I've just started my MA in English at Bangor uni - very exciting, although just a little daunting to...
I've just started my MA in English at Bangor uni - very exciting, although just a little daunting too. I'm not sure, but I may be expected to do some work at some point...
Member since:31.05.2006
Reviews:17
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... 'Where shall we have dinner?'
If you haven't read the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, the short main character list below will be very useful for understanding the following review;
Arthur Dent - Last male Human Being and hero of the Hitch-Hiker books. Tricia McMillan - Last female Human Being and only rational, intelligent person on the Heart of Gold. Nicknamed Trillian. Ford Prefect - Arthur's best friend (who turns out to be an alien very early on in the first book) and field researcher for the guide. Zaphod Beeblebrox - Ex-President of the Galaxy with massive ego. And two heads and three arms. Vogons - Gray/yellow aliens always in a bad mood, sent to destroy the Earth to make way for an inter-stellar bypass. Not satisfied until all the Humans are gone. The Heart of Gold - Space ship that Zaphod steals; has the only infinite improbability drive ever created. Literally can do anything, no matter how improbable.
As
the second book in the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (RAEOU) once again takes up the story of Arthur Dent - last Human and increasingly desperate space-traveller. In the first book, Arthur discovers that his good friend Ford Prefect, is from a small planet in the Beetlejuice quadrant and 'not from Guilford after all'. Soon after, he and Ford 'hitch' a ride on a passing space ship that just happens to be blowing up Earth that day. As you can imagine, Arthur is a little surprised - and spends the rest of the book in a fairly similar state after learning the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything... but not the question.
RAEOU takes up exactly where the previous book left off; with Zaphod Beeblbrox exclaiming that they will go for a spot of lunch in the eatery at the end of all life itself. The Heart of Gold however, is somewhat occupied with Arthur's request for a cup of tea and refuses to budge an inch until it can work this particularly tricky question out. In the meantime, the Vogons that destroyed Earth have searched for and found Arthur and Trillian, the sole Human survivors, and intend to finish the job. They start firing and destroy the ship completely... sort of. One of Zaphod's many ancestors helps them to escape from the predicament, but Zaphod is transported to the Hitch-Hikers Guide headquarters, and Ford and Arthur to a ship that appears to be mainly comprised of telephone sanitisers and used-car salesmen.
The rest of the book focuses on Zaphod's journey to the restaurant and his accidental mission to see the man who rules the universe. At the same time as this, an equally significant plot concerning Arthur and Ford's involvement in the beginnings of Human life on Earth is taking place, as well as their quest to find the ultimate question to fit the ultimate answer.
Confused at all?
This is the only problem with Douglas Adams' series, and is present throughout all the books - the plot tends to stumble over itself frequently, which makes the readability fairly confusing at times. Although short, at 200 pages, the book deals with a lot of ideas, some concerning the scientific nature of time and space, which really aren't given the room they need. Saying that, they're very interesting and exceptionally well written.
Despite those few short-comings, the RAEOU is very amusing and the slightly random plot does also add something to the story in a way - an entertaining pace that is cleverly sustained throughout the whole book. Adams' character development and satirical look at the nature of real people is genius - particularly the character of Arthur Dent - and it's easy to understand how the series has become such a cult classic. The series as a whole is excellent - my favourite book being the last, Mostly Harmless.
I picked up this book about five years ago after hearing about it from a friend, and bought it as part of a box set containing all five for £29.99 at Borders. I saw recently that Borders still has the box sets for the same price - working out to about £6 a book - slightly cheaper than you'd get them separately.
Overall, this book isn't the best of the series, but definitely one not to miss. Satirical and very, very funny, the story is original and easy enough to read. So, in the words of Zaphod Beeblebrox - get ready for 'excitement, adventure and really wild things!'
Pictures
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
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I'd like to read the rest of the series having enjoyed the first book. Nicky x
tranx 05.08.2006 21:01
An exceptional review which, from the comments, does what it is supposed to :-)
Sofe 04.08.2006 23:04
I don't really like science fiction (there was an unfortunate incident involving Brave New World during my uni years) but I might give Adams a try. Sofe x
Jun 10th, 2006
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