Still odd, this private investigator.

This is much of a muchness with the last book, but the act wears thing after having it done the first time around. Dirk still has dodgy fridge hygiene. The plot if you want to call it that this time has to do with a possible deity, some blowing up of stuff including people, and an annoying album also features.

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

It saddens me to say it, but Douglas Adams is a one trick pony. 'Hitch Hikers' was absolutely fantastic and one expects any comic writer to have a recognizable style but I found that I was ahead of the punch line too often.
The story is, as one would expect, off the wall: Thor puts in an appearance in modern day Britain causing all sorts of problems for Dirk Gently and the few humans who can see him. It does have its humorous moments, and I would rate it higher were it not to be for the genius of HHG2G which makes this look pedestrian. ( )

Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first send mad. Dirk Gently is not mad, he’s livid. He’s annoyed with his cleaner for not cleaning out his fridge (that starts the novel as a biohazard and ends up as a WMD), he’s angry with the eagle that keeps swooping at him, removing bits of Dirk on regular occasions and he’s enraged that others seem to know more about the odd things that are happening to him than he does, removing his ability to behave in a mysterious manner as neatly as his client’s head is removed from its body in the opening of the book.

Mysterious he may not be, even with his prop leather coat and unfeasible hat, but charismatic he certainly is. Even when he’s fending off psychotic teens, fencing with the surly waiters at a café or simply engaging in a war of nerves with his cleaner, he’s almost a fascinating a character as he thinks he is, which makes him one of the most fascinating characters in literature. Oddly, he’s likable too.

Angry as he is (and he builds from a base state of annoyed resentment tinged with fear and driven by anxiety at the start of the novel to baffled rage (pretty much the human condition actually) towards the end) Dirk is not as angry as Thor, who is very angry indeed. In humans anger results in a change in complexion and possibly a strongly worded letter to some institution where it will go in a little frame in the office with the label ‘winger of the week’ below it, when you are the God of thunder anger results in the destruction of an airport terminal and the transmutation of people and objects into animals and, er, other objects.

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul deals, probably far too realistically, with the prospect of what happens when gods (in this case the Norse pantheon) and humans mix. Anyone who knows anything about gods, or humans, will know that when gods and gods mix there’s trouble, when humans and humans mix, there’s trouble and when gods and humans mix, there is trouble cubed. The prime example of what happens when gods and humans mix is also the solution to the mystery that drives all other mysteries in this book and the revelation is very satisfying, because it confirms that our uncharitable view of certain types of people, and certain types of god, was right all along and does not mean that we are mean-spirited emotional dwarfs.

You will laugh when you read this, and you will be gripped, and you will occasionally be gripped with laughter. The humour is here in a constant background state, just like Thor’s anger. In fact there’s probably enough going on in this book for a normal author to have spun out into a series. But Adams was far from a normal author. He packs in the ideas sideways to the laughs. There are a lot of ideas here and a fair education about the behaviour of gods in general and Norse gods in particular might help (broadly, if you’re British, your education will cope, if you are not – fire up Wikipedia). Those who know more will chuckle not just at the slapstick but at the subtle references, then feel smug about getting a reference, then annoyed because that feeling of smugness is socially abhorrent, then smug again because knowing a bit more about this sort of thing than others is how Dirk would feel all the time and so you are identifying with a character, then worried because that character is Dirk.

If you don’t have a firm grounding in the behaviour of gods, or the behaviour of policemen, or the behaviour of waiters, then you need not worry; you will still laugh like a tickled baby baboon at the other bits, of which there are many. You will also finish the book knowing a hell of a lot more about gods, and men, and eagles, and fridges, than you did to begin with. The book even unravels one of the greatest mysteries of all – exactly why some women have just so many bath products. ( )

Great series ( )

Dirk gently is such a cool character, his strange approach to detective work and his obsession with proving the interconnectiveness of all things leads to so many chancces for humour, and Adams ofcourse pounces on ever single one. I really do prefer these to the hitchikers series, many would disagree, but read the dirk gently books and you will love them. ( )

It takes a brave man to move away from the series of books which made his name, and his fortune. But Douglas Adams had other stories to tell. This book is the second 'Dirk Gently', the adventures of the 'holistic' detective.

The ideas that Adams explores in this book have a very 'Hitch Hikers' feel to them (suitably, warmly silly). And every time I take a trip to London I'm reminded of this book as I arrive in St. Pancras station. It's recently been restored to its former glory, and I love the idea that Douglas Adams would have revelled in the fact that it looks more like Valhalla than ever... ( )

http://www.piruett.se/2008/10/26/doug... ( )

This one starts out as though it's going to be better than the original 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' was, but ends on a low point. Overall a satisfying read, but it shouldn't be read by anyone who hasn't done Dirk Gently itself yet.

Basically, it feels like Adams ran out of energy and just quit at the end, because it's a horrible, horrible ending. The rest is quite entertaining, however, particularly the crime scene at the house, and all scenes involving Thor. It's simply a fact: Douglas Adams was an incredible humorist and great at writing radio-play series, which need not always be aimed at a serious, concise ending. He just can't do endings or contained plots: he like big, rambling things full of dramatic and unexpected changes. Now, when the changes are so dramatic that they become unexpectable, or when the endings are too remote from the meat of the story to provide any satisfaction, then this becomes a problem. ( )

I still think of this as DNA's latest work even though it's some 20 years old now, it hasn't aged particularly well- I can't imagine a London in which it would be impossible to have pizza delivered.

Not quite as funny as it could be, but still an amusing and quirky insight into the world, based on the simple premise: imortallity isn't just for a passing culture. The holistic private detective Dirk Gently is late for an appointment with one of his few clients. He is somewhat distressed to find the police present and his client deceased. The resulting broken nose leads to a chance encounter in a cafe with a nurse which in turn through the vagracies of Dirk's zen navigation style, leads to his meeting with Kate Schechter. Kate has been independantly tracing the obdurate gentleman who prevented her flying to Oslo shortly before the airport terminal exploded. Dirk's holisitc intrepation - meaning that all things in life are interconnected - leads him to the remarkable, but when you think about it totally correct conclusion that Sherlock Holmes was wrong. The impossible merely implies we haven't found all the knowledge available, wheras the improbable we can discount because we do generally know how people behave.

Dirk has many annoying mannerisms, but his ability to draw conclusions from such wide ranging co-incidences makes every paragraph an exercise in trying to guess where the story might be going. Superb. Maybe not of the abstract of Hitchhikers, but for anyone who lives inthe UK a very worthy read. ( )

Part mystery novel, part puzzle, this novel bring us one again to Dirk Gently's world, where finally, his financial woes are over, until the somewhat crazy record producer who has him on retainer is beheaded one day in a locked room. Is is then that Dirk realizes that this man's lunatic ravings may have had some truth in them.

Encountering Thor, the Norse god, as well as some other characters from Norse mythology, Dirk once again tries to find a holistic solution to the problem at hand.

If you enjoyed Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, you're bound to enjoy this one. ( )

Not as good as the first Dirk Gently novel. ( )

Dirk Gently returns in this "sequel" to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I use the word sequel very loosely since the only similarity between the two is the character of Dirk Gently.

I think Dirk is a brilliant character created by a comedic genius. Adams' is a master at fleshing out strange characters with thought patterns that don't reflect the rest of us. In his first novel, Dirk took on time paradoxes. Now he takes on Nordic gods, beheadings, and inexplicable explosions and disappearances. All while taking care of his fridge and searching for another pack of cigarettes.

Worth the read if only to get a good laugh from Adams' patentable humor. ( )

He could not write something which was not funny- he is missed. ( )

A slightly funny little romp that ties in mythology. Adam's quirky wit is evident throughout the piece making for a very quick mildly enjoyable read. ( )

Odin has sold his power to an unethical couple and Dirk Gently and Kate need to sort it out. Various surreal goings on including a fighter aeroplane turned into a ( very cross) eagle and a young woman transformed into a drinks machine. Although funny I found it vaguely unsatisfactory and the ending confusing and a bit of a let down. Tom Holt does it better.
An OK book. ( )

Dirk Gently rides again.

I think this is Adam's worst novel. It shambles around with Nordic gods and demonic contracts, like a third rate pagan Master and Margarita. In this book Immortal gods can get old and die, Odin is now in a rest home, Thor has gone postal and Dirk's ex-assistant has been turned into a Coke machine, all very uninspired, and not very funny.

Terry Pratchett covers the same ground far more entertainingly. ( )

Hysterically funny. I have rarely laughed out loud so many times while reading a book. Especially humorous if you have any knowledge at all of Norse mythology. Right up there with the best of Terry Pratchett. ( )

The first Douglas Adams book I had ever read. It was a little bit confusing at times. Had I read Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy first, I would have understood his writing style better. I still found myself drawn to the book and enjoying it. Fast read, I didn't feel like it wasted my time. ( )

This book was fantastic! It was a unique and quirky theological mystery which i enjoyed immensely. Adams has a great style and i loved his portrayal of the Norse Pantheon in their seeming "twilight years" so to speak. I was given this book by a friend who thought that I would enjoy it, and I must say that I'm excited to read more of Adams' work, especially the first Dirk Gently novel and the Hitchhiker books. ( )

An interesting blend of detective story and fantasy. I found the book quite entertaining but not nearly as brilliant as the Hitchhiker's Guide. I was left puzzling as to why that is. This is what I came up with: What I like about the book is Douglas Adams' extremely witty style of writing. What I don't like is the story. While the Hitchhiker's Guide is wholly escapist, almost entirely set off this planet so remarkably removed very early on, the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul tries to blend magic and London. Just not my cup of tea. Maybe Harry Potter spoiled that combination for me.
Still, Douglas Adams' writing shines and makes for some good entertainment. Three stars. ( )

The story started very strong in the usual way for Mr. Adams. That is to say, seemingly nonsensicial but hysterical nonetheless. However, things slowed down in terms of both plot development and humor, as if there was a rush to get tot he end that left no time for the usual deliberate stalling that made many of his other books such a good read. Unfortunatley, the ending was very unsatisfying and did not at all support the idea that things needed to be rushed. ( )

I bought this at the National Airport bookstore, and began it on the plane. The opening sentence is "It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression has ever produced the expression 'As pretty as an airport.' Serendipity made it just that much more hilarious. ( )

Link to a review on my personal website (might be in Swedish). ( )

Most people seem to prefer the more obvious slapstick of the early Hitchhiker's books, but I've found myself enjoying Adams more and more as he's matured. Many of the situations in this book are outrageous and silly, and there are plenty of the one-liners that are Adams' trademark ("It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression 'As pretty as an airport,'" the book begins) but there are very few passages intended solely for the purpose of eliciting a laugh. Everything's integral to the story, and it all makes sense in the end, although Adams doesn't hand you the answer on a silver platter. This novel is part social commentary, part Rubik's Cube (how DO those piecses fit together, anyway?), and part humor. It took me several re-readings to get the bit about the concentric circles on the eagle's wings, but it was worth it. If you enjoy exercising your mind through the contemplation of the absurd, you'll enjoy reading -- and re-reading -- "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul." ( )