The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

By Douglas Adams (Suitable age: 12 and above) Arthur Dent is living a fairly normal life when all of the sudden, Earth is demolished in order to make way for an alien hyperspatial express route. Fortunately, Arthur Dent’s friend, Ford Prefect (who, unsurprisingly, is also an alien), rescues him before they evaporate into a mixture of hydrogen, ozone, and carbon monoxide. This novel is very humorous and full of wit but I find that Arthur Dent’s adjustment to the destruction of Earth abnormally speedy and vague. I think that Arthur Dent’s trauma can have a lot more potential to make the destruction of Earth feel more distinct and real. I also dislike the fact that most of the ideas in the book are not fully developed and are unimportant to the plot. I find that Adams explains the unfamiliar and strange items such as the Infinite Improbability Drive and the Babel Fish very well. Examples of the wit and creativity Adams put into this book include the Vogon method of torture (poetry) and the declaration that Earth, in truth, is a planet sized supercomputer designed to answer the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. 3 Elliot Stars