The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide: Five Complete Novels and One Story (Deluxe Edition)

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Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Plush Inspired Lunacy March 21, 2006
121 out of 127 found this review helpful

I have been a fan of Douglas Adams since I first read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" when it was released. I have previously read all of these books (though I had not read the short "Young Zaphod Plays it Safe") before, some several times. When I saw this compendium I was compelled to buy it so I could have a volume with all this brilliant insanity in one place. I found Adams' introduction and explanation of the different Hitchhiker's permutations and iterations fascinating and revealing, and found all the books as whimsical and delightful as I had recalled. This edition has the added benefit of being printed on high quality ultra-thin paper, and being quite plushly bound. It definitely looks like an heirloom, but inside it is one hundred percent inspired lunacy.

Without question the original book is the crown jewel of the collection, and stands the test of time as one of the most original and brilliant novels written in the twentieth century. More than the plot following our heroes Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect (and a cast of thousands), it is Adams' amazing ability to turn a phrase into something not totally unlike any other book isn't that utterly distinguishes the first volume of the series. While that last sentence is an obvious homage to Adams, his wit and ability to redirect a line to a place that is totally unpredictable is uncanny. The book is not only brilliantly conceived, but glitters with a patina of dark humor which is utterly unique in literature, the only analog being the television and film productions of Monty Python.

I enjoyed the other volumes in the series as well, with the first three being my favorites. By "So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish" I started to see a bit of monotony creep into Adams' writing style, occasionally to the point that it almost seemed that he was forcibly imitating himself. Although I did enjoy the final two volumes in the series, I would probably have given them independent ratings of four stars, while the others are clearly five star masterworks. I did find the character of Fenchurch (introduced in "So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish") intriguing, and couldn't agree more with Adams' analogy of Mark Knopfler's guitar style to the effect of Fuolornis Fire Dragons. It is no surprise to me that Douglas Adams was a Dire Straits fan, and I found his brief tribute to the band to be an amusing buried delight.

This book is not only great contemporary literature, a level of accomplishment which most sci-fi novels aspire to, but rarely achieve, but is a great value too. The book is over 800 delightful pages long: buy this book and prepare for a wonderful otherworldly journey, but don't forget to bring your towel.

4 out of 5 stars

Leather bound with a silk ribbon placekeeper. November 5, 2005
70 out of 80 found this review helpful

I ordered this book with the hope that it would be as well made as the other Gramercy Literary Classics books. It is. In fact, it might even be better than the others I have (I have about ten or so books from this collection). Thickly padded leather binding, silk ribben sewn in as a placeholder, nice leather smell like a car interior. The pages are very thin, like the paper used to make bibles. Makes sense given the page count.

I like this, and it is an outstanding deal.

5 out of 5 stars

Great Edition November 8, 2005
23 out of 28 found this review helpful

The cover is thick and well done, the pages have a golden border, the printing has a good size, neither too small or too big, a good size (bigger than the usual paper back, and a little bit smaller than the usual hardcover) which makes it easy to carry around; and yes, as another reviewer said, it has the looks of a Bible, in fact, when my cousin saw the book; she said "What do you have there, a Bible?". Anyway, this a very good edition edition, I preordered it and was somewhat worried about what to expect of this edition, but now that I got it, I'm very satisfied

5 out of 5 stars

Hitchhiking Away February 15, 2006
11 out of 14 found this review helpful

OK. So we know the Ultimate Edition of the Ultimate guide is leather bound with golden edge pages and built in book mark. But guess what, a real galactic hitchhiker would have a tattered, dirty, paperback version that he uses as a pillow so all of that means squat. Its what's inside that counts. Not to knock a nice volume such as this but do you really need all those bells and whistles? I'd rather talk about the story inside.

I won't try to sum up the plot, especially of all five books. That would be impossible or at least very improbable. But I will tell you that it is a comedy/sci-fi experience not to be missed. Douglas Adams breaks every rule in the book to bring us a nutty tale that spans all of time and and the galaxy. You'll meet characters the likes of which you'll see nowhere else. Two headed ego maniacs, depressed robots, an english man in his house coat, a girl who's feet are literally off the ground.

While it seems the first 3 books of this 5 part trilogy are typically veiwed as the best and core story, I do particularly like So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, the 4th. They are all dead pan english humor such as Shaun of the Dead or The Office. The kind that the longer you think about it the funnier it gets.

These stories will never get the same review. There is simultaneously to little and too much plot and to little and too much of everything else too. I loved these. But its like liver, either you love it or hate it. Give it a try and if you like humor and sci-fi I'll bet you just might get a kick out of it.

5 out of 5 stars

The perfect book for grandchildren May 6, 2006
11 out of 14 found this review helpful

I have not been a long term fan of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or even Douglas Adams, although I am familiar with the work and general history of both. I bought "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide: Five Complete Novels and One Story" for entertaining reading and discussion with our grandchildren and to help them further develop reading skills and vocabulary. No, that's not true, I bought the book for myself because I read an excerpt and couldn't stop laughing, then I collected the grandkids who also never lost the smile on their faces while we took turns reading. At 800+ pages, there is enough material to last us for some time to come and it is working well as a space based science fiction video game replacement.

When the grandkids are at school, throwing a ball or crashing bicycles into their parents' cars parked in the driveway, the books still works for me as a great stress reliever after a long day of work and the often sobering reality of the news. Adams was an incredibly descriptive writter, an imagist without the poetry, although the cadence of his writting makes for very easy reading.

The physical quality of this release is excellent and has the appearance of a big story book, but not juvenile. The type size is easy for mature eyes and children who are concentrating to identify and pronounce words. The only problem is thinking what I will read when I have finished the stories.

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