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Book Review

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams

  Apart from one real aficionado, I'm sorry to say that we struggled to relate to this book. The humour is extremely quirky: the sort of thing that would either have you in stitches or leave you feeling you had had a sense of humour bypass. Definitely a cult book, and one that's perhaps better read when you're young - reviewed by Central Library - Wednesday Reading Group

  Some people cannot get into this book at all, others love it to bits and in between there are those who can appreciate the play on words. The play on words make this a really funny book. It is a send up of traditional science fiction, which had never been done at the time. For example this motto: "To bodly split infinitives that no man had split before". Go on give it a try - reviewed by Broughty Ferry Morning Reading Group

  Douglas Adams, now sorely missed by all who knew him either personally or through his writing, thought up this as a play for Radio 4 while lying in a field in Innsbruck. It was then re-written as a book. I say book, I mean trilogy. Did I say trilogy? I meant trilogy in 5 parts!

Every single page is filled with wit, intelligence and a zest for life that, in this reader's opinion, is unsurpassed.

The central character is the be-dressing-gowned Arthur Dent, a man from Earth whose house is about to be demolished. Interestingly enough so is the Earth and the only person who knows it is Arthur's friend Ford Prefect who, it turns out, is not from Earth.

When they hitch a ride from the Vogon destructor fleet that has been tasked with implementing the fore-mentioned doom, then their adventures begin.

This novel foretold the internet as we know it today. This is realised in another character that takes the form of a book. A book called "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" which plugs into a large central database and the entries can be updated by anyone (remember this was written in 1978). Helpfully, it has the words "Don't Panic" written on the cover in large friendly letters.

This a brilliant narrative technique which, as well as explaining things to Arthur, allows the reader to understand this slightly off the wall galaxy that Douglas Adams has created.

On the surface this appears, to the outside, a silly, surreal book. However, give it a chance and you will see the depth, warmth and humour that poured from this man's pen.

Douglas Adams died in 2001. He has left a plethora of novels, essays and magazine articles, some of which can be read at www.douglasadams.com - reviewed by Andrew Wilson

  Just couldn't get into it at all - reviewed by BMc

  I loved it!! And the Babel Fish. I even went to see it in the cinema - reviewed by Jonas

  I thought this book was good but it was a bit pointless because I didn't like the ending - reviewed by Ry