The Guide to Life, the Universe, and Everything

By Anthony M.

Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a comedic novel detailing the story of improbable space travelers who journey the galaxy in search of adventure. The story starts on Earth with an average human, Arthur Dent, who is saved from Earth's destruction by Ford Prefect, a professional hitchhiker. These characters travel from ship to ship across the galaxy and encounter several of the universe's most obscure mysteries, ultimately discovering the true meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Douglas Adams displays his own unique humor throughout the novel. From culture shock to situational irony, this book is sure to make even the most serious chuckle. Adams develops the novel extremely well with his use of imagery and dialogue, however, the plot suffers from an abrupt and hurried resolution. The universe Adams molds is extraordinary, but after the climax it seems that Adams tries to wrap up the story as quickly as possible. In the closing chapters Adams tries to drop the mic or walk away from an exploding building without looking back, but ends up confusing the readers with new information and tries too hard to relay some deep, metaphorical knowledge.

This book is a must-read for any fan of science fiction or anyone in need of a good laugh. The minor flaws are easily overshadowed by the general exposition and uniqueness of it all. This book will give you all of the answers you seek in life, as long as you ask the right questions.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 1979, 215 pages