'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' discussion

[Singin Hobo]

Part of the Sci-fi/Fantasy GW Book Club (http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=536568)

This is probably my third reading of this title in the past few years and as always it’s very entertaining.

I will say this to complain, and I think it’s about all british comedy that I’ve been exposed to and not just this book… everything is about the joke and not so much about the story. I wouldn’t mind if they sacrificed a few of the clever turns of phrase in favor of telling a compelling story for a change every now and then, y’know. Hitchhiker’s Guide is incredibly funny, but at the same time can get a bit dull… for crying out loud it got to a point that mice are doing experiments on people… COME ON! That’s not funny, it’s just retarded. And that long, drawn out confrontation with the policemen at the end (who didn’t really seem to be from anywhere that had to do with anything) which seemed only to exist to make a joke of Marvin’s depressing nature, which again, was sorta funny… but that’s pretty much how the freaking book ended. :grr: Yes, I realize that I’m now your worst enemy. Bring it on. :tease2:

Oh well… I guess after a few readings you tend to pick out the problems more and more. In a book that held few surprises for me there’s not much else to say about it. I do still love the concept of a computer that takes 7 million years to come up with an “answer” only for the answer to not have ever had a question to begin with.

I’m curious, for those of you who have read the book and seen the movie, how did you think it compared? I know that Douglas Adams had been a part of the film’s creation before his death and he even integrated some of the changes himself, so I can’t really say that I have any complaints about the differences. Overall, the more in-depth love story was pretty silly and I can’t really tear myself away from that gun thing that makes people empathetic. And the role of the mice in the film only went on to increase my hatred for them in any form, book or film.

[Tome]

I've read the book twice in my life, and I enjoyed it both times.

I can't really say a whole lot, since I haven't read it in a while, but I didn't really notice any "problems" with it. I enjoyed the book, and I really enjoyed the rest of the series (which no one else seems to think is worth reading).

I can see the problem about the plot, though. Where the book ended wasn't the original ending, but the deadline hit and there's where Adams was (if I remember reading correctly). Any book in the comedy genre is difficult to give a deep plot, in the same sense that watching the movie Dodgeball doesn't really require much thinking.

I've not really read any other sci-fi/comedy, so I don't have much to compare it to. I've not ever heard of any other book in both those categories, so that's obviously the best of the best (most would agree). I can't really compare it to any of the comedy/fantasty novels I've read, because the difference is so great.

I didn't really care for the movie. It was okay, but it wasn't great. I'd rather re-read the book.

Well, I know I didn't have a whole lot to add, but I'm trying.

[Singin Hobo]

I enjoyed the others in the series, too an I'll be reading them again in the next few months at some point... my complaints with those is that he then tried to salvage something more meaningful and solid that wasn't there before and that involved him going back and undoing a lot of the things he did in this and other earlier books.

[Digital Emu]

I don't know if there was ever meant to be any "deep meaning" to the books. I think the main point of them is that life is, mostly, absurd and that we shouldn't take it too seriously. Life, the universe, and everything is too complex and intricate to wrap our heads around, lest we go insane. So why not take it all with a grain of salt?

It's like any other comedy. If you analyze it too much you wonder why it was funny to begin with. Man getting hit in the balls with a sledgehammer, for instance. Sounds funny, but when you think about it, why is it funny? Because he might not be able to have children? Because he'll be in agony for who knows how long? At least that's my take. Take the book for what it's worth, and that's humor with some jabs at the scientific and religious communities.

[Singin Hobo]

I don't think it's too much to ask to have a story that makes sense and comes together. You can't just say, "It's a comedy" and then let the writer change the story and characters on a whim just because it doesn't have to make sense.

[Digital Emu]

If you're talking about the later books then you do have a point. I remember reading somewhere that, in the later books, Adams was dealing with a lot of depression which might explain a lot of the story and character changes. I think there was meant to be more but because of that and a sudden, unfortunate heart attack, we won't get anything else. It's why I consider the first three books to be a trilogy and the other two to be side stories, or alternate possibilities (can't think of a better name for it).

[Bandicoot]

Of course there was a deep meaning to the book. 42, right?

The film was average, and I really didn't like the stuff with John Malkovitch, and Trillian getting kidnapped etc.

[Isis]

I thought the movie was good for what it is worth. Its a bit difficult to translate a book like that into a movie, I would think. As for the book itself, I had fun reading it just for the brain candy factor. Some parts were boringly slow and some were absurdly there to fill plot holes and/or make things go quicker. Its been a while since I've read the book, so I can't think of a specific place off the top of my head, but I do remember several times going back and re-reading just to make sure I didn't just skip a page or 10.