The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams

Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. New York: Harmony Books, 2004.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is available in the Livermore Falls High School library. The call number is F ADA.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a classic but quirky piece of literature that features alien abductions, the annihilation of Earth, and copious amounts of imagination. Douglas Adams' humor is in the vein of “Monty Python”, those silly and sardonic British films (and the Broadway play “Spamalot”) that take ridiculous and layer it atop ridiculous. Adams was, in fact, friends with the comedians of “Monty Python”, and he inspired and was inspired by their humor.

The main character of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is Arthur Dent, an Earthling whose childhood belief in UFOs and extraterrestrial life is confirmed when his friend, Ford Prefect, turns out to be an extraterrestrial being. Ford is stuck on Earth, where he had originally been stationed to conduct research-- research which would ultimately become part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The initial conflict of the undulating story is the destruction of Arthur's house in order to build a highway across his property. Arthur is understandably opposed, but his concern turns out to be for naught. The drama escalates as a new conflict is introduced: the Earth is about to be destroyed, and Ford and Arthur need to escape.

Interestingly, the annihilation of Earth is not the central conflict of the story. In fact, conflict after conflict arise as Arthur and Ford escape Earth via the “Infinite Improbability Drive” and, initially, a spacecraft known as the Heart of Gold. Twists and turns abound as characters like Zaphod Beeblebrox and Slartibartfast complicate the plot, leading to the surprising conclusion of who really controls the universe.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a fast and clever read. This edition, “The Illustrated Collector's Edition”, created to celebrate the 25th anniversary, is large. What it lacks in portability, it makes up in humor and “special features.” In fact, the run-up to the story is a fairly extensive introduction to the author and to the story behind the story. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is fantastically interesting and a fun read for those who need an escape from reality-- much the way Arthur “escapes” from his.