a rare thing: a sequel that doesn't disappoint
The sequel to the wonderful Hitchhiker's Guide is just as (if not more so) humorously, brilliantly written and imaginative than its predecessor. It's the kind of book that you don't read lightly, you read savoring as the pages fly by. In this installment, our travelers eventually find themselves eating at a restaurant perpetually circling the end of all existence. Zaphod learns he's supposed to find the man who runs the universe (which he eventually does). Arthur even finds himself home, back on Earth, but two million years in the past. Really, brilliantly clever, fantastic book. Grade: A+
Quick, easy and fun
A quick, fun read which left an indelible impression on my mind's eye. I think about the Restaurant itself frequently and hope I can visit it at some point in the future.
stand-up comedy to challenge the mind
Intolerably funny. But if you thought you could get away with Douglas Adams without thinking about the Big Questions in life, no such luck! While putting mortality 2 million years out is a great way to soften the blow, the question is still, "OK, you got a life for a little while, whatta ya gonna do about it?"
just as good as the first book
This, the second book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy science fiction comedy series, continues the humerous story in the same fast passed tempo as the first one.
We are thrown right into a drama where a Vogon spaceship is trying to blow up the heart of gold, the fabulous space ship that Zaphod stoled during his time as president of the galaxy. As it turns out Zaphod had locked up parts of his brain prior to becoming president and a good deal of this book deals with him trying to recover this hidden memory. At one point Zaphod even getts caught up in a spaceship that has been delayed for departure, due to missing paper napkins, for 400 years. After many twists and turns we end up at the restaurant at the end of the universe. With the ever unlucky Marvin, due to a mishap in time travel, having to actually wait until the end of the universe (several million years) for the others to turn up.
At the restaurant, they steal a funky black spaceship which, as it later turns out, is destined to crash into a Sun during a interstellar rock concert. They eventually rescue them self by using a malfunctioned teleport, which unfortunately hurls everyone uncontrollably through out space. Zaphod and Trillian eventually ends up at the real president of the universe, meanwhile Ford and Artur are stranded in a space ship filled with management consultants, hairdressers and telephone sanitizers. Eventually they crashes on prehistoric earth, where its original inhabitants quickly goes extinct, but alas the crew of the spaceship survives and quickly call earth their new home.
As in the first book you find yourself laughing out loud at least once on every page. The humor is intelligent, subtle and extremely bizarre - eventually you end up racing through it, just to get to the next kick and yet it is still a well composed book containing a great story. In short a highly recommended page turner.
Where galactic hitchhikers eat
After enjoying both the book and the movie, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I decided that I absolutely, positively and at all costs read the other books in Douglas Adams hilarious trilogy in five parts.
When we left Zaphod, Ford, Trillian, Arthur, and Marvin, they were on their way for a meal at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Now, the five are being attacked by Vogons trying to finish the extermination of the human race (due to orders given them). The five escape, but end up separated. Zaphod lands near the office of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and suddenly begins to remember things that he had buried before becoming president--the steps to who rules the universe and who may be able to provide the Ultimate Question to the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Good:
Douglas Adams' sense of humor is what really shines in this book. He is adept at creating comical situations, playing on stereotypes and providing a humorous outlet. For example, he satirizes middle-men (i.e. hairdressers, management, etc.) when the middle-men of a certain culture are tricked to leave their planet, leaving behind all the smart people and all the people who do the work the smart people demand.
Furthermore, Douglas Adams bucks the system of creating admirable heroes and heroines. Zaphod is a selfish moron, more interested in being well-fed than other lives (and who doesn't think twice about stealing); Ford is (generally) a spineless hitchhiker. Arthur desires only to have a nice cup of tea, and Trillian doesn't necessarily stick her neck out for anyone else (although she was not very prominent in the book so it would be hard to say).
The story is smart and interesting, with twists and turns that no one would expect. Also, Adams intertwines science in it at appropriate places to make it sound convincing while refusing to let it bog down his story. I enjoyed how it was easy to read and quick as well.
Bad:
The story at times seems to exist mainly to show outrageous situations and make satirical remarks about society. I haven't read the whole series, so I can't quite say if these events make a difference later on, but going from being attacked to talking to a dead man to being transported to a distant planet to being carried from that planet in a building to another planet just makes me want to take a break and nap (and this is only less than halfway through the book!).
Sometimes I felt that the book went by too quickly and ended too abruptly. I won't completely blame the book as several sequels have this element (Empire Strikes Back comes instantly to mind). Also, Trillian and Marvin do not play as much of a role in this one.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Primarily British invectives, like "bloody".
Girlfriends are mentioned along with Zaphod's desire to be on the beach with 50 beautiful women.
People die during a planet crash. Officers carry guns. Other than that, the violence is rather minimal.
Overall:
There is so much to like about this book that it almost totally eclipses what may be considered "bad". Douglas Adams' writing style is so clean and so hysterically funny that I can easily forgive the rather outrageous plot and the brisk pace. Definitely, if you liked Hitchhiker's, you will enjoy Restaurant.
(118 reviews)
