Saturday 17 January 2009

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams

I enjoyed this even more than the first in the series The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Probably because I had read it right after I watched the movie, which I enjoyed immensely, and ended up comparing the two all the time, and finally I spoiled the whole reading experience. Just like it happened for Bridge to Terabithia.
With Restaurant at the end...nothing of the sort happened. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I will try not too put too much time in between reading the next so that I will still feel close to the story and its characters. Sometimes I have troubles warming up to sequels that I left unread for too long.
But I better say something about this one first! It starts with the Vogons about to destroy the Heart of Gold and all its passengers (Zaphod, Ford, Arthur, Trillian and the most adorable paranoid android, Marvin). The Vogons' purpose is made even easier by the fact that Arthur has inadvertently caused the whole ship computer system to freeze when he asked the Nutri-Matic to produce a proper cup of tea. The Nutri-Matic had asked Computer for advise and the whole ship had become unusable.
But I won't go further into the plot, because:
1) if you haven't read these books you need to start from the first.
2) the plot is not the main reason why you should read these books.
3) it doesn't make much sense, anyway.

It's enough to say that they're a work of comic genius. They follow a perfectly absurd logic and they're completely unpredictable, but they are also seriously funny and seriously smart.
They're not so much about a story as about ideas. That's why it's very hard to explain what actually happens!It's a series of crazy events with incredibly funny situations and some pretty mad ideas, like existentialist lifts, a restaurant that shows the end of the universe as a special feature show, the Total Perspective Vortex and much much more!

My only complaint is that Trillian as a character doesn't have much space. She only has few lines and doesn't seem to be much use to the story. Perhaps she will become more important later on. I hope so.
The ending left me also wondering about poor Marvin, my absolutely favourite character. What happened to him? Will he be alright? I need to read the rest of the series!!

other blog reviews:
Once upon a bookshelf
The wasteland
Adamduckworth
I can't stop reading

7 comments:

Ana S. said...

"2) the plot is not the main reason why you should read these books.
3) it doesn't make much sense, anyway"

hahaha, so true. I heart Douglas. And you know, I was going to answer about Trillian and then realized that I don't remember! A sure sign I should read them again :P

Lenore Appelhans said...

I also read this right after seeing the movie! I enjoyed it very much.

Kailana said...

I really need to reread this series! It's been years since I read Douglas and I don't think I ever read the last two...

Unknown said...

I absolutely loved the movie and Marvin is the cutest. Never knew there was a second book. How many books are there in total for these series anyway?

valentina said...

Nymeth, I can see myself coming back to these books in the future,probably one after the other!

Lenore, it was a great movie, must watch it again soon!

Kelly, hopefully I'll read them soon and I can refresh your memory:P I really don't have any idea what to expect, which is kind of exciting!

MS Ulat Buku, there's five books :
1 -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2 -The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
3- Life, the Universe and Everything
4-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
5- Mostly Harmless

according to Wikipedia, there's a 6th book coming out in october this year, commissioned to Eoin Colfer (the author of the Artemis Fowl series)!!!
must read them all before then!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Thanks for the link. I'm glad to find another Hitchhiker's Guide enthusiast!

valentina said...

You're welcome Adam!