701. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams
1979

Around 220 pages

I actually dressed up like Arthur Dent in high school on Halloween. I strutted down the hallway wearing my bathrobe and holding my towel, just waiting for the prom invitations to start pouring in. This will always be one of my favorite novels, and remains the funniest book I've ever had the pleasure to read.

Broadly speaking, the story follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, who is the last surviving man after the Earth is destroyed by Vogons to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Dent was rescued by Ford Prefect, an alien writer for the electronic travel guide The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 

Adams is a hilarious writer, and I just have to put some of my favorite quotes here, although it's hard to narrow it down:

• "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
• “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.”
• “If there's anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.”
• “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

All of his humor is peppered with wisdom as well, so it really does feel like a guide to navigating the galaxy. Marvin the Paranoid Android the best literary invention of all time. There are just so many elements to love in this story: the dolphins, the Vogons' poetry, Zaphod Beeblebrox, to name a few. This really shook up the scifi genre, which was a rather dreary affair before this.

Truly an essential read, it makes the weight of the world just a little bit lighter.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Eoin Colfer continued the series with a sixth novel. This book, entitled And Another Thing..., was published in October 2009, on the 30th anniversary of the publication of the original novel. Why can't they leave well enough alone?

When Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster was launched into space on the maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket in February 2018, it had the words DON'T PANIC on the dashboard display and carried amongst other items a copy of the novel and a towel.

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