Hoopy Froods, Babel Fish, Golgafrinchans and Towels

[slowfox]

You may, of course, believe that The Princess Bride is a reasonably quotable piece of culture, but it has nothing on Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (aside: I've not read the books for nigh on 20 years now, so my quotage may be a little imprecise).

Now, I feel I must declare my hand here, and state for the record that I consider the trilogy to comprise just the first three books - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the end of the Universe and Life, the Universe and Everything.

Arthur Dent is awoken in the morning on the day the book starts, to be informed that his house has been scheduled for demolition to make way for a new bypass. The book then segues into a helpful explanation of what a bypass might be, and how this may or may not be beneficial to those impacted thereby. Arthur's mate, Ford Prefect then turns up to cajole him into complying with the site foreman's wishes, since he knows that in a somewhat ironic turn of Fate, Earth itself is about to be demolished to make way for a hyperspatial bypass.

The pair escape Earth by hitching a lift, courtesy of the Dentrassi, on one of the Vogons' ships (which hang in the air in much the same way that bricks don't). Unfortunately, they're detected, and subjected to Vogon poetry as punishment. Despite the pair's best efforts to convince their host that they liked his oration (counterpoint to the surrealism of the underlying metaphor), they get thrown out of the airlock, to be picked up by Zaphod Beeblebrox (don't try to outweird me, kiddo, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal), President of the Galaxy, in a hot spaceship. 'Hot' as in stolen.

Adams' originally wrote Hitchhikers as a radio show (I used to have the radio scripts, too, complete with margin notes such as 'To the shrubbery!'), but the use of language in the prose is absolutely spectacular, and part of what makes the books so special.

Life the Universe and Everything actually contained a chapter - Agrajag's Cathedral of Hate - which I nearly couldn't finish because my eyes were literally streaming with tears, I was laughing so hard (I think it was the protestation that one of the many arms on Agrajag's statue of Arthur depicting our Hero wantonly summoning a bowl of petunias into existence {over Magrathea} wasn't a concept that sprang readily to the eye... it was sort of the straw of mirth that broke this reader's back Back In The Day).

I have read So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, and whilst it had its moments, it didn't deliver the sustained punch of earlier tomes. I haven't read Mostly Harmless - frequently meant to, but never got around to it. Writing this post has made me think that perhaps I ought to.

Comments

[carolanne5]

You haven't read Hitchhikers in nearly 20 years? Blimey, that's since we were at University or before, a lifetime ago. I'd be curious to see what you think of them on a re-read. I've not re-read them since Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which soured me a little on Douglas Adams. I'll go back to them one day though.

(PS So agree with only counting the original three as the genuine item)

[slowfox]

Yes, Dirk Gently soured me, too - I read that book with the dark suspicion that maybe it was just me? And that I was somehow inadequate for failing to find it anything but sidesplittingly funny.

However, it didn't put me completely off Adams - I then bought Last Chance to See, which, despite not being fiction, absolutely rocked. Also, Stephen Fry is doing the sequel (following up on the places/species that Adams visited the first time 'round, to give us a progress update). Am totally buying once it's Out There™.

[carolanne5]

I knew Fry was doing the sequel but it never occurred to me to read the original. *adds to virtual 'to read' pile*

[slowfox]

It's good, most definitely - fine Adams prose encapsulating a serious message. Even if, at times, you do wonder if conversations really did go word for word as he quotes. You will love the Kakapo!

[slowfox]

Watch for snail-mail</cryptic>

[aome]

I re-read the first book a couple of years ago, but it's been ages since I did the others. The quotes I remember best (although probably not word for word) are about how flying is really simple - you just throw yourself at the ground and miss. Also about how someone wanted a cup of tea and the simulator produced a beverage that was completely, almost entirely, unlike tea. :D

A friend of mine is going on an archaeological vacation, digging up artifacts in Italy. She was fretting over making sure she had a (travel) towel with her, and I immediately thought of Hitchhikers.

[slowfox]

Also about how someone wanted a cup of tea and the simulator produced a beverage that was completely, almost entirely, unlike tea.

Sirius Cybernetics Corporation! Share and Enjoy!

"If you liked this drink, why not share it with your friends?"
"Because I want to keep them," replied Arthur, tartly.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much quotable stuff in Hitchhikers :-)

[soupytwist]

I effing love Douglas Adams. Last Chance to See is probably my favourite (the description of the kakapo! love! and oh god the stuff about the dolphins still haunts me) but Hitchhiker's was the original. I read the books before I heard the radio show (or saw the TV show, which I actually really enjoyed despite being deeeeeeeply flawed) and I will always remember getting to the bit about the ships hanging in the air in much the same way that bricks don't and just mentally going "wow". It just seemed so EFFORTLESS, and weirdly perfect in its simplicity and cracktasticness. Man being the THIRD most intelligent species on the planet and only later finding out what the other one is! I giggle like an idiot the whole way through. And I like the last two but yeah they aren't quite as wonderful.

I do, however, like the Dirk Gently books - they are very different, and I took a re-read to really get used to them, but once I was used to them not being Hitchhiker's I enjoyed a lot. It was the bit about Bach (I won't spoil for anyone who's not read!) that made me love them though. I didn't even laugh, because it was clearly not supposed to be funny, but I just stopped for a second and went "Oh." very quietly to myself in perfect satisfaction.

[slowfox]

Oh, yes, the Bach moment in Dirk Gently was wonderful and fully justified, agreed.