Douglas Adams: The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

It has been far too long since I have found a truly hilarious book. Thankfully, Douglas Adams has come through for me with The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Yes, I am ashamed I haven’t read this until now. I can say without a doubt that this book is one of the funniest I have ever read. Period. The book is exactly what it says it is: a guide to…well…the galaxy. Whether you are exploring weird and exotic planets, discovering the true nature of dolphins, or learning what the meaning of life is, this book can help you on your journey in hilarious fashion. Douglas wrote in English satirical fashion, and the whole book just screams British humor. Personally, I think that is a good thing. Primarily, the series centers around Arthur Dent, a human who barely escapes Earth’s destruction, and who quickly finds himself staring at a much bigger universe than he ever knew existed. A prevailing story arc of the series (there are five books in this collection volume) entails a race of hyper-intelligent beings who built a computer powerful enough to, supposedly, calculate the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Of course, nothing ever goes quite as planned, and disappointment is hard to swallow after 7.5 million years. Regardless, Dent keeps finding himself in crazier and crazier situations, all of which will leave the reader in stitches. Friends have been recommending this series to me for years, but I never gave in until recently: I am glad I did so. If you like to laugh and appreciate a story with some nice satirical elements, pick up a copy of Douglas Adams’ The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.