Book Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

As the story begins, you are Arthur Dent, and a bulldozer is preparing to level your house even as an alien space fleet is preparing to level your planet. The incorrigible Mr. Adams has written new material and designed problems especially for this interactive story. So grab a pint of bitter and a couple for the road and join Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin on a cosmic jaunt into the outer reaches where anything can-—and does-—happen. And don’t forget your towel!

I read this book because I wanted to know what all the fuss was about – plus I’ve been reading all the “must-reads” lately. I was not disappointed, but then again it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read.

This book is hilarious if you enjoy incredibly complicated named like “Zaphod Beeblebrox,” which I don’t. However, even if you don’t you can still enjoy it, which is one of the best things about it. Here are some of my favourite bits:

“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.”

Which, you know…is a very correct and hilarious description of ships hanging in skies.

And this bit:

"You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young."
"Why, what did she tell you?"
"I don't know, I didn't listen."

Basically where I’m going with this is that it makes clichés sound extremely stupid. Douglas Adams has done the amazing thing of making science fiction funny – successfully. Reading The Hunger Games is all well and good when you want to be enlightened about the pitfalls of society and whatnot, but Hitchhiker is good if you want a laugh...that is, a clever, witty, "haha-I-got-the-smart-joke" laugh.

For those that don’t really like science fiction (like me) I suggest you read it anyway. Even for the few really funny bits in it, it’s worth reading. If you’re trying to write comedy, or even trying to put some comedy into a serious piece of work (almost unavoidable, but more on that in a later entry), read it.
It’s witty, hilarious and clever. It has annoying names. A crazy story. And I liked it.