One of the more “whacky” books I’ve read in the recent past. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is considered a classic, and I can see why (in parts at least). However, a true classic is a timeless one, and somehow, I didn’t feel drawn enough to the narrative and for large parts felt like I was reading a book written for teenagers.

Star Wars and science fiction fans would definitely enjoy this tale of Arthur Dent, the last surviving human, whose planet, Earth, is destroyed as he goes on a “hitchhike” around the galaxy with his humanlike alien friend Ford Prefect. They join a couple more eccentric characters in their exploration of the “dead” planet Magrathea, only to discover that planet building is an enterprise in itself, the answer to everything in the universe is 42 and mice have been conducting experiments on humans for millennia.

Whacky enough?

I am aware that the reason the book is hailed the most is for providing such insights as mentioned above, but it failed to resonate with me. Safe to say, I’ll give the sequels a pass.

Originally published here.