Books 2013: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Oh dear, I am now utterly behind on my book reports. What happened, I wonder. The summer happened, come to think of it. Who can write book reviews while the sun is warm and lovely outside? The came the usual busy autumn. And suddenly it's almost Christmas! So now I have to try to catch up. 

One of the books - or rather book series - I read/re-read this spring/summer was Douglas Adams' classic The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I've been bragging to myself (and others) that I read this classic while I was a young student. And I did. Partly. It turns out, I had only read the first 3 books. So in other words: It was about time that I set out to read the rest. Since it's been more than 20 years I thought I might as well read all 5. 

And what a thrill it is to read these books. I'm not a classic science fiction fan, but love it when the genre is not taken too seriously. Adams writes about all sorts of unlikely events and creatures, but at the same time also commenting on us. All in a brilliantly humourous way. My kind of humour exactly, to be precise. 

For those of you who have never opened any of these books, the story is simply about Arthur Dent, who is fortunate enough to be rescued by the alien Ford Prefect when the earth is deleted to make way for a super highway .... Together they travel in space through all kinds of (unlikely) adventures.

The series consists of 5 books, published between 1979 and 1992:
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Restaurant at the End of the World
Life, the Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish
Mostly Harmless
(There is a sixth installment, And Another Thing, written by Eoin Colfer, but I haven't got round to this yet.)

I recommend it to everyone. It's a literary treat. And it's hasn't passed its sell-by-date, in case you're worried about that. It is still a true joy to read.