Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams > Reviews > The funniest book ever written

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	Smart and witty .
Disadvantages:	Bit short

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is the kind of book that changes lives, that influences to the point of taking over your life. It lives you just on the brink of insanity, and if you don't come out of it confused, you did a hell of a lot better than me.

The story starts off with the lead character Arthur Dent waking up one Thursday. The day doesn't start off well. Outside his house is a council bulldozer, poised and ready to knock down his house to build a bypass. Arthur's idea of a protest is to lie in front of the bulldozer.

Arthur soon gets a visit from his good pal Ford Prefect. He eventually persuades Arthur to leave his position in the mud to join him for a stiff drink at the local pub. Here he tells Arthur the truth, that his is actually an alien from a planet in the region of Betelgeuse, and not from Guildford. Yet, there is even worse news for our hero. Earth is soon to be demolished to make way for a bypass.

Arthur and Ford survive by catching a lift with a Vogon ship, and from here explore the furthest reaches of the galaxy, meet the strangest creatures, read passages from the most remarkable book in the world, The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy and may (or may not) get a small bruise on their forearm.

This book should never be read in public as there is no way you can possibly avoid the inevitable convulsions of laughter, which may get a few strange looks (if your laugh is anything like mine). The one-liners run thick, the acute observations on life are mind-bogglingly clever and all this is just another tribute to the genius of the late Douglas Adams.

Do not be put off by the science fiction side of the book, what little of it there is, is all for the sake of comedy and is wittily explained.

The characters are warm and loveable: meet Marvin, the Paranoid Android (Ahhh, so that's how they came up with it!), a super intelligent robot who is manically depressed and has a large portion of the funniest lines in the book. Meet Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed President of the Galaxy and also the biggest party animal on the galaxy. Meet Eddie, the ship's annoying computer with a life-like personality which is far too cheery for most people's liking. There are dozens more characters, each one carefully crafted into a work of art.

Ever wanted to know the answer to life, the universe and everything? Read on, and laugh yourself silly.

On a more personal note, I've had a long absence from ciao due to the summer, and I'd just like to say thank you for all the letters, cards and phone calls pleading with me to write again. Well, here I am, back by popular demand so to speak. Oh, and ladies, please, no more love letters, my postman has a bad back as it is.