The BOOK/MOVIE Club discussion

Discuss "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" with us here!

loved the book once it got going. bit heavy with all the descriptions at the beginning but it was great

The unpredictable, whimsical way the story progresses has made it a real page-turner for me. Love the random tangents and improbable scenarios! Arthur makes for a great fish-out-of-water lead character to introduce us to the rules of this universe.

A few more days until we can post our final reviews! What are you thinking of the writing style so far? Who's your favorite character? Remember ***no spoilers*** until after the due date! 🙅🏻(:

My book just arrived in the mail today! So excited to finally start it, is anyone else still reading?

Kiya- I'm glad you're getting a chance to read this great book! This thread will always be open, so everyone can read at their own pace and continue discussing it. We'll avoid mentioning spoilers in the meantime :)

Akram - I fully agree with your assessment of the story. And we definitely will read the sequels in the near future!

Here's my pitch to those who haven't read Hitchhiker's: If you’re a fan of wacky, weird characters going on equally wacky, weird adventures- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1) is the book for you! Douglas Adams packs the short 180 page book with fun, out of this world factoids which the reader must hold on to if they wish to find any sense of stability while stumbling through the Galaxy. The anti-hero team provides that sense of stability with their backstories and vibrant personalities. The relatable characters were a highlight for me and pushed it to my favorites list.

Furthermore, the book puts our lives into perspective. Forget political affiliations, mundane 9-5 jobs, every geographical location that you've ever come to know... By the end you'll find the earth and our lives aren't so significant in the grand scheme of things!

Hitchhiker's Guide is a philosophical journey of the absurd. A place where ~weird~ rules and anything is possible. Adam’s touches on many philosophical questions to back his wacky universe in the first novel of the series. For example, what is human’s place in the larger universe? How would AI interact with biological intelligent life forms (consider Marvin and Deep Thought)? What is the relationship between happiness and intelligence? What is considered to be ethical when considering the greater good? Most importantly, What the $#@& is The Meaning of Life?

Adams provides intelligent, humorous answers to each question which I genuinely appreciated. He touches on these questions with an existentialist, even absurdist viewpoint, which heavily reminded me of Albert Camus, and uses probability to show readers how miraculous it is that things even exist the way they do (infinite probability drive). By the end, I realized that Adam’s ideas were not as far fetched as they may seem during their blunt presentation. Instead they were vibrant fantastical examples of life’s incredulity.

Alright, the part you've all been waiting for... Would I recommend Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?! 100%, Yes! Across any generation. It’s an easy, fun, read that picks at your sense of reality in a hilariously candid manner. As an adult, I can focus on the philosophical themes of absurdity and laugh at humans relevance compared to the mass universe. As a kid, I would be thrilled at the fun alien characters, the snappy robots, and colorful worlds.
Overall rating: 10/10 Gold Starz

Any podcast review of this one. Great review I do agree with loving the absurd to see the randomness in life and enjoy it while you can.

I completely loved this book! The perspective of life from the intergalactic communities was really unique, particularly how Earth was so insignificant in the grand design of the Universe - fantastic! I think it worked really well as a stand alone book so I don't feel compelled to read the rest of the series right now. Has anyone read the other books? If so are they as good?

Kiya wrote: "I completely loved this book! The perspective of life from the intergalactic communities was really unique, particularly how Earth was so insignificant in the grand design of the Universe - fantast..."

I'm glad you felt the same way we did. And yes, it does work perfectly as a standalone story, which is probably why I haven't read the rest of the series yet either... We may eventually read the sequel here in upcoming months!

I've heard from fans of the series that the first four books are excellent, while the fifth and final installment is weaker by comparison.