Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Simon and Schuster
Pages
319
Description
When a check-in desk at London's Heathrow Airport disappears in a ball of orange flame, the event is said to be an act of God. But which god? wonders holistic detective Dirk Gently. And how is this connected to Dirk's battle with his cleaning lady over his filthy refrigerator ... or to the murder of his latest client? Or are these events just another stretch of coincidences in the life of the world's most off-kilter private investigator?
Description
When a passenger check-in desk at London's Heathrow Airport disappears in a ball of orange flame, the explosion is deemed an act of God. But which god, wonders holistic detective Dirk Gently? What god would be hanging around Heathrow trying to catch the 3:37 to Oslo? And what has this to do with Dirk's latest--and late-- client, found only this morning with his head revolving atop the hit record "Hot Potato"? Amid the hostile attentions of a stray eagle and the trauma of a very dirty refrigerator, super-sleuth Dirk Gently will once again solve the mysteries of the universe...
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1988-10-10
Physical description
319 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
0671625837 / 9780671625832
User reviews
LibraryThing member lmichet
This one starts out as though it's going to be better than the original 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' was, but ends on a low point. Overall a satisfying read, but it shouldn't be read by anyone who hasn't done Dirk Gently itself yet.
Basically, it feels like Adams ran out of energy and
Basically, it feels like Adams ran out of energy and
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just quit at the end, because it's a horrible, horrible ending. The rest is quite entertaining, however, particularly the crime scene at the house, and all scenes involving Thor. It's simply a fact: Douglas Adams was an incredible humorist and great at writing radio-play series, which need not always be aimed at a serious, concise ending. He just can't do endings or contained plots: he like big, rambling things full of dramatic and unexpected changes. Now, when the changes are so dramatic that they become unexpectable, or when the endings are too remote from the meat of the story to provide any satisfaction, then this becomes a problem. Show Less
LibraryThing member Crayne
I'm a great admirer of Douglas Adams, I need to say that up front. His ability to weave an intricate story that seems whimsical at first until you realize all the little strands are connected and point at Something Big (©) is unsurpassed. Nevertheless, this last excursion for Dirk Gently is a bit
Anyway, you won't go wrong reading this book. And if it's your first Adams, you'll be in for even more awesome stuff once you sample his other works. But if this is not your inauguration, prepare to long for Vogons.
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of a disappointment. It's not that his writing is off, that he does not characterize his protagonists well or is...well...boring. It's that the big picture is literally painted in the last few pages. And even then, after the big reveal, I'm left wondering what I missed.Anyway, you won't go wrong reading this book. And if it's your first Adams, you'll be in for even more awesome stuff once you sample his other works. But if this is not your inauguration, prepare to long for Vogons.
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LibraryThing member lhuss
This book was fantastic! It was a unique and quirky theological mystery which i enjoyed immensely. Adams has a great style and i loved his portrayal of the Norse Pantheon in their seeming "twilight years" so to speak. I was given this book by a friend who thought that I would enjoy it, and I must
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say that I'm excited to read more of Adams' work, especially the first Dirk Gently novel and the Hitchhiker books. Show Less
LibraryThing member rincewind1986
Dirk gently is such a cool character, his strange approach to detective work and his obsession with proving the interconnectiveness of all things leads to so many chancces for humour, and Adams ofcourse pounces on ever single one. I really do prefer these to the hitchikers series, many would
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disagree, but read the dirk gently books and you will love them. Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
Adams’ descriptions are clever and unexpected, and he strings together a series of events even more bizarre and unexpected than his descriptions. Sometimes I felt exhausted on behalf of his poor protagonists, bounced from one mishap to another, but I was impressed by Adams’ ability to turn this
She passed the time quietly in a world of her own in which she was surrounded as far as the eye could see with old cabin trunks full of past memories in which she rummaged with great curiosity, and sometimes bewilderment. Or, at least, about a tenth of the cabin trunks were full of vivid and often painful or uncomfortable memories of her past life; the other nine tenths were full of penguins, which surprised her. Insofar as she recognised at all that she was dreaming, she realised that she must be exploring her subconscious mind. She had heard it said that humans are supposed only to use about a tenth of their brains, and that no one was really clear what the other nine tenths were for, but she had certainly never heard it suggested that they were used for storing penguins.
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madness into such a coherent story.She passed the time quietly in a world of her own in which she was surrounded as far as the eye could see with old cabin trunks full of past memories in which she rummaged with great curiosity, and sometimes bewilderment. Or, at least, about a tenth of the cabin trunks were full of vivid and often painful or uncomfortable memories of her past life; the other nine tenths were full of penguins, which surprised her. Insofar as she recognised at all that she was dreaming, she realised that she must be exploring her subconscious mind. She had heard it said that humans are supposed only to use about a tenth of their brains, and that no one was really clear what the other nine tenths were for, but she had certainly never heard it suggested that they were used for storing penguins.
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LibraryThing member TotallyRandomMan
It's Douglas Adams. You can't go wrong. I'd be lying if I said I was absolutely thrilled about how this one wraps up, but with story-telling this good, it hardly matters. Douglas Adams at his worst is miles above most other writers at their best.
LibraryThing member tulikangaroo
What is there to say? Another clever, crafty, weird, thoroughly enjoyable novel from Douglas Adams. I continue to like Dirk Gently more than the Hitchhiker series - there's something about old, cranky Norse gods who've sold their souls to humans living among us today (for example) that is even more
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ridiculous and wonderful than space ships and manic depressive robots (no offense). Show Less
LibraryThing member lycomayflower
Another car-trip audiobook. Adams just never quite does it for me. I see that it's funny, and sometimes it even genuinely makes me laugh, but on the whole I just don't click with it. I did enjoy this (and I like the Dirk Gently books more than I ever did the Hitchhiker's books), and I'm glad I
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listened to it. Some things are just not my kind of nonsense, I guess. Show Less
LibraryThing member EmScape
Dirk Gently is back on a new case. Well, kind of. Actually, he slept through the case and found his new client's head revolving on a record player. Uh-oh. Also, there are some Norse gods mucking about and causing a ruckus in the world.
I really enjoy Adams' inventiveness and humor. I liked the
I really enjoy Adams' inventiveness and humor. I liked the
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characters as well; Adams puts a fun twist on mythological beings. The story was pretty confusing, especially towards the end, and I still don't think I 100% understand what happened, but it was a fun read. Maybe I'll try it again sometime in the future. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ambrosia4
Dirk Gently returns in this "sequel" to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I use the word sequel very loosely since the only similarity between the two is the character of Dirk Gently.
I think Dirk is a brilliant character created by a comedic genius. Adams' is a master at fleshing out strange
Worth the read if only to get a good laugh from Adams' patentable humor.
I think Dirk is a brilliant character created by a comedic genius. Adams' is a master at fleshing out strange
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characters with thought patterns that don't reflect the rest of us. In his first novel, Dirk took on time paradoxes. Now he takes on Nordic gods, beheadings, and inexplicable explosions and disappearances. All while taking care of his fridge and searching for another pack of cigarettes.Worth the read if only to get a good laugh from Adams' patentable humor.
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
Published in 1988, this is the second book in the Dirk Gently series. I really enjoyed this one. I listened to the audio read by the author (great job) and also had a book. This is a fantasy/sci fi book where Dirk Gently is a detective. The title may seem to not fit the novel but wiki tells me that
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this title is a phrase that appeared in Adams' novel Life, the Universe and Everything to describe the wretched boredom of immortal being Wowbagger, the Infinitely Prolonged, and is a play on the theological treatise Dark Night of the Soul, by Saint John of the Cross and refers to that time on Sunday when the weekend is over and the weekday has not started "In the end, it was the Sunday afternoons he couldn't cope with, and that terrible listlessness which starts to set in at about 2:55, when you know that you've had all the baths you can usefully have that day, that however hard you stare at any given paragraph in the papers you will never actually read it, or use the revolutionary new pruning technique it describes, and that as you stare at the clock the hands will move relentlessly on to four o'clock, and you will enter the long dark teatime of the soul." Dirk Gently calls himself a holistic detective. He has been hired by a man who wants to be protected from a large green monster set on killing him. He suspects the client is nuts but after he is found beheaded on a record that is playing "don't pick it up" he decides to follow the clues to find out what has happened. It is a riotous tale and truly quirky. I enjoyed this much more than I did The Hitchhikes Guide to The Galaxy. I did read it out of order and will need to eventually read the first book. This is a book with alternate universes of man and Valhalla. Technology is not very advanced in 1988 and this book makes fun of it. It's also about man forgetting the deities that had been called into being by humanities need for faith. Show Less
LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
It saddens me to say it, but Douglas Adams is a one trick pony. 'Hitch Hikers' was absolutely fantastic and one expects any comic writer to have a recognizable style but I found that I was ahead of the punch line too often.
The story is, as one would expect, off the wall: Thor puts in an appearance
The story is, as one would expect, off the wall: Thor puts in an appearance
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in modern day Britain causing all sorts of problems for Dirk Gently and the few humans who can see him. It does have its humorous moments, and I would rate it higher were it not to be for the genius of HHG2G which makes this look pedestrian. Show Less
LibraryThing member updraught
An interesting blend of detective story and fantasy. I found the book quite entertaining but not nearly as brilliant as the Hitchhiker's Guide. I was left puzzling as to why that is. This is what I came up with: What I like about the book is Douglas Adams' extremely witty style of writing. What I
Still, Douglas Adams' writing shines and makes for some good entertainment. Three stars.
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don't like is the story. While the Hitchhiker's Guide is wholly escapist, almost entirely set off this planet so remarkably removed very early on, the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul tries to blend magic and London. Just not my cup of tea. Maybe Harry Potter spoiled that combination for me.Still, Douglas Adams' writing shines and makes for some good entertainment. Three stars.
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LibraryThing member craso
A young woman is trying to catch a flight to Oslo when the check-in desk explodes. Dirk Gently's new client is found decapitated. How are these events connected? Does it have something to do with an elderly man in a nursing home, an angry big blonde man with a hammer and a coke machine, a giant
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eagle, and a hit pop song called "Hot Potato?" All these plot points add up in the end, only barely. I can see how Adam's thought that the reader would find humor in all of these outrageous events, but it just doesn't happen. The story was not as funny as "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." I enjoyed the book, but I felt that something was lacking. It is disappointing compared to the Hitchhiker books and the first Dirk Gently novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member JNSelko
He could not write something which was not funny- he is missed.
LibraryThing member lorenelambert
Hysterically funny. I have rarely laughed out loud so many times while reading a book. Especially humorous if you have any knowledge at all of Norse mythology. Right up there with the best of Terry Pratchett.
LibraryThing member carrot_bosco
A slightly funny little romp that ties in mythology. Adam's quirky wit is evident throughout the piece making for a very quick mildly enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member miketroll
Bizarre cult humour. The wit of this book soars like one of those birdmen with wooden wings jumping off the end of the pier....but there are people who like this stuff.
LibraryThing member Yestare
I bought this at the National Airport bookstore, and began it on the plane. The opening sentence is "It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression has ever produced the expression 'As pretty as an airport.' Serendipity made it just that much more
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hilarious. Show Less
LibraryThing member Omrythea
An entertaining read. Not as good as Hitchhikers, but still enjoyable.
LibraryThing member usnmm2
Those of you who only know D. Adams from the Hitchhiker books are in for a nice treat with Dirk. I find these books to be better than hitchhiker. A mix of sci fi and fantasy.
LibraryThing member Greatrakes
Dirk Gently rides again.
I think this is Adam's worst novel. It shambles around with Nordic gods and demonic contracts, like a third rate pagan Master and Margarita. In this book Immortal gods can get old and die, Odin is now in a rest home, Thor has gone postal and Dirk's ex-assistant has been
Terry Pratchett covers the same ground far more entertainingly.
I think this is Adam's worst novel. It shambles around with Nordic gods and demonic contracts, like a third rate pagan Master and Margarita. In this book Immortal gods can get old and die, Odin is now in a rest home, Thor has gone postal and Dirk's ex-assistant has been
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turned into a Coke machine, all very uninspired, and not very funny. Terry Pratchett covers the same ground far more entertainingly.
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LibraryThing member wethewatched
Okay, here's the thing. Douglas Adams is a really funny writer. He describes things in a very amusing way and he comes up with very silly situations that make for an enjoyable read.
The problem with this novel is that, while there is a ton of witty Adams humor, nothing really happens. There's a plot
You could definitely argue that's the point. In fact, Dirk says at one point that when he gets lost, his method is to follow a car that looks like it knows where it's going. Often, he ends up not where he meant to go but where he needs to be. Well, that's basically how the plot moves in this novel.
Ok, so that's clever and all, but it means this novel isn't so gripping from a dramatic perspective. It is funny. Very funny. But if sketches of an evil refrigerator, deranged eagle and a god who likes linen aren't enough for you, you might be left with the feeling that something is missing.
The problem with this novel is that, while there is a ton of witty Adams humor, nothing really happens. There's a plot
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of sorts, but Dirk Gently himself rarely drives the plot. Things happen to him that lead him from one place to another, sure, but he doesn't make anything happen himself. And things just kind of wrap up by themselves at the end.You could definitely argue that's the point. In fact, Dirk says at one point that when he gets lost, his method is to follow a car that looks like it knows where it's going. Often, he ends up not where he meant to go but where he needs to be. Well, that's basically how the plot moves in this novel.
Ok, so that's clever and all, but it means this novel isn't so gripping from a dramatic perspective. It is funny. Very funny. But if sketches of an evil refrigerator, deranged eagle and a god who likes linen aren't enough for you, you might be left with the feeling that something is missing.
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LibraryThing member aethercowboy
Part mystery novel, part puzzle, this novel bring us one again to Dirk Gently's world, where finally, his financial woes are over, until the somewhat crazy record producer who has him on retainer is beheaded one day in a locked room. Is is then that Dirk realizes that this man's lunatic ravings may
Encountering Thor, the Norse god, as well as some other characters from Norse mythology, Dirk once again tries to find a holistic solution to the problem at hand.
If you enjoyed Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, you're bound to enjoy this one.
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have had some truth in them.Encountering Thor, the Norse god, as well as some other characters from Norse mythology, Dirk once again tries to find a holistic solution to the problem at hand.
If you enjoyed Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, you're bound to enjoy this one.
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LibraryThing member ASBiskey
This is not Douglas Adams best work, but using that as a standard is not fair to this book. The setup may not be as good as his other books, but the characters, the situations they find themselves in, and their interaction are as witty as any of his other writing. This book is funny. The ideas and
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message are creative. This is an enjoyable read. Even if this was the only book Douglas Adams ever wrote, it would stand out for its uniqueness and wit. Show Less
Subjects
Call number
FIC H Ada