The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1)

by Douglas Adams

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I’ve never had much of an interest in reading classic science fiction. Much of it just doesn’t appeal to me and it has SUCH a rabid fan base that I fear if I don’t enjoy a much loved classic that I’ll be shunned. As a result, I’ve steered away from gems like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. However, since SYNC offered it for free and the fact the theme for ICON is Hitchhiker’s Guide, I felt a weird obligation to tackle it.

First off, Stephen Fry does an excellent job narrating the story. Most of the time I was engaged and chuckling along with the story. Some of the oft known pop culture references snapped into place and I felt like I finally understood WHY one must simply carry a towel everywhere.

I disliked the number of side stories that popped up throughout the narrative. Many times I found them annoying, I just wanted Adams to move forward with Arthur’s story. And while some of the side stories provided some history about the universe at large, I felt that they were a distraction. (It also led to bit of an argument between my husband and I as we were listening to this one our road trip to Northern MN. We were trying to properly remember if, based on a side story early in the book involving the babblefish, if God really did exist.)

Anyway, I did enjoy The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It was worth the listen even if some of the humor may have been lost on me and the side stories were a bit distracting. Now excuse me while I go towel shopping. I’ll be back soon.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews