Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Discussion

[butlerfan]

I haven't read it yet...been sick and feeling like death warmed over.

[marygracerich]

Ok. I don't go here but I lurk from time to time. Hitchhikers is one of my all time favorites. The concept with the towel makes me smile so much.
I have read all 5 of the books in the series. I actually didn't finish the last because it was just so boring. Unfortunately they get duller and duller as you read on.

[girlonabike]

Love the whole series. Douglas Adams was amazing.

All of the parts are my favorite parts, but Trillian is my favorite character and it aggravates me to no end that the characters that play her on the screen get it so....wrong. She's not a blonde bimbo (Sandra Dickinson). She's not an emotional waif (Zoey Daschanel). She's an extremely smart astrophysicist that hates herself to incredible degree. She wants to be as far away from herself as she can be, and has no idea that's the case.
When some weirdo at a party mentions that he has a space ship and would she like to check it out, she's all YES, YES I WOULD. And goes with said weirdo. Dude could have been a homicidal maniac, but it didn't matter because at least it wasn't where she was. (Turns out, dude wasn't quite a homicidal maniac, but pretty close--Zaphod.)

She changes her name from Tricia McMillan to Trillian Astra.

When she finds out the Earth has been demolished to make way for a bypass, she's just....meh. Whatev. No sadness. No regret. In fact, it almost seems she's relieved.

When she has a daughter, Random, who is too much of a reminder of herself--she becomes a damn galaxy news reporter just so she can get far, far away from her.

She has issues.

[girlonabike]

(deleting double post)

[icedtea]

I didn't end up rereading this, but I enjoyed it a lot when I first did. I haven't seen any on-screen adaptations (I have an instinctual dislike of Zooey D). I also never attempted to read any of the other books. Sounds like they may not be worth it?

[ellabee]

This was on my "to read" list for ages and ages. I finally got the audiobook through my library a few months ago.

I thought it was a fun ride. I liked exploring the "Galaxy world". Adams has such a great imagination and every little tidbit about different planets/races was fun.

I liked how the book combined the whimsical things like the improbability drive with practical things like "always have a towel", while at the same time posing/asking really philosophical concepts.

Marvin - hilarious.

I'm on the wait list for the next audiobook in the series.

[billyhorrible]

I love this book. I haven't read it in years and years but I read the entire series.

I have never liked at dolphins the same way since reading it.

[marshian]

I've read this before, years ago, but re-read it this week. Thankfully it's a short book.

Favorite parts: In general, I just like the characters and how their personalities are portrayed. You have an entire range of emotions and reactions to the crazy situations they get into. There are parts of the book which have stuck with me since I first read it:
- "So long and thanks for all the fish"
- Thursdays being not great
- 42
- But what is the Ultimate Question?
- Don't Panic

Something else which struck me the first time and again this time, and every time I see or hear it somewhere is when Slartibartfast says "I'd far rather be happy than right any day." I struggle with that in my every day life. I have always had a thing about being right, but have realized sometimes it's for the better to suck it up in order to be happy instead.

Question for the group: How do you feel about humans and the Earth being one big experiment?

[wannabmama]

I did not read...I have always wanted to read this, too. I just haven't been reading much at all (one negative of no super long commute anymore). But, I have it in my queue to read some day and am enjoying seeing what you guys like about it, even if most of it makes no sense to me, ha!

[billyhorrible]

Sept 26, 2016 19:18:26 GMT -5 jennykat said:

Sept 26, 2016 6:39:44 GMT -5 icedtea said:

I didn't end up rereading this, but I enjoyed it a lot when I first did. I haven't seen any on-screen adaptations (I have an instinctual dislike of Zooey D). I also never attempted to read any of the other books. Sounds like they may not be worth it?

I love the full series. The story takes some turns (it can't stay quite that madcap forever!) but it's still good. I've even read the unofficial continuation book by Eoin Colfer. That... was not as good.

Yes

[billyhorrible]

Sept 26, 2016 14:39:42 GMT -5 marshian said:

Question for the group: How do you feel about humans and the Earth being one big experiment?

I don't really have a problem with it conceptually. If you're religious, than the idea of creationism is kind of like an experiment where an all powerful being creates something than watches and tweaks it to its liking. If you're more scientific, well the idea fits, it's just lacking the initial set of hands. But there's still experimentation on what works (us) and doesn't work (poor Dodo).

[diamondsndaisies]

I still haven't gotten to read this. I've had it on hold from the library and I'm still 8th in line.

[marshian]

Sept 26, 2016 21:18:35 GMT -5 billyhorrible said:

Sept 26, 2016 14:39:42 GMT -5 marshian said:

Question for the group: How do you feel about humans and the Earth being one big experiment?

I don't really have a problem with it conceptually. If you're religious, than the idea of creationism is kind of like an experiment where an all powerful being creates something than watches and tweaks it to its liking. If you're more scientific, well the idea fits, it's just lacking the initial set of hands. But there's still experimentation on what works (us) and doesn't work (poor Dodo).

That was a great way to put it. I'm very logic/science-minded, so I like the idea of it being an experiment. I really like how there is no result to the experiment, so we don't know the Ultimate Question. Allows us to determine what it means for us personally.