogan ( a bad poet too), and his deadly spacecraft's weapons...The Heart of Gold's computer, is too busy making the perfect cup of tea, to defend the vessel.Thanks to the thirsty Mr.Dent, a man must have his beverage! The only bright side is, that the Englishman gets the best tea, he's ever had...With the crew, having only a few moments to live, the great- grandfather of Zaphod's, is someways, conjured up by Beeblebrox... He can't explain it either. Great -grandpa isn't very happy, observing the stupidity, of his great -grandson. Four generations and what a blockhead, it has produced. And an ill timed lecture, on his relative's shameful habits, complicates things. But blood is blood and with the desperate, nervous encouragement of the rest of the gang. He sends them in their merry, separate ways. Marvin and the former president, vanishing from the bridge. And the craft travels many light years away, from the rather dangerous, somewhat bleak situation. Zaphod materializes on distant, Ursa Minor Beta, a planet, where it's always a sunny, afternoon, along also, his not so fun but gloomy robot companion, Marvin, and "his" constant bad moods. Arriving in a bar, he's amazed, speechless, shocked, but the gentleman is no stranger to such an environment, and soon feels right at home (after a couple of good drinks). And on this world is the wonderful headquarters, of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Mr.Beeblebrox has an overpowering, mysterious urge, to see (he doesn't know why?), Mr.Zarniwoop, the editor. But there are problems, there always some, the sweet talking elevator, won't take them to the 15th floor. Even asks , if they wouldn't prefer going in the opposite direction, down. Strange behavior for this machine, some kind of premonition ? The reason becomes apparent soon after, an attack from the galaxy's forces, not happy with our former leader's actions. Despite the gallant efforts of Marvin's, they take the whole huge building, and transports it to the worst place, in the Milky Way, the Frogstar planet. What a dump! A voice tells him to come on down from the 15th floor...He does, very slowly, and enters a structure, on the dreary surface, that will what, kill him? Maybe or maybe not... He's hungry, slightly tired, and would prefer to be , in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, (Milliways) where they see the end of the universe show , ever night ( with a celebrity host ). Reasonable prices too, a great view of the entertainment, if you can get a good table, and join his friends for a few libations....The only heaven, that our not quite perfect hero knows. ...more

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Mar 15, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, science, fiction, humor

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #2), Douglas Adams
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980, ISBN 0-345-39181-0) is the second book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction "trilogy" by Douglas Adams, and is a sequel.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نهم ماه سپتامبر سال 2016 میلادی
عنوان: رستوران آخر جهان، کتاب دوم مجموعه ی پنج جلدی راهنمای کهکشان؛ نویسنده: داگلای آدامز؛ مترجم: آرش سرکوهی؛ تهران، نشر چشمه، 1395، در 217 ص؛ شابک: 978600 ...more

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Nov 17, 2015 Algernon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

There is theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

Arthur Dent and his companions went through some bizarre and inexplicable adventures after the Earth got blown to bits by Vogons in the opening sequence of the series. They were probably too close to making sense of their situ ...more

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Dec 11, 2015 Roy Lotz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels-novellas-short-stories

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, when he asked me for a book recommendation.

“Nothing too long,” he said. “Or too factual.”

My brain starting racing. Tolstoy? Much too long. Bill Bryson? Much too factual.

“The news?” I suggested.

“No, no,” he said. “A book.”

My mind kept racing through titles.

“Ah, I’ve got it!” I said finally. “Try The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. They are wholly remarkable books.”

This brief conversation encapsulates why I enjoy these books so much. They' ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 R.K. Gold rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Poor Marvin!
I’m glad our heroes are exploring space and time but poor Marvin!!!!

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Jul 11, 2017 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comedy, favorites, humor, sci-fi

Had I read this? I couldn't recall. I knew I'd seen the old tv version, but I wasn't sure I'd actually read the book, so I read it. And why not? It's a hell of a good book, and I'd do it again!

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is kind of the continuing adventures of Arthur Dent. Honestly, while he's a focal point of book one, he doesn't factor into the sequel as much. This is more about Zaphod Beeblebrox and Ford Perfect, as well as the kitchen sink's worth of whatever zany ideas Douglas ...more

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Nov 20, 2008 Manny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, well-i-think-its-funny, parody-homage, if-research-were-romance

"It must be nice," mused Ford Prefect thoughtfully, "to know what you're for. I don't have the slightest idea what I'm for. Most sentient beings don't. But you," he continued, turning to Arthur and Trillian. "You know. Part of finding the answer to the Ultimate Question. I'm sure that's comforting at times. "

"You mean the 42 business?" asked Arthur.

"What?" asked Zaphod's left head incredulously, while his right head rolled its eyes. "You mean you fell for that?!"

The rest of this review is avail ...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Emer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: it-amuses-me, 3stars, reviewed, read2017, scifi-fantasy-dystopian

"The Universe — some information to help you live in it.

1 - Area: Infinite.
The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy offers this definition of the word "Infinite".
Infinite: Bigger than the biggest thing ever and then some. Much bigger than that in fact, really amazingly immense, a totally stunning size, "wow, that's big", time. Infinity is just so big that by comparison, bigness itself looks really titchy. Gigantic multiplied by colossal multiplied by staggeringly huge is the sort of concept we're t

...more

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Aug 23, 2009 K.D. Absolutely rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006-2010); 501 Must Read Books

Shelves: 1001-core, 501, sci-fi, space-adventure, series

Better than the first book. This has more funny moments and I just found myself laughing out loud more than when I was reading the first book. I guess it was by design. Douglas Adams had to explain fully his milieu for the series. Since he did that in the first book, his characters now have the whole universe to play around for themselves. So, they just don't hop and hop from one planet to another but also in this one, enjoy a time travel. They went to a restaurant at the end of the universe. Pr Better than the first book. This has more funny moments and I just found myself laughing out loud more than when I was reading the first book. I guess it was by design. Douglas Adams had to explain fully his milieu for the series. Since he did that in the first book, his characters now have the whole universe to play around for themselves. So, they just don't hop and hop from one planet to another but also in this one, enjoy a time travel. They went to a restaurant at the end of the universe. Prior to my reading of this book, I thought that the restaurant is located at the end or the edge of the universe. But I was fascinated to learn that while eating steak (from the meat of a talking animal), you could watch the end or the death of the universe. Sorry for the spoiler but it's found in the first half of the book and there are other more interesting scenes in the second part and you have to read the book and experience for yourself how is it to be dining and watching the end of yourself. Very clever imagination.

I reason why I read this after the first book was that I'd like to find out what was the Ultimate Question for the Ultimate Answer that was "42." However, it seemed the Adams was deliberately delaying it as it was only in the second part where it was brought up and he did not even give any hints. So, after reading this book, I looked from the third book but I could not locate it. So, I am now reading the fourth book and since its title is Song Long and Thanks for All the Fish, I hope to already know what the Ultimate Question is.

Again, I am not really a big sci-fi fan so I understand if you find this book more enjoyable and rated this with more than 3 stars. However, I agree with you that this book is good: talking insect as receptionist, elevator refusing to come up, animal talking to you prior to being butchered so you can buy and eat its meat, restaurant at the end of the universe, etc. They are all cleverly thought of that not too many of writers would be able to put them in one book and make people laugh. Really, unbelievable.

On to the 4th book. ...more

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Nov 02, 2013 seak rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

I'm absolutely astounded at how quotable this book is. It's no wonder Douglas Adams suffered from writers block because just about every line in the entire book (and previous book, and probably subsequent books), is perfectly crafted to bring about a chuckle.

In this second book of the trilogy of five (which is now 6 I'm told), our crew of Beeblebrox, Arthur, Trillian, Ford Prefect, and of course the loveable Melvin the depressed robot, has to find the man behind the power, the ruler of the enti ...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Lyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Douglas Adams’ hilarious chronicle of Zaphod, Ford, Trillion, Arthur – and Marvin the Paranoid Android keeps a’ rollin’ in this 1980 sequel to his epochal The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Center stage is Adams’ brilliant humor and he continues on with more explorations of his magnificent world building.

We are introduced to Hotblack Desiato and Disaster Area, one of my favorite characters from when I read this the first time decades ago. Disaster Area is the most successful rock band of all t ...more

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Mar 23, 2018 Melindam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: humour, science-fiction, uno-2018

“The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question 'How can we eat?' the second by the question 'Why do we eat?' and the third by the question 'Where shall we have lunch?”

In which installment we learn that tea is a most dangerous beverage....

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Nov 24, 2009 Benjamin Duffy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, fantasy-sci-fi

Back in junior high school, when I was being bussed 30 miles each way to the Magnet School for Gifted Math and Science Students (don't get excited; I washed out of the program in shame and disgrace after two years), the Hitchhiker's Guide series were all my nerdy friends' favorite books. They would throw quotes and in-jokes about Pan-Galactic Gargleblasters and Ravenous Bugblatter Beasts of Kraal back and forth at each other much like some (annoying) people like to do with Monty Python films or ...more

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Sep 30, 2017 Sara Kamjou rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, humour, science-fiction

کتاب دوم نیمهی اولش برای من راحتخونتر، اما انسجام داستانیش کمتر بود. خیلی جاها حس خب که چی بهم دست میداد!
تنها قسمتی که برام خیلی جالب بود، اون بخشی بود که رفتن پیش اون آقاهه که اسم گربهش گاد بود.
در کل کاش نویسنده کنار خلاقیت زیادش یه مقدار داستانپردازی و شخصیتوپردازی رو قویتر انجام میداد. نمرهی واقعیم بهش ۲.۵ هست که با ارفاق ۳ میدم.
----------
بخشهای یادگاری از کتاب:
آدم میون این عظمت نامتناهی فقط یه نقطه بینهایت کوچیکه که از بحث بیاهمیته حتی دیده هم نمیشه.
...
- زندگی چیز غریبیه.
+ زندگی اونیه که تو ...more

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Jun 19, 2010 Cecily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: humour, scifi-future-speculative-fict

Hitchhiker's, volume 2.

The beginning of human life on earth and the end of the universe, aided by infinite improbability.

As with the others, it's the ideas and writing that make it so good:

Marvin makes a heavily armoured tank guess what weapon he has (nothing).

"The guide is definitive. Reality is frequently inaccurate".

"How are you? Fine if you like being me, which personally, I don't".

"Everything's cool and froody".

"Little expense had been spared to give the impression that no expense had ...more

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Jan 21, 2016 Cris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Esta segunda parte de la serie de Douglas Adams mantiene el nivel de la primera en todos los sentidos. Desde las primeras páginas ya es difícil contener las carcajadas. Los diálogos sencillamente geniales y los personajes más disparatados que podrías imaginar hacen de este libro una lectura rapidísima y muy satisfactoria. Los continuos viajes en el tiempo y el espacio y las paradojas que derivan de ellos conducen a los protagonistas por una serie de situaciones inverosímiles y desternillantes. L ...more

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Feb 22, 2009 Courtney Lindwall rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Zany Lovers of Ironic Science Fiction

Shelves: 2009

Oh, how I do love Douglas Adams.

I find something really profound in the way Douglas Adams presents life, even through an otherwise nonsensical and just purely humorous book. When I look past the surface, some of life's most thought-provoking themes lie so clearly woven amidst his stories.

Each encounter, each adventure, each beloved character, each twist, each turn; these are all humorous, superbly written, and wonderful, but what I believe Adams does better than his other counter-parts is lace ...more

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Aug 14, 2016 Mohamad rated it really liked it · review of another edition

یه تئوری خیلی معروف می گه هر وقت یه کسی کشف کنه که جهان دقیقاً برای چی به وجود اومده و به چه دردی می خوره، این جهان در همون لحظه ناپدید می شه و جای خودش رو می ده به یه جهان نویی که از جهان قبلی پیچیده تر و عجیب وغریب تره.
یه تئوری دیگه می گه که این اتفاق قبلاً افتاده.

نويسنده كه موفقيت جلد اول رو پشت خودش داشته، در اين جلد طنزي به كار برده كه كمتر از اولي عامه پسنده اما براي خواننده ي پيگير ادبيات جذاب تره. جست وجوي خدا، ملاقات منجي، شوخي هاي زباني و ترجمه ي خوب از ديگر نكات مثبتي بود كه به نظرم ر ...more

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Aug 10, 2008 Stephen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, easton-press, 1980-1989, science-fiction, fforde-pickup, light-and-fluffy, galactic-civilizations, humor-and-satire

2.5 to 3.0 stars. Decent follow up to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. While enjoyable, I did not find myself laughing as often as I did during the first one. With books like this, your mood is often an important factor in determining your level of enjoyment so it could be that I just wasn't as receptive to the story as I might otherwise have been. Good but not great.

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Sep 13, 2016 David Sarkies rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Parking Cars - what else does one do in a car park
13 September 2016

Well, this is annoying. Having just arrived back from Europe, and having travelled half way around a world you could say that I now have the holiday hangover – Jet Lag. Basically I have had about 10 hours sleep in total over the past four days, namely because I go to sleep and suddenly an hour later I am wide awake, laying in bed, wondering whether I should get up and do something, or simply lie there and attempt to get some mor Parking Cars - what else does one do in a car park
13 September 2016

Well, this is annoying. Having just arrived back from Europe, and having travelled half way around a world you could say that I now have the holiday hangover – Jet Lag. Basically I have had about 10 hours sleep in total over the past four days, namely because I go to sleep and suddenly an hour later I am wide awake, laying in bed, wondering whether I should get up and do something, or simply lie there and attempt to get some more sleep, which generally doesn't occur until around 5:00 am (which means that I am not up until around 10:00, when I am able to sleep in that late). Also, having had my first full day of work (in an office) for seven weeks, you could say that I am a bit zonked. However I have just finished the second instalment of Adam's rather bizarre, and quite absurd, space adventure, and if I don't start writing the review now I probably never well (not that I can easily write at the moment, even on a laptop – maybe I should get up and go for a walk before hand, or even better go down to the pub and get a beer – yes, maybe I'll do just that).

Okay, I'm now down at the pub with a beer in front of me, but I will do my best to resist the temptation to talk about how Belgium has turned me into a beer and coffee snob, particularly due to the fact that in Belgium you get beer that has been brewed in Monasteries for hundreds of years, where as in Australia you simply get beer that is pretty substandard (though nowhere near as bad as English beer – which as I have said previously is little more than coloured water). Anyway, enough of that because I really want to get this review completed before I move onto my next book.

So, the book starts of where the previous one ends, and sort of follows the television series (though the television series ends at the end of this book). However I didn't feel that this part of the series was anywhere near as good as the first book (or even the series). I would sort of suggest that it was tying up a few loose ends, but in fact the first book didn't have any lose ends that needed tying up (but then again any lose ends that exist in absurdist literature generally are not ment to be tied up – otherwise it would cease to be absurd). Further, it seems that the story has been padded out a bit and as such it feels a little forced, especially since the original really didn't need a plot – they land up at the Restaurant that exists at the end of time, namely because they are looking for some place to have a meal and people go there for a humongous light show. Our heroes then steal a stunt ship belonging to a galactic rockstar, but it turns out that this ship is going to be flown into a star. Fortunately they find a teleport and escape, but Zaphod and Trillian disappear to who knows where, while Arthur and Ford land up back on Earth (or at least on a ship heading in that general direction).

While that is the basic plot of the second half of the television series, this book gives a bit more of a meaning behind plot – the Vogons realise that since Arthur and Trillian managed to escape Earth their job of destroying the Earth was left half finished so they decide to go after them to finish it off (and you will see more of that in future books). Also, Zaphod decides to go and find out who the actual ruler of the universe is, namely because even though he is president of the galaxy he really has no power (though he ends up getting board and heads of to have some dinner instead). In a way it felt a little forced and sort of detracted a lot from the original premise, which was understandably quite absurd. Even though Zaphod does eventually find the ruler of the universe, as it turns out the guy is pretty absent minded, and in a way one wonders whether he actually rules anything, and why it is that he is supposed to be the ruler of the universe.

Maybe it has something to with this idea that there really isn't any order, or sense, in the universe, and if there is any deity, the lack of sense, or purpose, suggests that the ruler really has no idea what is going on, or maybe has been around for so long that he (or she) has simply become senile. In a way it does seem to be like this, but I really don't want to get into anything too theological to attempt to disprove Adam's theory because in a way it is your typical Deist view of existence – sure there is a God who created the world, but he is either long gone, or simply set it in motion and let it go about on its own devices. I guess that is why the theory of Thermodynamics works – creation moves from order to disorder in the same way that a mechanical device slowly, but surely, winds down to a halt. However the way that the world seems to go about suggests that maybe he have been forgotten about it. However, it is quite interesting that whenever somebody comes along and suggests that maybe if people learnt to get along a bit better they either end up shot, forced to drink poison, or hung on a cross.

One group I do need to mention are the Gulgafrinchans – they are a rather amusing, and quite interesting, race of people. The deal with them is that there were three classes of people – the ruling class, the working class, and the middle class. The thing with the ruling class is that they were the rulers (and controlled the means of production), so they considered themselves particularly important. The working class actually had useful skills that the ruling class could use to produce stuff, while the middle class simply leached off the capital of the ruling class and the hard work of the working class. The middle class consisted of people such as advertising executives, sales managers, film directors, and telephone sanitisers – people that if they were removed from society then society would pretty much continue to function, but at a more efficient rate.

In a way I am inclined to agree – there is actually a whole class of people that simply exist to make things more complicated, and more expensive. Lawyers (and politicians) create reams and reams of laws to make life so complex that one cannot navigate the environment without spending lots of money to actually understand what these mystical words actually mean. As for advertisers, market analysts, and sales managers – they simply exist to make things more expensive. For instance they take what is effectively a t-shirt and with a wave of their hands transform it into a lifestyle – a brand if you will – which means that one can jack up the price to no end. In a way the middle class really only exists to take money from the working class, give it to the ruling class, and take a significant cut for themselves. The fact that they come across as a bunch of bumbling idiots who haven't managed to get anything done because everything has been referred to a discussion group is no accident. In away, as some suggest, totalitarian dictatorships are so much more effective because they do away with all these pesky politicians who exist only for the election cycle, and simply get things done. The problem is that it is actually very rare for there to be a totalitarian dictator that wants to make the country great as opposed to simply using his position as a chick magnet (otherwise Africa would be one of the most powerful continents on the planet).

I can't finish off this review without making mention of Marvin the Paranoid Android. No matter how disappointing the book ended up being for me, he still ends up stealing the show. Even though he is an incredibly intelligent robot (who has existed, by the end of the book, for millions of years) it is impossible to actually get anything out of him – namely because he acts like your typical self absorbed depressive – 'here I am, a brain the size of a planet and you want me to …'. Mind you, he really has his moments, especially when he is talking to a robot tank, and simply by being himself, ends up getting the tank to literally destroy itself (by shooting away the floor underneath it). In the end, it is the classic line that he gives when he is at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe (which is have quoted in the title, so I won't repeat it here) which is probably my favourite line of the entire series. Oh, and prophet that rocks up at the restaurant just before the universe ends, and doesn't get a chance to finish his apology for being late.

Maybe, just maybe, I'm being a little harsh on this book.
...more

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Oct 14, 2016 Paul O'Neill rated it liked it · review of another edition

This series is frigging hilarious. Unfortunately, that's the only thing this book has going on. The story was a bit all over the place.

There was also a lack of my favourite character, Marvin.

Not sure if I'll continue with this series as yet. The first book THGTTG is a must read though.

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Oct 27, 2014 Barry Pierce rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, read-in-2015

Not much to say about this. It's like the first one but not as good. It's a sequel. What do you expect?

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Mar 17, 2017 Masoud Irannejad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, c-united-kingdom

از کتاب اولش (راهنمای کهکشان برای اتواستاپزنها) خیلی بهتر بود ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Alex Farrand rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-reads, audible, series, fantasy-and-scifi

I didn't think it was as funny as the first book, but still I laughed. It is very quotable, still. Martin Freeman changed voices for each character.

"...The environmentalists lobby do know what's going to hit it, and they claim that the concert will cause earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes irreparable damage to the atmosphere, and all the usual things that environmentalists usually go on about.

But I've just had a report that a representative of Disaster Area met with the environmentalists at lu ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Cavanşir Gadimov rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, space

Bir mizah, bilim kurgu ve uzay romanı. Yazar bir yandan okuru uzayın derinliklerindeki maceralara götürürken, bir yandan da bol bol güldürüyor.
Kitapla ilgili incelemem: http://kitapokurum.blogspot.com/2018/...

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Dec 26, 2015 Raúl Omar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I was truly enjoying The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (you can read my review here ) when my sister gave me The Restaurant at the End of the Universe as a birthday present. Then I faced the weirdest conundrum (quite ad hoc for the weirdest book I've erver read): I didn't wanted the book to be over and at the same time I just wanted to finish the book so I could start reading the sequel. Well, the unavoidable happened, and the only reason I didn't undergo an OMG-I-can't-believe-this-is-over c ...more

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Feb 09, 2018 Sercan Vatansever rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bilimkurgu-sci-fi, uzay-space, mizah-humor

Yine uçuk kaçık ve zekice olsa da ilkinin yanında biraz dağınık mı ne? Seriyi gerçekten sevsem de akılda kalıcı olmaması eksi bir durum. Evet cidden hayranlık uyandıracak kadar zekice mizahla dolu bir hayal gücü olsa da vurucu veya çarpıcı olmasını da istiyorum sanırım biraz. Evrenin Sonundaki Restoran fikrine şapka çıkartıyorum. Şu 'son' olan kısım gerçekten son, sınır değil. Kitapta en sevdiğim kısım burasıydı. Neyse, Don't panic. Seriye devam.

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Apr 01, 2016 Stuart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: distant-worlds, fantastic-weird, galaxy-spanning, satirical-humorous, favorites

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Serious philosophy camouflaged as comedy
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
The HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY series can be enjoyed on many levels, so it’s tough to decide how to review it. On the surface, it’s just a zany series of dry British humorous skits ala Monty Python, but when you dig deeper, Douglas Adams has a lot to say about life, the universe, and everything. Taken as a whole, he presents a consistent philosophy that our universe is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Serious philosophy camouflaged as comedy
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
The HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY series can be enjoyed on many levels, so it’s tough to decide how to review it. On the surface, it’s just a zany series of dry British humorous skits ala Monty Python, but when you dig deeper, Douglas Adams has a lot to say about life, the universe, and everything. Taken as a whole, he presents a consistent philosophy that our universe is impossibly huge beyond our comprehension, and our attempts to understand it are woefully inadequate. But we shouldn’t get too upset about it, because it’s much better not to take things overly seriously. Just sit back and enjoy the show, folks. It’s an amazing place.

I could try to describe the plot of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe in a linear fashion, but there just isn’t much point. It's a series of hilarious set pieces that give opportunities for Adams to deliver some incredibly funny and irreverent comments about people and aliens and just how ridiculous they can be. Considering that the series began as a BBC radio series and also became a TV series and stage show, it’s easy to see how it has evolved this way.

As always, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are an enjoyable pair of comic bumblers, while Zaphod Beeblebrox remains the absurdly egocentric ex-President of the Galaxy, and my personal favorite remains Marvin the Paranoid Robot, who has a brain the size of a planet but is only given an endless series of menial tasks, causing severe depression on his part. There is also a large supplementary cast with unforgettable names, such as Zarniwoop, Roosta, Gargravarr, the Ruler of the Universe, the Golgofrinchans, and fascinating creations like The Total Perspective Vortex:

When you are put into the Vortex you are given just one momentary glimpse of the entire unimaginable infinity of creation, and somewhere in it a tiny little marker, a microscopic dot on a microscopic dot, which says “You are here."

The story doesn’t make a lick of sense, and since Adams is intent on showing the absurdity of attempting to make sense of the immensity of the universe, it doesn’t have to. As I listened to the audiobook, I had trouble understanding what was happening, but instead keyed in on the sublime one-liners and crazy situations the characters found themselves in.

Speaking of audio narrators, Martin Freeman does the honors for this book and its sequels, whereas the brilliant comedian Stephen Fry narrated The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy. That performance was so perfect that it would be hard for anyone to top it — in fact, I always recommend that book for any of the many audiobook skeptics I encounter. But Martin Freeman is no slouch — he played Arthur Dent in the 2005 film version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the main character in the original UK The Office television series, Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy of films, and Watson in the UK Sherlock TV series. I’m a huge fan of dry British humor, and Freeman really does a bang-up job of creating a host of unique character voices.

His one choice that struck a discordant note was giving Zaphod Beeblebrox, one-time President of the Galaxy, a Bronx accent more suited to a hotdog stand operator. The accent itself is excellent — but it doesn’t really fit the character. I got used to it, but it wasn’t my favorite. The most important voice in my mind is Marvin the Paranoid Robot. If Freeman can nail his lines, all else is forgiven. And Freeman is well suited for self-deprecating misery — his most famous television role is as the downtrodden office worker tormented by Ricky Gervais, after all. Fortunately he pulled it off very nicely.

Once again I’ll finish this review with a classic Marvin quote. At one point Marvin gets left behind in a parking lot by the main characters for 576 billion years as they leap forward in time but not in place:

The first ten million years were the worst, and the second ten million years, they were the worst too. The third ten million I didn’t enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of a decline. The best conversation I had was over forty million years ago…. And that was with a coffee machine. ...more

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Jun 12, 2016 Zahra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, i-own-a-copy, کتاب-های-عزیز-عزیز, favorites, humor

«يه تئورى خيلى معروف مى گه هر وقت يه كسى كشف كنه كه جهان دقيقاً براى چى به وجود اومده و به چه دردى مى خوره، اين جهان در همون لحظه ناپديد مى شه و جاى خودش رو مى ده به جهان نويى كه از جهان قبلى پيچيده تر و عجيب و غريب تره.
يه تئورى ديگه مى گه كه اين اتّفاق قبلاً افتاده.»
جلد دوم كتاب «راهنماى كهكشان براى اتواستاپ زن ها» يعنى «رستوران آخر جهان»، با اين جملات شروع مى شه.
زاپود كه سفينه ى قلب طلا رو دزديده و اين كار رو در اصل براى ديدن كسى كه جهانُ اداره مى كنه انجام داده، از رئيس جمهورى خلع مى شه و خ «يه تئورى خيلى معروف مى گه هر وقت يه كسى كشف كنه كه جهان دقيقاً براى چى به وجود اومده و به چه دردى مى خوره، اين جهان در همون لحظه ناپديد مى شه و جاى خودش رو مى ده به جهان نويى كه از جهان قبلى پيچيده تر و عجيب و غريب تره.
يه تئورى ديگه مى گه كه اين اتّفاق قبلاً افتاده.»
جلد دوم كتاب «راهنماى كهكشان براى اتواستاپ زن ها» يعنى «رستوران آخر جهان»، با اين جملات شروع مى شه.
زاپود كه سفينه ى قلب طلا رو دزديده و اين كار رو در اصل براى ديدن كسى كه جهانُ اداره مى كنه انجام داده، از رئيس جمهورى خلع مى شه و خب چون در واقع رئيس جمهور صرفاً وجود داره تا حواس مردمُ از اداره كننده ى اصلى جهان پرت كنه، مى افتن دنبال زاپود تا دستگير و شكنجه ش كنن.
توى جلد دوم كتاب، در يك حادثه ى اتّفاقى زاپود و فورد از زاپود و ليليان جدا مى شن و دو تا غافلگيرى خيلى بزرگ اتّفاق مى افته. زاپود بالاخره موفق مى شه با كسى كه جهانُ اداره مى كنه ملاقات كنه، شخصيت فرمانده ى جهان اوّلين غافلگيرىِ بزرگه؛ آرتور و فورد هم به طور تصادفى وارد يه سفينه مى شن و سياره ى ناشناخته اى وارد مى شن و كشف اتّفاقى كه براى فورد و آرتور افتاده هم دومين غافلگيرى بزرگ داستان ه.
همچنان نمى شه حدس زد در لحظه به لحظه ى اين كتاب قراره با چه اتّفاقى مواجه بشيم و همين باعث مى شه حتّى براى يك لحظه كتابُ زمين نداريد.
توى اين جلد، جنبه هاى فلسفى داستان خيلى پررنگ ترن از جلد اوّل، ولى با اين همه ساختار طنزِ جذّاب كتاب و فضاى مدرن ش همون قدر با قوّت پابرجان. واقعاً برام سواله كه آدامز چه طورى اين شاهكار به ذهن ش رسيده؟

+ توضيح بيشتر نقش اسپويلرُ بازى مى كنه.
++ اميدوارم جلدهاى بعدى شُ زودتر بخونم. ...more

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About Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams

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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 co ...more

Other books in the series

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (5 books)

Books by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1)

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Life, the Universe and Everything (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #3)

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Dirk Gently, #1)

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #4)

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Trivia About The Restaurant at...

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Quotes from The Restaurant at...

“The story so far:
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” — 21334 likes

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.” — 7428 likes

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