2 reads, apparently growing on me
4 stars
2012 read, 3 stars: just confusing and only mildly amused by it.
2025 read, 5 stars: still confusing but less so and much funnier than I remember.
audio cd
Published Sept. 1, 2019 by BBC Books.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Complete Radio Series
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the first of six books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction "hexalogy" by Douglas Adams. The novel is an adaptation of the first four parts of Adams's radio series of the same name. The novel was first published in London on 12 October 1979. It sold 250,000 copies in the first three months.
The namesake of the novel is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a fictional guide book for hitchhikers (inspired by the Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe) written in the form of an encyclopaedia.
Also contained in:
- [The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Four Parts][1]
- [The More than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide][2]
[1]: openlibrary.org/works/OL2163692W [2]: openlibrary.org/works/OL2163713W
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the first of six books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction "hexalogy" by Douglas Adams. The novel is an adaptation of the first four parts of Adams's radio series of the same name. The novel was first published in London on 12 October 1979. It sold 250,000 copies in the first three months.
The namesake of the novel is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a fictional guide book for hitchhikers (inspired by the Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe) written in the form of an encyclopaedia.
Also contained in:
- [The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Four Parts][1]
- [The More than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide][2]
[1]: openlibrary.org/works/OL2163692W [2]: openlibrary.org/works/OL2163713W
A book I keep returning to.
5 stars
How many times have I read this book? 10? 20? Audiobooks read by multiple narrators, the single edition of the book, the collected trilogy, the collected trilogy in four parts, all the different radio plays, the re-collected trilogy in five parts, the Vogon poetry tributes, etc.
Yet, still, I encounter things I don't remember.
How is it that I can't just quote it, verbatim from memory at this point?
How many times have I read this book? 10? 20? Audiobooks read by multiple narrators, the single edition of the book, the collected trilogy, the collected trilogy in four parts, all the different radio plays, the re-collected trilogy in five parts, the Vogon poetry tributes, etc.
Yet, still, I encounter things I don't remember.
How is it that I can't just quote it, verbatim from memory at this point?
Absurd gøy
At eg har unngått denne!
For ei bok. Morosam, full av eventyr, absurd. Dette var noko for meg.
Mix between Sci-Fi and Comedy
5 stars
A fun mix between Sci-Fi and Comedy. Short and light to read, highly recomennded. Made me laugh multiple times.
Louis reviewed The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Lighthearted and imaginative science fiction
5 stars
Plus you'll understand many more pop culture references!
Plus you'll understand many more pop culture references!
andrescs reviewed Guía del autoestopista galáctico by Douglas Adams
Review of 'Guía del autoestopista galáctico' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
No soy aficionado a las novelas de ciencia-ficción ni tampoco a las de humor especialmente, pero sentía curiosidad por este título desde hacía tiempo por su aura pop de culto y tenía ganas de comprobar cómo mezclaba ambos géneros.
En términos generales logra ser ágil y entretenido, aunque más al inicio y al final y menos por en medio, cuando se ocupa de ampliar los horizontes del universo narrativo (literalmente, recordemos que va de viajeros espaciales). Algo de esperar, en tanto que Douglas Adams era quizá guionista antes que literato y... ya se sabe lo que pasa con la sacrosanta norma de que el principio y el final enganchen y sorprendan.
Me gusta su manera muy personal y arriesgada de usar los deus ex machina (algo ajeno a la historia que aparece de repente y resuelve los problemas, ejemplo desde Aristóteles de lo que no hay que hacer) para insinuar …
No soy aficionado a las novelas de ciencia-ficción ni tampoco a las de humor especialmente, pero sentía curiosidad por este título desde hacía tiempo por su aura pop de culto y tenía ganas de comprobar cómo mezclaba ambos géneros.
En términos generales logra ser ágil y entretenido, aunque más al inicio y al final y menos por en medio, cuando se ocupa de ampliar los horizontes del universo narrativo (literalmente, recordemos que va de viajeros espaciales). Algo de esperar, en tanto que Douglas Adams era quizá guionista antes que literato y... ya se sabe lo que pasa con la sacrosanta norma de que el principio y el final enganchen y sorprendan.
Me gusta su manera muy personal y arriesgada de usar los deus ex machina (algo ajeno a la historia que aparece de repente y resuelve los problemas, ejemplo desde Aristóteles de lo que no hay que hacer) para insinuar que nuestras vidas avanzan y dan vuelcos casi siempre a partir de cosas absolutamente imprevistas y de que el mero hecho de que existamos es materialización de una improbabilidad loca. También me gusta su acercamiento a la inteligencia artificial y la relación amistosa que pinta entre humanos y ordenadores. Por ahí conserva su vigencia.
Pero su estilo, entendido en un sentido más amplio, no me agrada tanto. Hay destellos líricos puntuales, pero confía excesivamente en el uso del disparate para hacer gracia. Es un tipo de recurso que en la tele funciona muy bien, pero en literatura a mí se me hace pesado y me inspira caducidad en el texto (o sea, que no quiero leerlo más de una vez).
Reitero que nunca me ha cautivado la literatura pop, subcultural, de entretenimiento, de género o de quiosco si esto conlleva de alguna manera falta de capas o el centrarse demasiado en un concepto o idea reconocible y machacarlo. Creo que Guía del autoestopista galáctico consigue desmarcarse de eso en parte, pero no completo.
Vamos, que está bien. 3 estrellas.
This was a radio play first?!?
5 stars
I had no idea! I’ve read the Hitchhiker’s books before, and I knew it was performed for radio, but I always thought the book came first.
As for the radio version, the Primary Phase is a delight. The voice actors are all top notch, especially Stephen Moore as Marvin the Paranoid Android, and the writing was so ahead of its time for the 70s (and the 80s and 90s, for that matter). I would easily pay 30 Alterian dollars a day to listen to this again and again.
dsctm3 reviewed The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Little reason to read the book if you're already seen the movie
5 stars
The book doesn't go into entirely too much detail than the movie portrays. Still an awesome story worthy if reading if you haven't, but you'll want to save your time if you've watched it already.
The book doesn't go into entirely too much detail than the movie portrays. Still an awesome story worthy if reading if you haven't, but you'll want to save your time if you've watched it already.
th3noname@bookwyrm.social reviewed The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide #1)
42
5 stars
One of the best sci-fi novels ever written.
twisterrm@bookwyrm.gatti.ninja reviewed Guida galattica per gli autostoppisti by Douglas Adams (Piccola biblioteca Oscar)
Un must read
5 stars
È il libro che consiglio di leggere a tutti, posso dire che ha rappresentato per me una parte importante della mia vita. Lo rileggo spesso e non faccio a meno di divertirmi ogni volta.
È il libro che consiglio di leggere a tutti, posso dire che ha rappresentato per me una parte importante della mia vita. Lo rileggo spesso e non faccio a meno di divertirmi ogni volta.
Review of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy : Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Book 1" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
42 years later and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is still as absurdly funny, insanely perceptive and shockingly relevant as ever.
I still love the babel fish!
42 years later and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is still as absurdly funny, insanely perceptive and shockingly relevant as ever.
I still love the babel fish!
Review of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy : Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Book 1" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
42 years later and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is still as absurdly funny, insanely perceptive and shockingly relevant as ever.
I still love the babel fish!
42 years later and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is still as absurdly funny, insanely perceptive and shockingly relevant as ever.
I still love the babel fish!
debby_joyblue reviewed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1)
Review of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
4.5 The middle-aged me is still every bit as delighted by this science fiction comedy as the teen me was shortly after its publication. Read my full review here.
Amanda reviewed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Review of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I didn’t like it as much as an adult as I did as a child, perhaps because it feels a bit cliché now. Possibly because it started those clichées.
Review of "The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Most of the fun stems from its unpredictability. There are also some hilarious quotes in here. But, besides its gags, it doesn't have a lot to offer. The only theme to it is that (human) life is largely insignificant. But it's only explored superficially. Especially when rereading, the book can become somewhat of a bore.
Most of the fun stems from its unpredictability. There are also some hilarious quotes in here. But, besides its gags, it doesn't have a lot to offer. The only theme to it is that (human) life is largely insignificant. But it's only explored superficially. Especially when rereading, the book can become somewhat of a bore.
