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Douglas Adams’ bestselling book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy published in 1979 is witty, occasionally complex, and accessible to the average reader. The protagonist, Arthur Dent, is a befuddled Englishman and his friend, Ford Prefect, is a hitchhiking alien doing research for the latest edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The two narrowly escape destruction with the rest of planet Earth when Ford catches wind of its impending demolition by intergalactic civil servants and beams them to the nearest accessible spaceship--the Vogon demolition fleet’s mothership. Inside, they encounter murdered mattresses, ruthless bureaucrats, and torture by poetry. They are soon ejected into space and twenty-nine seconds later (one second short of death), the president of the universe and his girlfriend rescue them in their recently stolen state-of-the-art spaceship, The Heart of Gold. In the remaining pages, Adams prioritizes unpacking the absurdity of bureaucracy, politics, and religion over a strong plot and whimsically manipulates grammar and rhetoric to inspire in the reader a sense of his disregard for the possibility of any sense or meaning to life.
Entries peppered throughout the book from the “real” The Hitchhiker’s Guide inform the reader of non-essential historical, cultural, and always humorous tidbits about the universe and its inhabitants. For example, the popular drink the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster makes the drinker feel like their brain is being “smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick” (Ch 2). Ford hopes to update the electronic guide with how one can see the wonders of the universe for 30 Altarian dollars a day, but due to being stuck on Earth for 15 years his signature contribution remains his description of Earth as “mostly harmless”. Arthur Dent is more the butt of every joke than the hero of the story and simply plays the role of baffled human encountering the unknown. The president, Zaphod Beeblebrox, who happens to be Ford’s cousin, has two heads, three arms, and the ego of a true politician. He steals almost everyone’s thunder, but that’s probably because, while only six people know it, he’s succeeding phenomenally at his presidential mandate of distracting everyone’s attention away from power instead of wielding it. Zaphod is accompanied by his human girlfriend, Trillian, who acts as the token female character in the typically male-dominated sci-fi tale. Smart and sexy, she is mostly disregarded by her boyfriend while dutifully following him into every folly. Marvin is a pet robot of sorts with a serious depression problem which proves to have tremendous utility.
On account of the Heart of Gold’s Infinite Improbability Drive, the serendipitous crew encounters and escapes from a series of unthinkable situations, the most notable being the discovery of the fabled planet of Magrathea. Believed to now be dead, it supposedly designed and constructed luxury planets at the behest of ultra-wealthy clients until closing up shop with the collapse of the intergalactic economy some ten million years ago. At this point in the book a loosely coherent plot begins to emerge. After narrowly evading the planet’s automatic defense missiles, the crew land the Heart of Gold on the surface and Zaphod leads the bunch on a hunt for the unfathomable riches he is certain must be hidden there... somewhere. Instead, he comes to a shocking realization about the key to his wildly successful career of misconduct, Arthur learns of the mysterious nature and fate of his late beloved Earth, Trillian loses her two pet mice, and Marvin unwittingly saves everyone’s lives just by being himself.
Adams playfully goads the reader closer and closer into agreeing that “The Universe is almost certainly being run by a bunch of maniacs” (Ch 31) by poking fun at bureaucracy and politics with amusing analogies. Much like the local bureaucrat trying to tear down Arthur’s house, the Vogons respond to Earthlings’ protests before imminent destruction by stating, “All the planning charts and demolition orders have been displayed in your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years” (Ch 3). Zaphod Beeblebrox is the posterchild for theatrical two-faced politics. His wild antics make him the most successful president in history and he possesses two heads, and therefore two faces, one of which is more popular than the other (Ch 4).
Adams then picks apart religion and philosophy without being overtly insulting due to his use of their very own arguments. A small but exceedingly sophisticated fish proves God’s existence and is therefore the final and clinching proof of his nonexistence. God “promptly vanishes in a puff of logic” because “without faith I am nothing” (Ch 6). Philosophers protest the creation of a supercomputer they fear will put them out of a job if it is able to answer the questions of the Universe, thus they demand the “total absence of solid facts” (Ch 25). Adams’ deft criticism of these topics threatens to elicit not much more than a self-deprecating chuckle from the very people he is poking fun at.
Absurd similes and outrageous statements infuse the writing style with charming humor while occasionally reminding the reader that reality can in fact be quite ridiculous. “For a few seconds Ford seemed to ignore him, and stared fixedly into the sky like a rabbit trying to get run over by a car” (Ch 1), and, “The ships hung in the sky much the same way that bricks don’t” (Ch 3), are clearly very foolish things to say, yet confer upon the reader a precise picture of the given situation that Adams wants them to have. In a similar vein, a police ship commits suicide after hearing Marvin’s depressing view of the universe (Ch 34), letters of the alphabet can be “friendly” (Ch 1) or “unfriendly” (Ch 34), and the answer to life, the universe and everything is simply the number “42” (Ch 27). Adams makes clear to the reader exactly how seriously he takes his subject matter.
Poking fun at politics and religion and making ludicrous statements are the more obvious of Adams’ tactics to discourage the reader from taking life, or really anything, very seriously. Less obvious, but equally effective, is his manipulation of grammar and rhetoric. By rendering the familiar structure of language malleable in his expert hands, he reminds the reader at every turn that all is not as it seems. He breaks commonly accepted rules of writing by blatantly using redundant vocabulary and pairing oxymoronic words. Arthur wakes up blearily then gets up and wanders blearily around his room (Ch 1), Ford Prefect is not conspicuously tall and his features are striking but not conspicuously handsome (Ch 1), and Zaphod rides a thoroughly ridiculous form of transport, but a thoroughly beautiful one (Ch 4). The windows on Arthur’s soon to be destroyed home are “of a size and proportion which more or less exactly failed to please the eye” (Ch 1), and there is something “very slightly odd” about Ford Prefect (Ch 1). With these deviances from the norm and by slipping in a clever grammar joke here and there, “...to boldly split infinitives that no man had split before” (Ch 15), Adams taunts the grammar police and then scoffs when their powerlessness and lack of creativity are exposed. By deftly rendering malleable the familiar institution of language, Adams bring home his deeper message that societal constructs are the mere product of a human desire to invent order out of chaos.
While Adams can boast a nimble sense of humor and a clever mind, obvious plot holes emerge as the story progresses. For example, the Vogons dump Arthur and Ford millions of lightyears away from Earth but then Trillian and Zaphod pick them up in the same vector as Earth. This could be due to the fact that Adams was a legendary procrastinator who would often leave manuscripts unfinished until the last minute. His biographer, M.J. Simpson, author of Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams says that Adams also had problems following the traditional structure of a story. He shares that, “Adams was good at writing beginnings, middles, and endings, but when he got to the middle he’d thought of another good beginning and wanted to write that instead of the ending”. Adams’ habit of making things up as he went along is uncomfortably apparent to the reader who craves consistency and resolution, especially from a book some say holds a place in the sci-fi genre. Therefore, his book might more accurately fall under the category of comic science fiction.
While he falls short of producing the next great science fiction series of our time, Adams succeeds remarkably in demonstrating how a truly inquisitive mind works. He breaks the rules of fiction writing, but rather than being his downfall, these bold deviations add to his appeal. By weaving together intelligence, humor, and slapstick, he reaches a broad audience without sacrificing his unique voice and underlying message. So much so that the reader is left almost certain that “the chances of finding out what really is going on are so absurdly remote that the only thing to do is to say hang sense of it and just keep yourself occupied” (Ch 30).
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Customers say
Customers consider this sci-fi novel a classic that must be read, praising its clever writing and humor that makes them laugh out loud. They find it a fun, quick read that keeps them engaged, with one customer noting it's particularly suitable for 5th-9th grade sci-fi readers. The plot receives mixed reactions - while some love the story, others find it lacks intrigue.
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536 customers mention content, 495 positive, 41 negative
I wouldn't say this is a great book but I enjoyed reading it. The way the author writes puts a smile on my face for being creative and different.Read more
Good book... random, funny in pieces. Difficult to enjoy unless one realises that the randomness is by design. Definitely recommended!Read more
Almost but not quite the most wonderful sci-fi story. A great and extremely funny read. Then go on to the others. And DON'T PANIC!Read more
It's such an amazing book. My friend recommended it to me and I was hooked from the prologue. My favorite.Read more
440 customers mention humor, 398 positive, 42 negative
While some, me included, would find Hitchhikers highly entertaining and funny, due to the nature the work it definitely would not appeal to everyone.Read more
It’s quick, witty, and certainly funny. If you’re looking for a quirky read after a long time reading dramas and solemn non-fictions then this is it.Read more
Oh sure, you read this what, 30 years ago? Read it again. It is very funny and many of the things that seemed like science fiction back then are...Read more
Absolute gem, Hilarious,insightful and thought provoking.Shows us all what a hash we have made of this beautiful planet.Read more
292 customers mention readability, 256 positive, 36 negative
A great read. Brilliantly written. I've never laughed so much while reading! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, silly, space novel.Read more
...All in all, it is a good read, and easy read and well entertaining - it took me about two days on and off to read, so that says something about the...Read more
...It was hilarious though a good read everyone would enjoy it.Read more
...However, I did really enjoy it. It's a quick read. I would describe it as funny and quirky in the science fiction realm.Read more
272 customers mention entertaining, 247 positive, 25 negative
if you looking for a fun read, here it is. I enjoyed the book much better than the movie. Read the book first if possible. .Read more
Although it was a fun and light read, I was expecting something much deeper due to commentary from other readers. Enjoy a funny little read!Read more
The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy is funny and entertaining, a good time all around and laughs in no short supply. Would read againRead more
Interesting and now I understand some of the references that my friends often quote... Probably was not as exciting as I would have thought it...Read more
97 customers mention classic, 95 positive, 2 negative
The book itself is of course a classic. The hardcover makes it too “weighty” in both senses.Read more
A classic. Bought it for my 10 year old son and rediscovered how great it is.Read more
A classic book that is as great today as it was when published. It starts slow but captures the reader and holds their attention.Read more
this is a classic. always entertaining and amusing....we've listened to it many times over the years on tape....Read more
83 customers mention writing style, 78 positive, 5 negative
Well written. Clever. Funny. Surprisingly deep for a comedic novel. Easy to get engrossed and wonder where the day went....Read more
A great read. Brilliantly written. I've never laughed so much while reading! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, silly, space novel.Read more
Great writing in my honest opinion. Dont forget to bring a towel. Only the best hitchhikers will have a towel.Read more
...That being said, it's also extremely well written and completely hilarious....Read more
80 customers mention clever, 76 positive, 4 negative
Great science fiction story. Clever and witty and fun. Would very much recommend to anyone. Will be reading the rest of the series.Read more
Imaginative; smart; funny... Tongue in cheek science-fiction. If you saw the movie (It's a fairly good interpretation.) the book is worlds better....Read more
Absolute gem, Hilarious,insightful and thought provoking.Shows us all what a hash we have made of this beautiful planet.Read more
So glad I read this. Funny and intelligent.Read more
153 customers mention plot, 105 positive, 48 negative
Much better than even its admirer's say. Great story...yes....but really witty and sharp. Pythonesque..Read more
...But what I did understand was that it was a good story, but I don't think I'll be picking up the second book....Read more
I was into it for a while, then it just got lame. The ending was so abrupt that I thought my Kindle hadn't downloaded the entire book. I was wrong.Read more
...really got me sucked in from the start and there were so many unexpected twists that made me want to keep reading.Read more
Great read for anyone
Great read so far! Engaging story, definitely a book you should read once in your life
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- Giovanna CaivanoReviewed in Brazil on September 21, 2022
Just couldn't stop reading it
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