The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (audio) by Douglas Adams

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

How shall we begin?

This is the story of a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—not an Earth book, never published on Earth and, until the terrible catastrophe occurred, never seen or even heard of by any Earthman. Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book.

or

This is the story of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a number-one best seller in England, a weekly radio series with millions of fanatic listeners, and soon to be a television spectacle on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

or

This is the story of Arthur Dent, who, seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, is plucked off the planet by his friend, Ford Prefect, who has been posing as an out-of-work actor for the last fifteen years but is really a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Together they begin a journey through the galaxy aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, with the words don’t panic written on the front. (“A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.”)

In their travels they meet:
•Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch President of the Galaxy
•Trillian—Zaphod’s girl friend, formerly Tricia McMillan, whom Arthur once tried to pick up at a cocktail party
•Marvin—a paranoid android, a brilliant but chronically depressed robot
•Veet Voojagig—former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years

To find the answers to these burning questions: Why are we born? Why do we die? And why do we spend so much time in between wearing digital watches? read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. But remember . . . don’t panic, and don’t forget to bring a towel.

The story of a British earthling plucked from his planet, and his subsequent adventures elsewhere in the universe.

My thoughts:
Years ago I saw this movie and I have heard the book talked about a lot, but until a week or so ago, I had never actually read the book.  I listened to this audio book while running and cleaning, my current way to make sure I get some reading time in.  Our library does not have the other books in the series so I will have to see if I feel strongly enough about this one to read more, right now I am fine with just having read the one.

I do not have strong feelings about this book one way or the other. I didn't dislike it or love it.  It was entertaining but I got frustrated with it at times and maybe that is the point.  So much of what we do each day we do because we think we have to and so many things require copious paperwork, but why do we do it?  Just like Arthur Dent trying to save his house from being demolished for a road that is no longer even necessary, we are busy spending time on all the wrong things and missing out on really living. 

I do want to see the movie again and I am sure eventually I will read more books in the series.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780345391803
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 9/28/1995
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition description: Reissue
• Pages: 216

Meet the Author

Douglas Adams is the author of five books in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; and Mostly Harmless.