Thursday, May 23, 2013

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Being a fan of sci-fi and fantasy, I knew the reputation of Hitchhiker before I even began thinking of reading it. I knew it was a cult classic with a movie and a fan base parallel to Star Trek or Doctor Who. Russell T. Davies, TV Producer and a writer of Doctor Who even gave Hitchhiker a forward: " …in my whole life, I can’t remember a book being so shared. We owned it with pride, so many of us – not just the elite, but the whole range.”
The adventures of Arthur Dent,  a human taken from Earth by his alien friend, Ford Perfect (a name at which I giggled), right before Earth is destroyed to make way for an intergalactic freeway, are comedic rays of brilliance. Some of the British humor that the book is drenched in works for the American reader. I was afraid at first that the humor was going to be stupid, only knowing jokes from the book such as 42 being the answer to the meaning of life and "don't panic." As I read through the book, I couldn't stop laughing.
I took my dog to the dog park and read this book, and in between stopping my dog from lying in the mud and cracking up at the blunt satire this book has to offer, I had a conversation with a man (actually named Arthur) who loved the book and even had a tattoo on his forearm of a giant "42."
Hitchhiker has it's own personality that will put stitches in the side of everyone - no matter if they like sci-fi/fantasy or Nicholas Sparks.
It's a short book, but filled with some legendary quotes. 10/10 would recommend.
And remember, in case of interstellar travel, grab a towel and don't panic.

Trailer to movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGNcoB2Y4I

And for you fans of BBC's Sherlock, Martin Freeman (Doctor John Watson) plays Arthur Dent. He's adorable.

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