Review of Hitchhiker’s

When I picked up The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for the first time, it had been months, if not years, since I had read anything cover to cover that was not for school. I had started several books, but I never got around to finishing any of them, either because I didn’t have time or they just didn’t captivate my attention.

When I went to the library finally looking for something to read after all this time, a little book by Douglas Adams called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy caught my eye. It had repeatedly been highly recommended to me, so I thought I’d give it a try.

At less than 200 pages (the exact number varies based on the edition), it was certainly a fast read. Additionally, the short chapters (probably about 1.5 pages on average) made it feel like the story was moving really quickly, keeping me engaged.

The language author Douglas Adams uses is remarkably tongue-in-cheek, informal, and lighthearted, which is another thing I love about this book. It’s as if the author is speaking directly to the reader in an almost satirical tone. For example, when the author is explaining the concept of the improbability drive, an important element of the story, he concludes the chapter with the following:

“It startled him even more when just after he was awarded the Galactic Institute’s Prize for Extreme Cleverness he got lynched by a rampaging mob of respectable physicists who had finally realized that the one thing they really couldn’t stand was a smart-ass.”

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a classic science fiction comedy. The plot of the book follows Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Tricia McMillan (aka Trillian) as they inadvertently and rather unwillingly come together and go on an adventure into the far reaches of the galaxy. However, it was not the plot that kept me engaged. It was the seemingly inconsequential occurrences throughout the novel that had me laughing out loud and waiting for more, like when the story about the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything is told, or when Arthur says, “Ford, you’re turning into a penguin. Stop it,” or “there’s an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they’ve worked out”.

Overall, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a hilariously engaging novel. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, although some of the humor might be more appropriate or make more sense to readers who are at least 13. It is an incredibly easy read, and I guarantee that if you like the novel, you will think it ended too soon and wish for more. Luckily, there are four more books that continue the story written by Douglas Adams, and a sixth and final book written by Eoin Colfer. Now what are you waiting for? Go join that mismatched bunch on their journey already!