The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

[Natalie]

Phil wrote: "Alesandra wrote: "I read somewhere that Adams regretted the last one and wanted to try adding a more positive book onto the end of the series as soon as he got himself in a better mood."

I actually like all of them. Even though the last one ended sadly- it was still good. I don't necessarily need aa happy ending to enjoy the book.

[Alesandra]

I meant Mostly Harmless. I had half expected another book where Adams would turn the ending around, but yes, very sad that it didn't happen.

[Phil]

Alesandra wrote: "I meant Mostly Harmless. I had half expected another book where Adams would turn the ending around, but yes, very sad that it didn't happen."

If it grew on you, then maybe I should give it a second chance. My main memory of reading it is deciding not to remember it.

[David]

That's interesting. I've only ever once gone back to a book(s) I didn't get along with. That was Asimov's Foundation series. I first tried to read them when I was 9 years old and they were probably one of the earliest among my SF reads. I was a fairly sophisticated reader by then, but I guess not enough to take in the those books and they confused me.

A few years later I went back to them after reading a lot more (SF and others) and loved them - couldn't understand why I'd struggled with them earlier :-)

[[deleted user]]

Today is the 40th anniversary of the first Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Episode 1 of Adams's original programme was broadcast on BBC radio.

If I read this correctly, BBC radio 4 will rebroadcast the original program tonight for those of you in the UK. How We Got to Where We Are Tomorrow.

[Andrea]

I had to read the book a few times before I could really get into it, and like some others posted I found the rest of the books went downhill and ending with outright depression. Didn't know he intended to write another book to end on a better note.

For what it's worth, I'm someone that doesn't really get certain forms of British humour like this book or the Monty Python or Red Dwarf, so this was never going to resonate well with me. But after a few reads I did appreciate the first book at least, and while the book itself will never be a favorite, some of the quotes are definitely the best ever written.

[[deleted user]]

Andrea wrote: "I had to read the book a few times before I could really get into it, and like some others posted I found the rest of the books went downhill and ending with outright depression...."

I think humor, and especially this kind of humor, works best verbally. A lot of humor relies on timing and inflection, and there is really no way for a book to convey that.

Since my first exposure to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was from the radio program (it was rebroadcast in the US on NPR), I was able to read the books more or less by replaying the radio dialog in my head. And I still prefer the original radio version. I had them on some T-120 cassette tapes that I use regularly on long drives; easily the best program for staying awake at the wheel. ( The "full cast version" currently on Audible isn't the original program, and I so ingrained the original in my memory I can't help but think of that version as inferior, too.)

It may also have helped that several of my friends liked the radio program as well. Little quotes from it often interspersed out tragically boring conversations.

[Brendan]

Nobody's mentioned the disastrous movie, which despite having a pretty good cast was just not funny at all.

[Mike]

Brendan wrote: "Nobody's mentioned the disastrous movie, which despite having a pretty good cast was just not funny at all."

I saw the film in theaters the day that Star Wars Episode III came out (I didn't see the SW movie for another couple weeks). I was the only person in the theater watching it, the only time this has ever happened to me. The only parts I can recall laughing at were the animated bits depicting Guide entries.