Star Wars + Monty Python + Slaughterhouse Five = The Hitchhiker’s Guide
Reviewed by Andrew Curran
May 5, 2008.
While still sticking by science fiction standards Douglas Adams creates funny scenes not only to make us laugh but to give us different perspectives on life itself.
Though the story line is a bit complicated the first time around, this provides for multiple readings of enjoyment. We start with our main character Arthur Dent, who is having his house demolished to make way for a bypass and is then suddenly saved as the world is about to end by his friend Ford Prefect. Sound simple so far, well it’s not that simple, in fact it’s quite complicated. It turns out that his planet is being destroyed by the poetry-telling Vogons and that his friend Ford Prefect is actually from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. From here Ford and Arthur are thrust into a world of obscurities and random events.
With items such as the Babel fish, the Infinite Improbability Drive, and a spaceship named the Heart of Gold it’s hard to go wrong. Adam’s characters are especially unique. From the clueless Arthur Dent, who really just wants a nice cup of tea, to Zaphod Beeblebrox, the president of the galaxy who has three arms and two heads, to Sartibartfast, the planet building man responsible for making the fjords on earth and Marvin the Paranoid Android whose wholehearted depression makes the story even funnier. These characters are some of the cleverest and downright strangest ever found in a book. For example, when Ford Prefect came to Earth, he logically assumed that cars were the dominant life form on the planet and promptly selected his name in order to “fit in.” Every character is just so completely absurd in every regard that one wonders about the family and friends of the author.
The characters are not without inspiration, however. The main character Arthur Dent bears some strong similarities to Billy Pilgrim in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. Both characters, though incredibly awkward and seemingly not very heroic, are both thrust out into incredible adventures featuring otherworldly creatures. Unlike traditional science fiction heroes, both men seem to be essentially regular people, if perhaps a bit bumbling. The idea of a person that seems so mundane going on such an incredible adventure makes both stories far more interesting and easier to picture yourself in. Although the Tralfamadorians pale in comparison to the crazy aliens of Adams’ universe, it is very clear where Adams got his inspiration from.
The whole story is not in complete narrative format, instead there are random moments in which Adams choose to insert random facts about universe as written in the Hitchhikers Guide, a wonderful book with the words Don’t Panic written in nice friendly letters. Here Adam’s true comedic genius shines and his style is evident through is humor in the Hitchhiker’s Guide articles. One truly wonders what controlled substances Adams’ was under the influence of when writing entries on topics such as the Babel Fish, a fish that eats sound and excretes them into your brain, allowing you to understand any language in the universe. He uses short sentences to make understatements “space is really big” as well as long sentences to go off on tangents on topics such as Vogon poetry or the existence of Magreathea.
In Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy not only will you find the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything thing, but you might also find yourself rolling on the ground laughing. Something important to consider for the potential reader is that this book really is not meant to stand on its own. It is essentially part one of a five part novel and the ending will be a disappointment to those expecting a distinct story. The science fiction aspects are completely over the top, and it does work within the context of the story, but they are used so constantly that many readers will be turned off. It truly is a crazy universe Adams has created and you just have to go along for the ride and try to make sense of everything. Even if you are not a big fan of sci-fi this classic is worth at least one read through for everybody.
