The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nobody can ever match the lively and sprightly good old fun that the Hitchhiker’s trilogy in four parts exudes. Mr. Adams has a knack of making us laugh through his quick witted one-liners and comic situations. I am sortta re-reading this trilogy. That’s why when the richness of the prose hits me back with a freshness, I believe that this book can be read again and again, and still you won’t get bored reading it…….!
Completed this book, am presently on ‘Life, the Universe and Everything’!!
Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What can I possibly say of a genius called Douglas Adams?
‘Life, the universe, and Everything’ happens to be a fun way to ride around the galaxy, of course, by hitchhiking. Be it on an upholstered couch, a spaceship running on Bistromathic drive (I wanna argue with the waiter and go into a hitherto undiscovered part of the subjective space!) or the good old Heart of Gold.
In this book, Arthur Dent finds himself, more than usually, at the receiving end of the jokes that go around the universe. Though he discovers that he has Superman like qualities and sometimes can be brave even if is opponent is as formidable as Thor.
Marvin as usual is battered, bruised, sad, a loner, a tragic figure, yet hardly cared for! Though of course, his gloom field is burgeoning – so striking is his persona that others literally cry when the come near him!
But must say, the Mostly Harmless, yet a deviant game called Cricket finds itself to be the core of this novel. The people of the galaxy were flabbergasted by Earth’s travesty as the people of the Earth chose cricket to represent one of the most horrible wars that galaxy ever faced – the Krikkit wars. That’s why they have snubbed the people of Earth for so long.
Zaphod and Ford courageously prove beyond doubt that they believe in that noble credo which says, “It’s always better to save your butt by running rather than face the difficulties. And there is no shame in doing that..”
Slartibartfast cuts across as a reluctant man on a mission! He is the one who rounds up Arthur (not so concerned) and Ford (not at all concerned) to go on this mission that can twist the very fabric of space-time. Though of course, they all fail abysmally in putting a stop to any of those grim white robots.
Trillian is distant in the book, though she comes in handy at the end.
In all a cracking fine tale. But’s it’s also a tale of deep rancor (most of which only Marvin felt), of pain (Zaphod must know a thing or two about pain), high octane drama, humor and adventure (Yup, Arthur Dent), of ambitious missions (Slartibartfast – to put a stop to the pollution of Time), love lost and found (Trillian) and how not to enjoy in the Party that never ends (Ford Prefect); in short – In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri!!!
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It is not every day that we come across a Pan-Galactic Gargle blaster of literature…
But I indeed came across the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Over the course of my life, which has been some odd 21 years, I have come across a motley bunch of science fiction novels. I have slavered on all the technological advancements mentioned in these books, I have lived along the great fictional characters as they outwit the enemies in the game of life more treacherous and vexing than a game of chess, when the whole of the universe is at stake, where the three laws of Robotics are followed or broken, where Earth is lost and yet rediscovered again.
But never had I come across a book like Hitchhiker, that it turns all other sci-fi books over their heads. Neither had been a science fiction as obtuse (as compared to conventional books of this genre) nor as fantastical and lackadaisical in its attitude as Hitchhiker definitely has been.
What makes me awe-struck is Mr. Adams’ attitude towards the man kind! For long humans have taken themselves too seriously, considering themselves superior to all other life forms. So when Mr. Adams destroys the Earth in a ‘poof’ to clear the way for a hyperspace bypass, it, as would be the case of millions of readers, left me gasping in wonder.
So when we take about ‘So long, and thanks for all the fish’, you will be left to wonder that after rats, is there any species wilier and more intelligent than man. Yup, there is…
Granted that this book lacks the spunk that ‘Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy’ and ‘Restaurant at the End of the Universe’ had (it lacks Zaphod Beeblebrox, for god’s sake!!). It indeed has Marvin, but in the very end. It also has Ford, but most of the time he is portrayed as hitchhiking across the galaxy. This story is basically, fundamentally and practically about Arthur Dent.
If earlier novels had pictured him as being goofy and hardly in control of his own fate, here he has been characterized as being more of the man. Here he chases his love, and finds her, oddly enough at the co-ordinates where his abode had been, few million years ago.
In this novel, we also meet the ever whining Rain God, with his Rain Type dictionary and Wonko the sane with his outside-inside house…!!!
For the first time indeed in Hitchhiker’s history, we find here a dash of mystery. There are few solid funny parts in the book (that’s what we are expecting, aren’t we?) that will keep you hooked till the end….!
P.S.:- The God’s final message to his creation is Ultimate!! Also check out the unique style in which author says, “They lived happily ever after”.
Alienman 
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