The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - SPOILER-FREE

[Kaseadillla]

Hello all - starting up discussions for the AUGUST 2017 BOTMs. This discussion is for the group's poll selection for the MODERN CLASSICS/POPULAR READS category: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

This discussion will be SPOILER-FREE. If you have already finished the book and want to discuss, hop on over to the spoiler-filled discussion HERE .

Happy reading!
Kasey

[Abigail]

I've never read this book before but I'm so excited to read it. I'm only on chapter 4 and I've laughed out loud at least three times (this is highly unusual for me, I'm usually a quiet reader). I've also never seen the movie although I might after I finish this book.

[Sarah]

Waiting for our libraries to open again so that I can read with the group this month!

[Ben]

One of my favorite books! I am reading Restaurant at the End of the Universe right now (the sequel). It is an absolutely hilarious book! I am also excited to have a refresher on everything that happened!

[August]

I'm picking this one up from the library today! I'm excited to read this one, as someone from work recommended it to me, and he isn't much of a reader. I've found that if someone who doesn't read much recommends a book, it's usually a pretty good one!

[ericabooks]

I've owned this for a while and tried to read it one time before but ended up putting it down - this type of genre isn't particularly my favourite but i'll aim to read the whole book this time and see if i can like it. It severely confuses me, even the humour confuses me !!

[Sarah]

I LOVE this book so I'm hoping others do too

[Elle]

I'm about to do a long journey tomorrow so hoping to start and finish the audiobook then!! Can't wait :)

[Allan]

Great book.. it's actually pulling double duty at my house right now as both an awesome story, and as a leg for my sofa since my daughter (7) and I were jumping around like fools and broke it. I hope everyone enjoys.

[Kristin B.]

Abigail wrote: "I've also never seen the movie although I might after I finish this book. ..."

The book and the movie are not very similar. It's not a bad movie, but don't expect it to follow the book.

[MissLemon]

I really recommend listening to the original Radio 4 series if any of you can manage it. It's available on Audible in the UK. The book is based on this, not the other way round. The film is very different to both.

I really envy those of you experiencing HG2G for the first time. It's one of those books I quote from all the time often without even really thinking about where I'm quoting from.

[Rebeckah]

Had this book recommended to me several years ago so I'm excited to give it a read!

[Kaseadillla]

This is one of my all time favorite books. So excited to hear everyone's thoughts!!

[Sarah]

Agreed, this book gave me one of the most enjoyable reading experiences of my life. Looking forward to revisiting it! Libraries will open again down here on September 5th!

[Mariana]

I'm still catching up with "A tale of two cities" (I started late) but I'll be getting to this one really soon.

[David]

One of the very few books to make me stop reading and laugh out loud. Adams is a genius when it comes to farce.

[Nicole]

I want to read this book with the group but I'm hesitant. I tried before but I lost interest. I'm trying to come up with a plan to make it more manageable. Maybe 10-20 pages a day?? I want to laugh out loud and enjoy this book :( Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset last time I attempted?? We shall see!

[David]

Hey Nicole. For one thing, the humor is very English (By that I mean British), so it may take some time to get used to. What I would do is just work through into Chapter 7. Chapter 7 has one of my favorite moments in the book. If you're not at least smiling and having a good time by then, it may just not be your cup of tea. I would say that's a good litmus test.

Happy Reading!

[Kyra]

Nicole, I too am struggling with whether to read this book this month, although I haven't finished A Tale of Two Cities as I got distracted once the US Open started lol. But I hate, hate Sci-Fi in all forms and had a lot of eye rolls reading the book description. But obviously I'd like to read with everyone else, so hopefully this British sense of humor (which is my favorite) I hear about in here will get me through.

[Phil]

Carolyn wrote: "I really recommend listening to the original Radio 4 series if any of you can manage it. It's available on Audible in the UK. The book is based on this, not the other way round. The film is very di..."

I love it, too, but I think it's more of a superfan item. The book is better realized, in my opinion.

[Nicole]

David wrote: "Hey Nicole. For one thing, the humor is very English (By that I mean British), so it may take some time to get used to. What I would do is just work through into Chapter 7. Chapter 7 has one of my ..."

I'm on page 27, reading about all the uses for a towel, and I laughed :) I think it is my sign to keep going!

[Nicole]

Kyra wrote: "Nicole, I too am struggling with whether to read this book this month, although I haven't finished A Tale of Two Cities as I got distracted once the US Open started lol. But I hate, hate Sci-Fi in ..."

I am trying to read it with the group. I am on chapter 3 and will stop at Ch4. I'm taking it slow. I think distraction is what threw me off last time. And reading it when I wasn't wanting to. I also started it with an audiobook to get me started until I got into it. I think that worked best. Good luck!

[Amber]

I remember reading this ages ago, being a major sci-fi fan I can say this is definitely one of the bests out there. Plus the humour is just splendid. I read the first book in one sitting! Definitely looking forward to rereading it!

[Synthwaver]

I was away from online activities for 2 months due to being busy with my university research. It's nice to be back and I'm glad The Hitchhiker's is one of group read books this month! I got the book before getting too busy with researching and could read first and second chapters which I enjoyed and loved. Now I can read and finish the book with the group, it's awesome. :)

[Ceri]

I'm so excited to read this. It's been one I've wanted to for the longest time. Hope I can manage to grab a copy. There are about 20 copies in my library and they're all currently on loan and reserved!

[E]

This book has been in my shelf for ages-saddly untouched though. So I am super excited to finally read it with you guys! 🤓

[Sarah]

Our libraries opened today and I was able to get the book!! Yay!! On page 20 and already loving it for the 2nd time! Is anybody else reminded of the show Futurama while reading this?

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

I read this a few years ago and it kept me in tears from laughing! A lovely fun read! I liked it so much.

Stitcher offered the BBC radio series to Premium listeners, too, a month ago.

[Kyra]

I just started reading it today, and maybe it just hasn't been funny yet. I hope I'm not missing things, as everyone else seems to love every part of this novel :)

[Lena]

I wasn't originally planning to read this, but because everyone seems to love it so much I picked up a copy from the library and look forward to giving it a try.

[Laura H L]

I just started this book today. This is not in my comfort zone as I usually don't read sci-fi. But I do like British humour so the first couple of chapters are fine. I am keeping an open mind as everyone refers to it as a modern classic.

[Martina]

This book is just perfect :) and was on my to-read list since ages. And I pretty much enjoy it as scifi is my favorite genre, already more than half way through the book.

[Quinty]

I'm about halfway through this book and I'm already completely in love with it!
Whenever I'm reading on the train, people keep sending me weird glances because I'm having difficulties with containing my chuckles.

[Nishara]

I always hear people talking about this book, referencing it. Just yesterday I read a very funny post, and then realized it was a quote from The Hitchhiker Guide, excited to read and discuss it!

[Rhonda]

I have read this series many times and am unashamed to say
I love it

[Renee]

I always makes me laugh. I wish I could find the Tv series. It was very funny

[Phil]

Renee wrote: "I always makes me laugh. I wish I could find the Tv series. It was very funny"

If you have Amazon Prime, it's streaming for free.

I watched a chunk of the first episode the other day. I was surprised at how well it captured the spirit of the book, even if the FX are notoriously cheap.

[Renee]

Sadly I do not have Amazon Prime. My husband does not understand the need. I keep trying to convince him the savings on audio books alone would be worth it, He can be such a dinosaur but like Barney he is a lovable one.

[Shelley]

I've listened to this book a couple of times in recent years, so I won't be rereading it this year. Just too many books! I do enjoy the book, the entire series actually, quite a bit. The audio books are well done, it you prefer that format. Enjoy!

[Kerri]

This is a great book, though it has a lot of British Humor which may be hard for some people if you aren't used to it. Delightfully funny otherwise. I won't be reading it because I also have too many books to justify this one, though it is small and quick. I will be interested in the discussion!

And I am happy to learn that there is/was a TV series! I don't watch a whole lot of TV in general, but I will need to take a look into this :)

[Laura]

Love this book! It's full of humor and has truly caused me to laugh out loud on occasion. I'm thrilled to know that there is a TV series and on Amazon Prime! Although I won't be rereading this one, I might just have to check out the TV show in the meantime.

[Jess]

I think this book and the series would be a great pick me up after a rough day. I wish I had time, but I have bigger books to tackle. Does make me want to reread this in the future. Hope everyone enjoys it!

[Lina]

I’m reading this one! I’m about halfway through, but before I started I wasn’t sure what to expect. Loved the movie and have been meaning to read this for some time. Looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts once I’ve finished.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I'm about halfway through. This is my third time reading this book so I'll probably jump over to the spoilers thread in the next couple days. I'm on pace to finish by the end of the month.

[Kylie]

I almost feel ashamed to say that I've never read this book before... *hides face from crowd*...

It seems like it has a devoted set of fans, so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

[Betsy]

Don't EVER be ashamed haha! Let's see if you'll join that devoted gang of fans....

[Carol]

The advice on the front of the Hitchhiker's Guide is "Don't panic." That's good advice for our crazy world today. We need people who "really know where their towel's are at" to handle the wild things that are going on right now.

[Joanna Loves Reading]

Kylie wrote: "I almost feel ashamed to say that I've never read this book before... *hides face from crowd*...

It seems like it has a devoted set of fans, so I'm looking forward to reading this one."

You’re in good company. That is the point of this group! I hope you enjoy it!

[Tiffany]

i've never read these books before i'm about halfway through book 1 and while i love sci fi and comedy i find it a slow read. i feel a lot the same way about this book and the characters as i did about confederacy of dunces. hoping i can get over it and enjoy the characters for what they.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

A coupla suggestion,
If you get the chance there are several Douglas Adams' lectures/presentations available on line. The ones I have seen run an hour or more. Very worthwhile.

I can also recommend the bio:
Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion. Being by Neil Gaiman may give it more cred to some people. It focuses a lot on writing the 5 book trilogy.
Also Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams
which is more of a complete bio

Interested in its own right is The Salmon of Doubt
an odd and literately ends collection starting with what would have been his last novel plus some of his other writings and essays. I think this is mostly what he had on his lap top when he rather suddenly and abruptly died.

Not to end on a downer if you only get to hear him tell the story of the package of biscuits you will know the man that much better.