Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

To answer the very first question that everybody will be having; no, this is only Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have not read the other book's in the series of 6 or the short story. My book does have all of them in the proper order, but this will only be about the first book as it is the only one on the list. I will read the other books when I decide to take breaks from the list and read something just generally enjoyable. It will be between that and Terry Pratchett novels on those occasions.

So, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a silly book. This fact, along with the dry and matter of fact humor that Douglas Adams uses in the narration makes it a wonderful and memorable read. Most people do not realize, however, that the BBC miniseries and the recent Hollywood movie of the same title contain much more than the original book. They have taken bits and pieces here and there out of the other books and sewn them into the original. The miniseries does this to a much greater extent than the film.

They have also left out very interesting bits such as how the ship gets stolen, some small and interesting characters, and other small details. The book is mostly in the voice of a cheeky narrator that often explains things through the information given in The Guide. Continual pokes at modern life make it a hilarious and perhaps even culturally relevant book. Perhaps this is the reason that it is one of the very few modern satires to be considered a classic of literature. If I were a Ph.D. student in literature this book would be the basis of my thesis.

I find that HGttG is entertaining and engrossing and I can't imagine a person that enjoys reading not enjoying this book or the others that accompany it. It is certainly one that I am proud to now own and I would recommend it to anybody that knows how to read. My next project will be my very first Dickens novel. More on that later.