Book Review #2: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
4 January 2026
I did not expect the second book to be complete so soon after the first. I mean, yes, I intentionally chose short books but even so I thought I'd go a week or two not reading. I think having two weeks off work has really helped there, so I expect the pace to slow since I am back to working as normal tomorrow. (Quiet sob)
I am also exactly the sort of person who goes all in for a couple of weeks and then gives up for six months, so I must not be lulled into a false sense of security. Anyway, here's the next review!
Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Author: Douglas Adams
Publication Date: 12 October, 1979
Official Length: 208 pages
Score: ★★★★☆
This book is very, very, very good. There's no point telling you just how many "very"s would be necessary to convey just how very good this book is, because you're not capable of picturing how many "very"s it would be.
It's also very, very, very short. It is part of the Hitchhiker's series, of which there are five novels by Douglas Adams, and one more by Eoin Colfer. You do very much get the feeling you're only reading a part of a story with this book, which is the only reason it's getting four stars instead of five. If you went to a michelin star restaurant and ordered the roast beef, you'd be a little miffed if you only got the beef, with the promise that you'll get the roast potatoes and yorkshire pud later. It just isn't complete on its own, even though, as I say, it is very, very, very good.
It is a plot driven book of mostly utter nonsense in the best possible way. Wholly British in humour, it never takes itself seriously. The characters are charmingly funny, but never funnily charming. It also features a clinically depressed robot, who is probably the most relatable character.
I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humour. If you haven't got one, get one, then read it. And most importanly of all, remember: