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Life, the Universe and Everything

Book 3 in the series:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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The third installment in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, 'Life, the Universe and Everything' continues the adventures of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Marvin the paranoid android as they navigate through space in a humorous and bizarre manner. The plot revolves around the characters trying to stop the Masters of Krikkit from destroying the universe, with elements such as cricket, the art of flying, and encounters with Norse Gods adding to the whimsical storyline. The writing style is characterized by Adams' comic genius, incorporating witty dialogue, satirical humor, and unexpected twists that keep readers entertained throughout the book.

The book is praised for its humor, quirky characters, and unpredictable storyline that deliver a delightful reading experience. Despite some readers finding the plot a bit weak and requiring effort to read, 'Life, the Universe and Everything' maintains the series' trademark humor and wit, offering a blend of satire, absurdity, and insightful observations about life and humanity. The book's resolution, climax, and the recurring themes from the previous installments contribute to the overall enjoyment and entertainment value of the story.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is marked by humor, absurdity, and philosophical undertones, maintaining an engaging tone throughout.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect on a quest to prevent the destruction of the universe by the xenophobic Krikkiters, filled with humor and absurdities tied to cricket.

Setting:

The setting blends cosmic locales with absurd environments such as prehistoric Earth and Krikkit, enhancing the book's overarching themes of existentialism and social critique.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, with moments of slow exposition interspersed with rapid developments, maintaining an overall lively energy despite some disjointedness.
He was stranded in prehistoric Earth as the result of a complex sequence of events which had involved him being alternately blown up and insulted in more bizarre regions of the Galaxy than he ev...

Notes:

The book was first published in 1982 and is the third installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
The story begins five years after the events of the second book, with Arthur Dent stuck in prehistoric Earth.
Arthur and Ford Prefect escape prehistoric Earth by jumping onto an interstellar couch.
The couch transports them to Lord's Cricket Ground just before Earth's destruction.
Robotic cricketers attempt to steal the 'Cricket Ashes' trophy, starting a chain of absurd events.
Slartibartfast, a character who designed Norway, becomes their ally in a mission to save the universe.
The Krikkiters, unaware of other life, become xenophobic after discovering the universe.
Douglas Adams actually adapted this story from a failed Doctor Who script.
The ship in the story travels based on 'bistromathics', a humorous take on how numbers work in restaurants.
Very few new characters are introduced; the focus is mainly on familiar faces like Arthur, Ford, and Marvin.
The book incorporates darker themes while still maintaining absurd humor, especially through Arthur's misadventures.
Adams' unique style blends comedy, philosophy, and sci-fi in a way that challenges readers' perceptions of reality.
The book is filled with cricket-related humor that some readers found difficult if they didn't know the game.
Adams cleverly uses the narrative to explore themes of isolation and fear of the unknown through the Krikkiters.

From The Publisher:

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series!

"Wild satire . . . The feckless protagonist, Arthur Dent, is reminiscent of Vonnegut heroes."-Chicago Tribune

The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads-so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.

They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vice president of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-president of the galaxy; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox.

How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it-and don't know it!

"Adams is one of those rare treasures: an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading."-Arizona Daily Star

Ratings (66)

Incredible (19)
Loved It (24)
Liked It (12)
It Was OK (11)

Reader Stats (88):

Read It (72)
Currently Reading (2)
Want To Read (9)
Not Interested (5)

2 comment(s)

It Was OK
2 weeks

Arthur Dent finds himself in a prehistoric Earth and he has to save the universe from robots. I loved the first one, the second was highly entertaining but the third one was rather meh. This is the first one I have listened to on audio book so maybe that's why I didn't quite enjoy it or maybe the quirky sillyness just was enjoyable in small doses for me. I don't know but I think I'll wait until the library is open again before I read the next one

 
It Was OK
3 months

Good humor. Utter Nonsense. :)

 

About the Author:

Douglas Adams was born in 1952 and created all the various and contradictory manifestations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: radio, novels, TV, computer games, stage adaptations, comic book, and bath towel. He was born in Cambridge and lived with his wife…

 
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