this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - 1979 (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by arotrios@lemmy.world to c/books@lemmy.ml
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cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/13thFloor/t/476755

Don't panic, and bring a towel.

For seasoned galactic travelers, if you're looking for the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which includes:

  • Hitchhiker's Guide
  • The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
  • Life, the Universe, and Everything
  • So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
  • Young Zaphod Plays It Safe
  • Mostly Harmless

... this wormhole should get you there.

Also, upon conferring with both Space and Ice Pirates, I've been persuaded to also provide their contribution here in honor of the late, great Douglas Adams.

Now could you guys please untie my cats and get them off the plank?

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[–] Oneeightnine@feddit.uk 30 points 1 year ago

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move

[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The last time I went through this book I did it on audio format, read by Stephen Fry. It was glorious.

[–] Sylvartas@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The original BBC radio series ain't half bad either

[–] lyam23@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It's great for sure, but it differs from the book in quite a few ways. Just as the television show differed from the books and the movie differed from the TV show. All are strongly recommended!

[–] urhovaldeko@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I think only the first one is Fry, the rest are read by Martin Freeman aka Arthur from the movie.

[–] Syldon@feddit.uk 13 points 1 year ago

An undeniable classic. Still one of my favourite book series of all time.

[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

If you feel like listening to Stephen Fry talking in your ears for 6 hours (why the heck wouldn't you), I Highly recommend getting the audiobook.

[–] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Or just listen to the original BBC radio series, from which the book was adapted.

https://archive.org/details/s01e00hhgttgdouglasadamsbbcboo - Track 10 is S1e1

The, great Peter Jones deliciously dry as The Book/Narrator

[–] ranoss@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My favorite of all time.

I like the tv series from bbc as well, it’s a great watch. The movie was fun but not as good in my opinion.

When everyone was really getting into the movie Don’t Look Up last year I watched it and all it did was make me sad and annoyed so I went back and rewatched the HtG series. Much better experience in all aspects.

[–] Oneeightnine@feddit.uk 6 points 1 year ago

I've still got a lot of time for the film from '05. Great casting and some genuinely stand out moments.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oooh, I've never seen the Martin Freeman version. How does it compare to the 81 BBC series?

[–] nowitsabby@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's been quite a long time since I watched it, but it felt to me like halfway through they just decided to do a completely different story.

I remember not liking it as a result, but I was much more concerned with how faithful an adaptation was in my youth. YMMV

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago

That sounds like how I felt about the Confessions of a Shopaholic movie. It was perfectly passable but it also felt like they tried to cram the entire series into one 90 minute movie

[–] hakase@lemm.ee -1 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I've never understood the love for these books. I tried my damnedest to read them, but quit halfway through the third book once I irretrievably lost what little ever existed of the plot and hadn't cracked a smile in over a hundred pages.

[–] Sinnerman@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

what little ever existed of the plot

The plot isn't really the point.

hadn’t cracked a smile in over a hundred pages.

Apparently one of the reasons for the historic rivalry between France and England was their different senses of humor, with the French wit considered much classier. Anyway, plenty of people would agree with you, though I think the books are hilarious.

[–] Syldon@feddit.uk 1 points 1 year ago

I saw HGTG posted on a reddit book forum about 2 years back: it was slated badly. It really put me off a reread. Comments like it hadn't age well, and just plain silly came to mind. I caved and started it again. I was hooked from page 1 all over again. It really does fall into the marmite book category.

[–] ranoss@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I really like them because they feel like how the inside of my brain looks. It may be that you don’t jive with how Adam’s writes? He did Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency if you want to try another series but if it’s not for you no worries.

Plenty of books out there.

[–] HipPriest@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Tbh, I think the first two books are the best and it finishes perfectly for me there. It feels like that's where he was on a roll creatively and his heart was really still into it. That might not actually be true, but that's how it feels.

Douglas Adams himself didn't like the third book although I still like bits of it. The fourth and fifth I don't enjoy much - they're not bad books, just not very funny.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago

I’ve never understood the love for these books.

It's basically an internet meme before internet memes existed (that's not meant to be derogatory)

It's just fun, quirky, and irrelevant camp.

[–] solivine@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

I didn't laugh at all reading them, and I did occasionally lose track of the plot, but I absolutely enjoyed the books for their creativity and writing. I found it flowed well, and it was like looking into how the author thinks and feels. As with all art though, the experience is very subjective.