I never read the first five books of the ’increasingly-inaccurately-named Hitchhiker’s Guide Trilogy.’ I cheated, and watched the (very excellent) BBC mini-series production instead. However, having felt cheated that I didn’t read a lick of Douglas Adams’s original work, I was happy to hear that a new installment, Mostly Harmless, had come out.
You know how Sherlock Holmes’s author is claimed to have killed Holmes only to stop the fans from demanding more and more sequels? I got the impression that Douglas Adams was similarly inspired to write this book.
Now, in a highly (but not infinitely) improbable twist of literary fate, Mr. Adams’s writing style itself made the book readable, from moment to moment. But the plot was so tedious, so contrived that I actually wondered, if the author didn’t want to write it, why do I need to read it?
At moments, the story reaches a few macabre lows; at others, there is soap-opera calibre sexual tension; and then, for just two or three pages, it’s totally hilarious. For the most part, you get the impression that it’s just filler.
If you’re still not sure whether you want to read it, tie this on: I disliked Arthur C. Clarke’s 2061 for all the same reasons I disliked this book. All of the author, none of the point.
Now, this poor rating should not reflect on the author or the rest of the Hitchhiker’s Guide series. The plot preceeding this edition is top-notch; Douglas Adams is a pillar of British humor. But if you’ve already read all that and you’re looking for more of the same... I suggest you pick up a Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman comedy.