The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything? Many philosophers ponder this their entire lifes. Everyone can make theories on why everything is and why it will be, but those who read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will already know the answer; 42. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was a hilarious clever novel that left the reader laughing every minute. The author Douglas Adams truly did make a classic that can be reread and enjoyed. His thought provoking humor and the story were golden to every word; each paragraph invited more time to be spent reading. The length of the first book felt perfectly timed along with the plot, and every pun and metaphor was understood clearly.

The book starts off with the protagonist Arthur Dent having a terrible day when his house is being torn down to make way for a bypass. His horrible day only escalates when he narrowly escapes death with the destruction of his planet to make way for a hyperspace bypass. His friend, Ford Prefect, reveals himself to be an alien, and saves Arthur’s life by flying him off the planet to outer space. More drama happens, Arthur listens to terrible poetry, and the party of two meet with Ford Prefect’s semi-cousin Zaphod Beeblebrox, the President of the Galaxy. The reader also meets a depressed robot named Marvin and an old beautiful friend of Author’s, Trillian. From here the story and comedy only escalate, evolving to become a fantastic read.

The book found ways to fit in humor in all the right places. Each joke was spaced at the right point and they were all funny. No joke seemed boring or repetitive; every chapter had jokes that would leave you smiling stupid and quietly laughing. It is hard to make someone laugh while reading a book, and yet Douglas Adams found a formula to make it work. He set up unexpected moments of hilarity, and created ridicules events to move each chapter to the next. At one point Marvin the robot had a conversation with a computer who was threatening all of the main characters. The conversation became so depressing that the computer committed suicide, saving the crew. This moment is only one example on how funny and unpredictable this book can be.

This book deserves the hype that is made about it (mostly made in the UK). It captivates its audience with its imaginative story and older humor. To those old enough to appreciate its comedy, there is a book out there calling to you. This short novel has no downsides. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has only one directive, and that is to make someone enjoy a good book. The book’s issues, including the answer to the universe, ingeniously state an opinion on the reader in a clever way. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a must-read book to anyone reading this review. Now hurry and read it, before the Earth ends up being destroyed to make way for an intergalactic food court.