Don’t panic! Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novel is an interesting read, to say the least, that people of all ages will enjoy.

Right off the bat, human, Arthur Dent, is rudely awakened by a bulldozer that is about to knock over his house. Ironically, not too long after, the Earth is destroyed to make way for a hyperspatial express route. Our friend Arthur is saved from the ending of the Earth by his friend, Ford Prefect. Ford Prefect is an alien from the planet Betelgeuse V who has been conducting field research, while hitchhiking across the galaxy with the use of his copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 

The novel is full of interesting and obscure characters: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the former president of the Universe; Trillian, his human companion; and last but not least -no matter what he tells you- Marvin, the intelligent but pessimistic, depressed, and paranoid robot. The unlikely group is simply trying to survive the universe, while Arthur himself is simply trying to wrap his head around the entire new reality he has found himself in.  

Along with the colorful characters, there are even more colorful facts and species Adams introduces. For example, the Vogon race is notoriously the most unpleasant race in the galaxy. They are also known for having written the 3rd worse poetry book in the universe.  

The novel gets even more interesting as Adams brings to light the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. 

Adams is brilliantly absurd in his writing. There are both discreetly profound ideas and pure comedy gold. Today there is even National Towel Day on May 25th to commemorate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

If you are looking for a quick, funny read, that is a galaxy away from your typical novel, this book is a great option. It sits at a comfortable not quite 300-page count with large spacing (the copy I have has some fun pictures too). There are also five other books: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe, and Every-Thing, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, and Mostly Harmless. Mostly Harmless is not written by Adams, it is by Eoin Colfer, so if it holds up to the other books you will have to read and find out yourself. 

Overall the book is a 9.5/10 

Some of my personal favorite quotes (hoping to hook you if you are still on the fence or maybe just to be a minute or so of free entertainment):

“This planet has – or rather had – a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole, it wasn’t the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.”

“For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much — the wheel, New York, wars and so on — whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man — for precisely the same reasons.”

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”

“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

“Arthur: If I asked you where the hell we were, would I regret it?

Ford: We’re safe.

Arthur: Oh good.

Ford: We’re in a small galley cabin in one of the spaceships of the Vogon Constructor Fleet.

Arthur: Ah, this is obviously some strange use of the word safe that I wasn’t previously aware of.”