Good, but a bit of a let down aftyer Hitchhikers guide. ( )

Life, the Universe and Everything is the third book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. I read the first two book in the series and totally loved them, so I was looking forward to get to the next one. I pick up these books when I need something light and fun to read, and I had high expectations for the book to be entertaining.

The book starts with Arthur and Ford Prefect being stuck in prehistoric earth for a number of years, when they are saved by a Chesterfield sofa that transports them to the future. The two of them end up in England in the middle of a cricket game, just a day before the Earth is destroyed by the Vogons. There they meet Slartibartfast and Arthur and Ford find themselves embarking on a mission to save the Universe. During their journey, planet Krikkit is introduced and the characters delve into Krikkit's history to learn how the Krikkiters became xenophobic and their plan to destroy the entire Universe. Ages ago planet Krikkit was imprisoned in a slo-time envelope, however there is a force behind all this and it wants to set Krikkit free.

The beginning was was quite vague, but this is normal for these books and I thought it would start to make sense soon. I am disappointed though that this book never really cut it, it is silly to the point that it started to annoy me. The jumping from one thing to another lost me, sometimes it went on and on about something that doesn't have anything to do with the story until it picked up where it left off. There is not much action going on in this book, and it did seem to drag for a while. I am also not happy that my favorite character, Zaphod Beeblebrox, has been pushed to the side and is turned into a sad, much less interesting character. Having said that, the story still has its funny moments, but nowhere as amusing as the previous books. Oh, and good job Marvin is still there to save the day.

I am not sure what Adams was thinking when he wrote this book, the first two books were so much fun but this one just doesn't have the edge. It feels like he ran out of ideas when he wrote this one. Nonetheless I will continue to read this series, and hope that the next book will be better! ( )

You have to admire a book that answers the question of life, the universe and everything.

Of course it can't _also_ give you the question, because if both the ultimate question and the ultimate answer were to exist in the same reality, they would cancel each other out and take the universe with them.

_Life, the Universe and Everything_ is another delightful joy-ride through the galaxy, full of the same zany exploits and laugh-out-loud humor as the first two books in the series, the _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ and _Restaurant at the End of the Universe_.

It opens with Arthur Dent screaming - but not to worry, it's just his everyday first-thing-in-the-morning screaming which he does every time he wakes up and remembers where he is - stranded on prehistoric Earth, living in a cave. He kills a rabbit and makes it's skin into a pouch to carry interesting stones in, and then finally decides he's had enough of this sort of life and resolves to go mad. Just then Ford Prefect, his alien friend who can never seem to desert Arthur for long, shows up, with a plan to get them back to their own time via eddies in the time stream.

"Oh, he is, is he?" asks Arthur, on whom the entire concept is completely lost.

Nevertheless, after chasing a Chesterfield sofa through a meadow, Ford and Arthur manage to travel through time and wind up at a cricket game on present day Earth (or Earth a few days before it's destruction at the opening of _Hitchhiker's Guide_.)

Arthur is overjoyed at finally being home again, but it doesn't last long as lethal white robots from the planet Krikkit attack them.

It turns out the planet Krikkit has been waging a bloody war against the rest of the universe, trying to kill everyone, and that the game cricket is really the result of a sort of genetic memory past down through the human race (which the rest of the galaxy believes to be in very bad taste.) Arthur and Ford are reunited with Slartibartfast and reluctantly join him on a quest to save the universe from the planet Krikkit and its vendetta against all of creation.

Trillian, Zaphod and Marvin all return to take part in the adventure. As well, _Life_ introduces a series of hilarious new concepts, such as Slartibartfast's space ship which runs on "Bistromathic Drive" - on the premise that math used in a restaurant is so wildly different from any other kind of math used anywhere else in reality that when harnessed, it is, in fact, capable of powering and directing a space ship.

There is also an immortal alien who has made it his mission to personally insult every living being in the galaxy in alphabetical order, and another alien with a very big grudge against Arthur Dent. Remember the bowl of petunias from _Hitchhiker's Guide_? Remember the poor rabbit Arthur skinned to make a pouch for collecting interesting stones in? There's a problem with the whole reincarnation thing, and this is it.

As with all of Adam's books the writing is cheerful and fun, full of hilarious turns of phrase and analogies and moments of clever insight. This book is a fantastic conclusion to the story started in _Hitchhiker's Guide_, and the next book in the series, _So Long and Thanks for All the Fish_, is the perfect coda (but more on that later.) One of my all-time favorites, 5/5 stars. ( )

The continuing saga of the Hitchhikers trilogy. Here is another laugh riot volume of space travel lunacy from the master of sci-fi humor, Douglas Adams. What more can be said of his work that hasn't already been said. If you haven't read the series, it is time you did. ( )

Throw yourself at the ground and miss. If you can't, don't whine about it.

Unfortunately the third Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book is nowhere near as entertaining as the first two installments. The tone of it changes considerably to somewhat this side of maudlin, apart from the odd entertaining piece like the flying, and insulting the galaxy in order, or a bit of Clockwork Orange inspired cricket.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/07... ( )

Not Free SF Reader: Throw yourself at the ground and miss. If you can't, don't whine about it.

Unfortunately the third Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book is nowhere near as entertaining as the first two installments. The tone of it changes considerably to somewhat this side of maudlin, apart from the odd entertaining piece like the flying, and insulting the galaxy in order, or a bit of Clockwork Orange inspired cricket.

The third book of the Hitchhiker series leaves behind the satirical vignettes format of the previous two books in favor of a bland makeshift plot about saving the galaxy. Featuring cricket and some annoying, unsatisfying prose. ( )

living in old caveman times, pure genius. everything just connects. always read these in order so the part about missing the ground to be able to fly is just clever and stupid at the same time ( )

Another installment of the adventures of Arthur, ford and co. As usual full of laughs, thrills, spills and everything else from the bizarre immagination of the genius douglas adams. One highlight was the return of Marvin the paranoid android, and so much more. ( )

The third book in Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe" trilogy, the ironic humor continues and the laughs just keep on coming. I think that there are two kinds of people in the world, people who "get" Adams and people who don't, and I consider myself lucky that I am one of them. : ) ( )

Douglas Adams’ novel, Life, the Universe, and Everything, is a truly a classic. The third book in the HitchHiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, this book continues the wacky adventures of an Earthling trying to make sense of the Universe. Filled with action, comedy, and deep philosophies, this book will not disappoint any reader.
The book centers around the main character, Arthur Dent, an Earthling who travels in space with a rag-tag crew of outlaws and misfits. Arthur is a plain, somewhat boring Englishman who enjoys daydreaming and tea. After being rescued from Earth’s destruction in the first book, Arthur is taken along on an adventure to find the true meaning of existence, and maybe save the universe in the process.
In Life, the Universe, and Everything, Arthur and company find themselves journeying across vast distances of space and time in an effort to stop the inhabitants of planet Krikkit from destroying the universe. The people of Krikkit were unaware of the rest of the universe outside their planet until a rogue spaceship crashlands on their peaceful planet. The fact that there are other planets in space doesn’t sit too well with them, and they embark on a quest to destroy existence as we know it.
Douglas Adams wrote the novel as a comedy/sci-fi/satire/philosophy novel. By incorporating action-packed adventures, sit-com type dialogue, and important life lessons in his writing, he achieves a state of perfection rarely seen in writing. His writing style is simple and easy to understand, while expanding vocabulary with some complex wording. The book moves slow enough to soak in what is happening, but fast enough that there is never a dull moment.
The book was actually written after it was famous. The HitchHiker’s Guide series was first a Radio show on the BBC before any novel was written. It then took its popularity to the TV when a television series was made about the wacky adventures of Arthur Dent. Finally, after the death of Adams in 2001, a Hollywood production of the movie was made in 2005.
Personally, I loved this book. It fits right into my tastes for humor with a deeper moral lesson attached. It also leaves a lot of strings for the reader to form their own conclusions about the story and the philosophy behind it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good laugh as well as personal reflection. ( )

I was glad to see Marvin the emo robot reemerge. The beginning is just as strongly humorous as the second book, but the Krikkit storyline is a bit too heavy to be all that humorous. It's stil funny, but not as strong as the second book. ( )

Being a sequel to a sequel, I expected this to fall short of my expectations. To my chagrin, I was pleasantly mistaken. Parts of the novel are confusing, but it doesn't take away from the storyline at all. ( )

Morning read-aloud with the boys. Possibly my least favorite of the series--all that stuff about Krikkit might have resonated more if I knew more about the game of cricket. Still a 5-star read anyway. ( )

The third book in the Hitchhiker Trilogy finds Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect stuck on prehistoric Earth. Through a series of improbable coincidences, they escape, find Slartibartfast, and agree to stop a galactic war. After that the plot becomes a relatively stock affair as Ford, Arthur and Slartibartfast team up with Trillian, Marvin, and Zaphod to avert the war.

As is true of all the Hitchhiker books, the plot is merely a framework upon which to hang the humor, parody, and satire. This book is the first in the series to begin to show the cracks as old jokes start to become tired and worn, the satire begins to become a little shrill, and the parody begins to become a little wearying. However, starting from as high a point as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe allows Adams to show a little drop off in quality while still producing an excellent book. ( )

Like Restaurant..., I didn't find this as funny as the first book, though still a very funny book.

I haven't read beyond this point in the series. Too bad, I didn't get to experience the book that has the best subtitle ever: The fifth volume in the increasingly misnamed trilogy ( )

The story picks up with Arthur Dent trapped on prehistoric earth, and hating every damp second of it. When a small Chesterfield sofa appears nearby, Arthur and Ford jump on, return to Earth, and find themselves caught up in yet another adventure that involves saving the universe and finding out some very odd things about cricket... http://icantstopreading.wordpress.com... ( )

Arthur Dent, still stuck 2 million years in Earth’s past, has been living in an Islington cave for the last five years. He has just decided to try going insane when Ford Prefect reenters his life. Soon both have rejoined the flotsam of the space-time continuum only to be drafted by Slartibartfast to help save the Universe. The fast paced, action driven plot takes off in a direction totally independent of the The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio show. (The storyline was actually adapted from an unproduced Doctor Who television script written by Adams. See Don’t Panic by Neil Gaiman for further details.) As Arthur, Ford, and Slarty race to prevent the Krikkit robots from freeing their masters (a "bunch of really sweet guys … [who] believe in peace, justice, morality, culture, sports, family life, and the obliteration of all other life forms)," they are reunited with Zaphod, Trillian, and Marvin. In his typical zany, digression-filled style, Adams introduces other favorite elements of the HHGttG cult classic mythology. Arthur survives insults, is kidnapped by the current incarnation of a particularly vindictive bowl of petunias, learns to fly, and discovers the location of God’s final message to his creation. Ultimately, the use of black humor to address the issues of war gives this novel a more serious tone than the tone of the previous two novels in the series.

Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are both drafted by Slartibartfast to help save the Universe from a “bunch of really sweet guys … [who] believe in peace, justice, morality, culture, sports, family life, and the obliteration of all other life forms.” Arthur survives insults, is kidnapped by the current incarnation of a particularly vindictive bowl of petunias, learns to fly, and discovers the location of God’s final message to his creation.

http://home.comcast.net/~ktoonen/summ... ( )

In consequence of a number of stunning catastrophes, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a hideously miserable cave on prehistoric Earth. However, just as he thinks that things cannot possibly get any worse, they suddenly do. He discovers that the Galaxy is not only mind-bogglingly big and bewildering, but also that most of the things that happen in it are staggeringly unfair.

Volume Three in the Trilogy of Five

Old favorite from high school. Had to pick up this used hard cover copy to supplement tattered paperback. ( )

1sts,science fiction,hardbacked science fiction,science fiction series,hitchhiker's,needs brodart

I finished Life, the Universe, and Everything last night. Really, the quality of the Hitchhiker books seems to go down with every installment. The first was brilliant, the second still enjoyable, but the third was already reusing themes from the first two and not improving on them. I've heard the fourth and fifth were rather dismal, and I'm probably going to skip them. I can only take so much of Adams at a time. His sadistic sarcasm gets really abrasive after awhile. ( )

Monty Python meets the written word! And it works wonderfully! ( )

Written by Douglas Adams, "Life, the Universe and Everything" was first published in 1982 and is the third instalment of his legendary five-part "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" trilogy. It opens around five years after "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" finished, but follows up on what has happened in the previous books - as a result, it's the wrong place to start !!

The series started life as a radio show, before becoming a book, a television series, a play and a bath towel. Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge in 1952 and died in May 2001.

Recent years haven't been kind to Arthur Dent. Having seen his home flattened by bulldozers, he barely escaped with his life when the Earth was demolished by the Vogons - officially to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Arthur was rescued by Ford Prefect, a roving reporter for "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The pair were later picked up by an old school-friend of Fords, Zaphod Beeblebrox - the two-headed, three-armed, renegade ex-President of the Galaxy and owner of the most powerful and unpredictable ship in the universe. Having met Slartibartfast, the man who designed Norway, and eaten at the restaurant at the end of the universe, an unprogrammed teleport sees Arthur and Ford landing on...a prehistoric Earth.

As the book opens, Arthur has been living alone in a cold, damp, smelly cave for five years. Living alone in what would become Islington roughly two million years later, he hasn't had any company since the surviving Golgafrinchans went on holiday about three years previously. Ford, having spent the last three years in prehistoric Africa, is now responsible for the giraffe and returns just in time to save Arthur from madness. He has detected eddies in the space - time continuum, which he suspects may provide the pair with an escape route. His suspicions are proved correct : the pair catch an over-active Chesterfield sofa which carries them forward through time and deposits them at Lords Cricket Ground - just two days before the Vogons are due to demolish Earth. The arrive just in time to see England defeat Australia in a very important cricket match, a spaceship containing robotic 'cricketers' arriving to kill people and steal the Ashes (the 'trophy' being played for) and Slartibartfast trying to stop them. Slartibartfast kindly agrees to give the duo a lift, meaning they won't have to hitch a ride with the Vogons again. However, he seems to expect them to help him save the universe - a task that involves them discovering that cricket is actually derived from Krikket and that robotic cricketers are generally best avoided. Ford, on the other hand, aims to be exceedingly drunk and would rather visit Eccentrica Gallumbits - a very capable lady of negotiable affections.

This is an extremely silly and very easily read book - though it probably does assume a certain awareness of cricket. Hugely enjoyable and definitely recommended - though only after having read the previous two instalments ! ( )

Another very funny book in the hitchhikers series. Difficult to understand at times, and impossible to imagine at all times. This book should be read sentence by sentence, to make sure you don't skip any jokes. ( )