Publication
Penguin Books Ltd (2009), Edition: Open market ed
Description
In this sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, Arthur Dent has finally made it home to Earth, only to discover that it is about to be blown up ... again. What could a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese have to do with all of this?
User reviews
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: By the end of Mostly Harmless, Arthur Dent had finally made it back to Earth - well, an Earth, if not exactly his Earth. However, his being back on Earth made it that much easier for the Vogons to complete their mission of destroying the Earth and all of its inhabitants, in the name of a
Review: When presented with And Another Thing..., the obvious first question is "Can you really have a Hitchhiker's book without Douglas Adams?" And the answer, I'm happy to report, is "on the 'mostly' end of 'sort of'."
That waffly statement is a result of the patchy nature of the book. There were individual scenes that are funny enough to compete with Adams at his best, and then there were bits that just didn't work for me at all. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the parts that worked best were the parts where Colfer took Adams's characters and ran with them in his own direction, and the parts that felt the most labored were the parts where Colfer was trying to match his humor exactly to Adams's style, and to cram in as much continuity as possible. For example, in the asides (here set off as "Guide Notes" and in different font), Colfer seemed determined to bring back every random (not Random) alien species Adams ever mentioned, without realizing that the reason those bits were so funny was because they were thoroughly unexpected and unconnected one-offs.
On the other hand, I absolutely laughed out loud more than once, was giggling constantly, and at one point in the middle I caught myself thinking "Man, I like Adams's books so much better when they involve the Norse Gods."... before it dawned on me that And Another Thing... was not actually written by the same man who wrote The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. That's pretty high praise. Colfer undeniably had some huge shoes to fill, and while they don't quite fit him perfectly (...yet; he did seem to get more comfortable inhabiting Adams's universe as the book went on), neither did he trip over them and fall down the stairs. Besides, any book that starts with quotes from Douglas Adams and Tenacious D, and uses the word "sarcastigating" in a sentence gets a thumbs up from me.
But, sadly: No Marvin. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: If you go into this book expecting a Douglas Adams book, you're probably going to be disappointed. But if you go in expecting an Eoin Colfer book written in the Hitchhiker's universe, then it's a fun, enjoyable, and mostly harmless read. (Heh.)
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hyperspace bypass and bureaucratic completeness. Arthur, Trillian, their daughter Random, and Ford Prefect are saved once again, and set out on yet another journey across time and space, meeting up with some old friends (Zaphod), enemies (Vogon Captain Prostetnic Jeltz), gods (Thor, along with the rest of the Norse pantheon), kneebiting jerks (Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged), and tackling new challenges, like overzealous real-estate-developers-slash-cult leaders, the terrors of dark-matter enhanced love, and a giant wheel of cheese (Gouda... or maybe cheddar.) Review: When presented with And Another Thing..., the obvious first question is "Can you really have a Hitchhiker's book without Douglas Adams?" And the answer, I'm happy to report, is "on the 'mostly' end of 'sort of'."
That waffly statement is a result of the patchy nature of the book. There were individual scenes that are funny enough to compete with Adams at his best, and then there were bits that just didn't work for me at all. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the parts that worked best were the parts where Colfer took Adams's characters and ran with them in his own direction, and the parts that felt the most labored were the parts where Colfer was trying to match his humor exactly to Adams's style, and to cram in as much continuity as possible. For example, in the asides (here set off as "Guide Notes" and in different font), Colfer seemed determined to bring back every random (not Random) alien species Adams ever mentioned, without realizing that the reason those bits were so funny was because they were thoroughly unexpected and unconnected one-offs.
On the other hand, I absolutely laughed out loud more than once, was giggling constantly, and at one point in the middle I caught myself thinking "Man, I like Adams's books so much better when they involve the Norse Gods."... before it dawned on me that And Another Thing... was not actually written by the same man who wrote The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. That's pretty high praise. Colfer undeniably had some huge shoes to fill, and while they don't quite fit him perfectly (...yet; he did seem to get more comfortable inhabiting Adams's universe as the book went on), neither did he trip over them and fall down the stairs. Besides, any book that starts with quotes from Douglas Adams and Tenacious D, and uses the word "sarcastigating" in a sentence gets a thumbs up from me.
But, sadly: No Marvin. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: If you go into this book expecting a Douglas Adams book, you're probably going to be disappointed. But if you go in expecting an Eoin Colfer book written in the Hitchhiker's universe, then it's a fun, enjoyable, and mostly harmless read. (Heh.)
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LibraryThing member tcarter
It has to be said that I approached this with some trepidation. Was it really possible for another author to capture the world of Arthur, Ford and the Babel fish? I need not have feared. Eoin Colfer has triumphed in capturing the language style, the heart of the characters and the sheer
In the background of this review is the fact that I thought that the fifth book in the series was one too far. I loved "So long and thanks for all the fish" and felt satisfied at the resolutions found there. Fenchurch and Arthur warmed my heart, Marvin's eventual release, and God's final message to creation seemed to provide a consistent and satisfying conclusion to the Guide. Resurrection for "mostly harmless" seemed cruel and unnecessary. Colfer has redeemed some of this for me, though, all things considered, I wish that the series stopped at IV, but given that it didn't, I'm glad that VI was written.
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implausibility of plotting pioneered by Douglas Adams. There is a nice balance of continuity with the previous books in the series with innovation and exploration of the multiverse. In the background of this review is the fact that I thought that the fifth book in the series was one too far. I loved "So long and thanks for all the fish" and felt satisfied at the resolutions found there. Fenchurch and Arthur warmed my heart, Marvin's eventual release, and God's final message to creation seemed to provide a consistent and satisfying conclusion to the Guide. Resurrection for "mostly harmless" seemed cruel and unnecessary. Colfer has redeemed some of this for me, though, all things considered, I wish that the series stopped at IV, but given that it didn't, I'm glad that VI was written.
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LibraryThing member SonicQuack
Not having read a HG2G book in many years it was easy not to get hung up on the intricacies of how close it comes to the previous entries. What Colffer provides is an enjoyable sci-fi romp, which frequently steps from the witty in to the ridiculous, with all the characters one would expect,
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including Vogons! The narrative never really provides any tension or real page-turning power, however the story wends its way through the universe with some interesting ideas and plenty of excerpts from the Guide to provide the required familiarity. The lack of propulsion ends in an unforgettable if somewhat amusing read. Sci-fi humour is a difficult genre to master, even Adams was hit and miss, and as such this is more hit than miss. Show Less
LibraryThing member hanque
A novel by Eoin Colfer: This has all of Douglas Adams's characters from the Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy and they are just as whacky as when Adams wrote the book. At first, I feared this new book would just rehash the old stories and plots, but there is a fresh material in here and it is funny.
This one gets an extra star for being one of those rare scifi novels; one that doesn't take itself serious. We need more scifi like this.
Four of five stars
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One of the additions is the gods of Asgard and another is a colony of old super-rich humans. The colony is on the to-do list of the Vogons who don't like to leave loose ends lying around.This one gets an extra star for being one of those rare scifi novels; one that doesn't take itself serious. We need more scifi like this.
Four of five stars
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LibraryThing member plabebob
A valiant attempt, but for the die-hard Adam's fan you can tell right away it's not his writing. Amusing in places & it does get better, but it doesn't quite fill that hole.
LibraryThing member Tmyers526
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't Douglas Adams. The guide notes were a bit annoying at times. Also, Trillian felt very out of character to me. I had so been looking forward to the book, but I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied.
LibraryThing member readafew
Eoin Colfer picked up Douglas Adams's torch to continue the HGttG series. We start with Arthur as an old man living on a beach, looking back on his long carefree life, then he wakes up. He discovers it's been a virtual life and he's still back on earth with about 30 minutes before total
I have to say that overall I did enjoy the book. It was very much in the vein of Douglas Adams, though I have to say at times Colfer seemed to be trying to hard to be like Adams in his writing and it got to be a bit much. I think the biggest irritant was Colfer had way too much fun writing the HG entries and making up stuff to be silly. I felt the number of articles was too many with all that exposition. However, when Eoin got going on telling the story I felt he did an excellent job and I really got caught up in it. Unless you are an Adams purist, if you enjoyed the other HG books I think this one will pass muster as well.
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destruction. And the fun begins.I have to say that overall I did enjoy the book. It was very much in the vein of Douglas Adams, though I have to say at times Colfer seemed to be trying to hard to be like Adams in his writing and it got to be a bit much. I think the biggest irritant was Colfer had way too much fun writing the HG entries and making up stuff to be silly. I felt the number of articles was too many with all that exposition. However, when Eoin got going on telling the story I felt he did an excellent job and I really got caught up in it. Unless you are an Adams purist, if you enjoyed the other HG books I think this one will pass muster as well.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
It cannot be an easy thing to walk in the footsteps of greatness. Eoin Colfer does a commendable of job capturing the fun and insanity of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series in this sixth part of the trilogy. It's a bit scattered but there are some truly laugh out loud moments and snippets of
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dialogue and outrageous detail. The narrator doesn't do as good a job with the voices as Douglas Adams did - Arthur sounds far too capable and Zaphod a bit too smarmy - but, overall, a valiant and mostly successful continuation of a mind-boggling series. Show Less
LibraryThing member kpolhuis
It is an homage to the big man, and I am glad that it was written. My hat off to Eoin.
LibraryThing member pauliharman
In parts witty, in parts trying too hard, this is a fun romp that picks up where Douglas finished off. Runs with a lot of Douglas's themes, but sadly not a huge amount of new ideas - basically playing in Adams' sandpit with his toys without adding too much new. I found this oddly non-gripping, but
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am not really sure why. Show Less
LibraryThing member JudithProctor
Colfer manages to copy Adam's style quite well. Which is probably why the book bored me and I never got around to finishing it...
Adam's was a great writer for radio and a poor writer of novels.
Adam's was a great writer for radio and a poor writer of novels.
LibraryThing member mysteena
I'm always disappointed when I try to read a contemporary sequel to a classic favorite, yet I fall for it time and again. Eoin Colfer tried to keep up with the spirit of Douglas Adams amazing work. I thought he did a great job of capturing the characters, and in some aspects he fleshed them out a
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bit more. However, the story itself was all over the place and the asides were just ridiculous. It felt that he was writing a mockery instead of homage. I listened to it (narrator was quite gifted, btw) and got all the way the the last disc and then couldn't bring myself to finish. I just couldn't stomach it any longer, not even to find out how the story resolved. Show Less
LibraryThing member plappen
Here is the sixth, and latest, installment in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy," created by Douglas Adams. It was also published with the approval of Adams’ widow.
Arthur Dent has made his way back to Earth, but it isn’t "his" Earth. The Vogons, with the extremely bad poetry, are
A small remnant of humanity has made its way to a planet called Nano, run by an Irish property developer named Hunter Hillman. He feels that the humans need a god to worship. The Norse God Thor is one of the applicants. A being named Wowbagger travels around the galaxy handing out insults on various planets. What follows is a titanic battle involving Wowbagger, Thor and a cheese-based deity.
For die-hard fans of the series, concerned that no one could do it like Adams, relax. Colfer is a veteran author who knows what he is doing, and it shows here. For those new to the series, read one or two of the early books first, and then read this. It’s really worth reading.
Arthur Dent has made his way back to Earth, but it isn’t "his" Earth. The Vogons, with the extremely bad poetry, are
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working on destroying all possible versions of Earth, so Arthur must take off, again. Ford Prefect, writer for the Guide, and Zaphod Beeblebrox, former president of the Galaxy, are still around. Tricia McMillan is a former TV reporter who ran away with Zaphod, just before the Earth was destroyed. She changed her name to Trillian, and used some of Arthur’s DNA to have Random, a daughter. Random is very smart, and has taken teenage surliness to new levels.A small remnant of humanity has made its way to a planet called Nano, run by an Irish property developer named Hunter Hillman. He feels that the humans need a god to worship. The Norse God Thor is one of the applicants. A being named Wowbagger travels around the galaxy handing out insults on various planets. What follows is a titanic battle involving Wowbagger, Thor and a cheese-based deity.
For die-hard fans of the series, concerned that no one could do it like Adams, relax. Colfer is a veteran author who knows what he is doing, and it shows here. For those new to the series, read one or two of the early books first, and then read this. It’s really worth reading.
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LibraryThing member steevc
A pretty good attempt at continuing the H2G2 series. Not enough Arthur for my tastes.
LibraryThing member mephit
First, I should admit I was prejudiced against this book from the start, seeing no reason for another author to take up Adams' mantle.
It wasn't a totally bad book. I thought Colfer achieved a similar tone to DA and it's nice to see those characters again. But there were some glaring mis-steps as
Colfer put in a lot of references to what had gone before in the series, but in a very clunky manner that seemed to say "Look, I read the books!" Throwaway characters and funny asides were dragged back and, worst of all , explained (like the collapsing Hrung disaster). Ghastly.
The sidenotes from the Hitchhiker's Guide itself were very badly formatted into this book, pasted straight into the text of the story. They were intrusive, not particularly funny and, worse again, not clever. Where this book really suffered was that there was a lack of ideas beyond the basic plot. Perhaps Colfer was afraid to stray far from the knowns of the Hitchhiker universe, but while Douglas Adams wasn't adverse to some low humour and punning, there were loads of ideas in what he wrote. His tangents were fun & inventive, while Colfer's were laboured and seemed desperate to tie up loose ends that never needed tying in the first place. He also totally rehashed some of Adams' fun ideas. If you remember Mr Prosser's hun ancestry manifesting itself in 'a thousand hairy horsemen shouting at him in his head', then another minor character's innerlife being depicted virtually identically seems lazy and, well, a bit of a poor show on Colfer's part.
Colfer also seemed afraid of Ford and Arthur, probably because they're so well-loved, and so they have extremely little to do in the novel, while we spent far more time with lesser characters. The depictions of Trillian and Zaphod didn't really work for me either, however.
I don't think Colfer did a bad job, and I liked what he did with Wowbagger, largely. Ultimately I think trying to bring back Hitchhiker was a mistake. I should think that fans were disappointed and critical, as I am, while those new to the series wouldn't be swept away by it.
It wasn't a totally bad book. I thought Colfer achieved a similar tone to DA and it's nice to see those characters again. But there were some glaring mis-steps as
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far as I was concerned: things like Arthur Dent being voted most likely to do, well, anything in his yearbook. To me, yearbooks seem very American and certainly not late '70s/early '80s England, and that's where Arthur came from. He was disconnected from his time (of still thinking 'digital watches were pretty neat') in a number of ways, and not in an appropriate-to-the-story science-fictiony way.Colfer put in a lot of references to what had gone before in the series, but in a very clunky manner that seemed to say "Look, I read the books!" Throwaway characters and funny asides were dragged back and, worst of all , explained (like the collapsing Hrung disaster). Ghastly.
The sidenotes from the Hitchhiker's Guide itself were very badly formatted into this book, pasted straight into the text of the story. They were intrusive, not particularly funny and, worse again, not clever. Where this book really suffered was that there was a lack of ideas beyond the basic plot. Perhaps Colfer was afraid to stray far from the knowns of the Hitchhiker universe, but while Douglas Adams wasn't adverse to some low humour and punning, there were loads of ideas in what he wrote. His tangents were fun & inventive, while Colfer's were laboured and seemed desperate to tie up loose ends that never needed tying in the first place. He also totally rehashed some of Adams' fun ideas. If you remember Mr Prosser's hun ancestry manifesting itself in 'a thousand hairy horsemen shouting at him in his head', then another minor character's innerlife being depicted virtually identically seems lazy and, well, a bit of a poor show on Colfer's part.
Colfer also seemed afraid of Ford and Arthur, probably because they're so well-loved, and so they have extremely little to do in the novel, while we spent far more time with lesser characters. The depictions of Trillian and Zaphod didn't really work for me either, however.
I don't think Colfer did a bad job, and I liked what he did with Wowbagger, largely. Ultimately I think trying to bring back Hitchhiker was a mistake. I should think that fans were disappointed and critical, as I am, while those new to the series wouldn't be swept away by it.
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LibraryThing member sharonlflynn
This is the sixth book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy and is written by Eoin Colfer.
I loved the original trilogy, when there were just three books. The fourth and fifth weren't of quite the same level of genius.
Eoin Colfer has made a decent stab of continuing the story, but I found
It is worth reading, but don't have high expectations.
I loved the original trilogy, when there were just three books. The fourth and fifth weren't of quite the same level of genius.
Eoin Colfer has made a decent stab of continuing the story, but I found
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this book very hit-and-miss. There were some moments of pure genius, especially in how he manages to bring the characters back from the dead, but some of it just doesn't work at all.It is worth reading, but don't have high expectations.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the 6th part of 3 in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Douglas Adams always wanted to have a sixth book in the series; and Eoin Colfer (best know for the Artemis Fowl series) was the writer chosen to write this sixth book. Overall it was an okay book. I read the original books so
Arthur, Ford, Random, and Trillian have spent a while living a life that they weren't really living. They awake to find that the alternate Earth that they are on is going to be destroyed; very familiar to the first book! They are rescued at the last minute by Zaphod who is piloting the Heart of Gold. Of course, things go wrong on The Heart of Gold and they are then about to die again when they are rescued by the immortal Bowerick. Bowerick agrees to help them if they can find a way to kill him. Zaphod readily agrees. From there they are off to the planet of Gods to convince Thor to kill Bowerick. The other part of the story involves the leader of the planet Nano and his search for a God for his planet; as the last colony of humans this story eventually ties in with the one involving Arthur and folks.
This was an interesting story. The plot is creative and the Guide Notes as intriguing and somewhat useless as they always were. The tone of the book seemed in keeping with the previous books (although my memory on the previous books is a bit vague). Still despite the non-stop action and constant stream of creative prattle, I had trouble staying engaged in this book.
Maybe it is because I haven't been involved with these characters in a long time, but I have trouble staying engaged in the characters or their story. Part of the problem was that it was like the story had ADD, it just couldn't stay going in one direction for very long. I remember the original books kind of being like that, but I think this was worse. With the interruptions of facts from the Guide occurring almost every page (okay, probably every other page) the continuity of the story was constantly interrupted. The story itself also schizophrenically switches between different characters and different locations.
Overall this was a somewhat interesting read. It kept with the humorous writing of the original series and had the constant splattering of odd and miscellaneous facts that I remember in previous books. I had trouble getting through the book though because neither the story nor the characters could really keep my interest. I think plot was a little to minced up and unfocused for me. I guess if you are a big fan of the series I would read this book; definitely don't use this book as an entry into the series...you will be totally confused if you do. The original four books still remain the best in my mind. Let's hope that this is the last we see of new books to the HHGTTG series.
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long ago that I had trouble comparing this book to the original. This book was very creative and had a similar tone to it that the previous books had. I found it hard to stay engaged in the story though with all the sidetracking that was going on.Arthur, Ford, Random, and Trillian have spent a while living a life that they weren't really living. They awake to find that the alternate Earth that they are on is going to be destroyed; very familiar to the first book! They are rescued at the last minute by Zaphod who is piloting the Heart of Gold. Of course, things go wrong on The Heart of Gold and they are then about to die again when they are rescued by the immortal Bowerick. Bowerick agrees to help them if they can find a way to kill him. Zaphod readily agrees. From there they are off to the planet of Gods to convince Thor to kill Bowerick. The other part of the story involves the leader of the planet Nano and his search for a God for his planet; as the last colony of humans this story eventually ties in with the one involving Arthur and folks.
This was an interesting story. The plot is creative and the Guide Notes as intriguing and somewhat useless as they always were. The tone of the book seemed in keeping with the previous books (although my memory on the previous books is a bit vague). Still despite the non-stop action and constant stream of creative prattle, I had trouble staying engaged in this book.
Maybe it is because I haven't been involved with these characters in a long time, but I have trouble staying engaged in the characters or their story. Part of the problem was that it was like the story had ADD, it just couldn't stay going in one direction for very long. I remember the original books kind of being like that, but I think this was worse. With the interruptions of facts from the Guide occurring almost every page (okay, probably every other page) the continuity of the story was constantly interrupted. The story itself also schizophrenically switches between different characters and different locations.
Overall this was a somewhat interesting read. It kept with the humorous writing of the original series and had the constant splattering of odd and miscellaneous facts that I remember in previous books. I had trouble getting through the book though because neither the story nor the characters could really keep my interest. I think plot was a little to minced up and unfocused for me. I guess if you are a big fan of the series I would read this book; definitely don't use this book as an entry into the series...you will be totally confused if you do. The original four books still remain the best in my mind. Let's hope that this is the last we see of new books to the HHGTTG series.
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LibraryThing member gregandlarry
Almost completely but not quite manages to fail to capture the feeling of the original books. That there is a plot is just wrong.
LibraryThing member todd534
We listened to this in New Zealand, and I liked it more than I think I expected to. Colfer occasionally gets caught up doing Hitchhiker bits, but it's not a garish impersonation or anything. By the fourth or fifth Adams HGttG book, you have (at least to some extent) to be in it for the Hitchhiker
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shtick, and Colfer makes that shtick work. Show Less
LibraryThing member Phantasma
I am about to commit what many people would see as blasphemy...
I liked this installment of Hitchhiker's better than the last two Adam's wrote. I think Colfer did a fantastic job (with one or two exceptions, things that seemed a little out of place, like the Cthulu thing, for example).
I hope he
I liked this installment of Hitchhiker's better than the last two Adam's wrote. I think Colfer did a fantastic job (with one or two exceptions, things that seemed a little out of place, like the Cthulu thing, for example).
I hope he
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writes more. I missed the world of Hitchhikers and I think Adams would be pleased with what Colfer has done. Color me impressed. Show Less
LibraryThing member doc_illusion
While this book adds good closure to the series, should it be the end of it, it is nowhere near the quality of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker books. Adams writes like the king of random, and the rest of the series is almost like hysterical descent into madness. Colfer's writing is more like black and
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white compared to the vivid colors of the previous books. There are funny parts and it's readable, but in the end, it's imitation. Show Less
LibraryThing member FourOfFiveWits
When they announced they were going to continue the story of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, I was ecstatic. For one thing, it's my absolute favorite series and another, the ending to "Mostly Harmless" was far to bleak for my taste. I understand not every book needs a happy
What I received was disappointing. Not a bad book in the least bit, it is actually pretty well written... if it wasn't a Hitchhiker's Guide book. Every character feels slightly off base, like watching your favorite characters on a television series being played a different set of actors. I have the same feeling about the plotline although I did enjoy how EIon chose to write how they escaped the destruction of the Earth. Otherwise, the story falls pretty flat for me. One of my favorite parts of the original series was the entries in the guide the transitioned to the plotline with "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy has this to say on the subject of ...." and to see the Guide entries reduced to post-it notes really took me out of the book where the original I was utterly lost in. By far though, the most disappointing aspect of the book is that it was not nearly as funny. While reading the original there were parts where I had to actually put down the book because I was laughing so hard, while this book I believe the only part I truly laughed at was a cow jumping out and yelling "Eat me!" which I can't even recall very clearly. Overall, I do not think Eion Coifer is a bad writer but I also do not believe he was the right choice to continue the series. Personally, considering their history with Douglas, I wrote much rather have seen a collaboration between Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, and Richard Dawkins to finish the series. Sounds strange I know, but that's just one hoopy frood's opinion.
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ending and sometimes the ending you want isn't the ending that best fits the story (i.e Stephen King's The Dark Tower) but you can't help but feel that ending was not ultimately where Mr. Adams wanted to leave it. Somehow I thought in my mind to replicate something not quite on par with Douglas but close enough that I would thoroughly enjoy it. I knew Eion Coifer has good critical reception with his "Artemis Fowl" series so I was fairly confident in the quality of the book.What I received was disappointing. Not a bad book in the least bit, it is actually pretty well written... if it wasn't a Hitchhiker's Guide book. Every character feels slightly off base, like watching your favorite characters on a television series being played a different set of actors. I have the same feeling about the plotline although I did enjoy how EIon chose to write how they escaped the destruction of the Earth. Otherwise, the story falls pretty flat for me. One of my favorite parts of the original series was the entries in the guide the transitioned to the plotline with "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy has this to say on the subject of ...." and to see the Guide entries reduced to post-it notes really took me out of the book where the original I was utterly lost in. By far though, the most disappointing aspect of the book is that it was not nearly as funny. While reading the original there were parts where I had to actually put down the book because I was laughing so hard, while this book I believe the only part I truly laughed at was a cow jumping out and yelling "Eat me!" which I can't even recall very clearly. Overall, I do not think Eion Coifer is a bad writer but I also do not believe he was the right choice to continue the series. Personally, considering their history with Douglas, I wrote much rather have seen a collaboration between Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, and Richard Dawkins to finish the series. Sounds strange I know, but that's just one hoopy frood's opinion.
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LibraryThing member tsangal
I hated this book. One of the worst books I've read in a long time. The dialogue and humor felt very juvenile. The characters as portrayed in this book are shallow, not particularly likeable, and nearly indistinguishable from one another. And the numerous "guide notes" came off as completely
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artificial and arbitrary, lacking any of the wit or charm that we've come to expect from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker entries. Terrible. Show Less
LibraryThing member jlj
No one could ever approach Adams, but Colfer comes surprisingly close. Many laughs and snickers later, I'm much happier with the current state of the 'trilogy'.
LibraryThing member raizel
Captures the outer style of Douglas Adams but misses his essence. It feels like Nothing happens for most of it. The ending is reasonable and the book---I can't resist---mostly harmless. Oh, unless you're really serious about religion and then you might be very offended.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009-10-12
Physical description
9.21 inches
ISBN
9780718155155