The+hitch+hikers+guide+to+the+galaxy+-+summary

=The HITCH HAIKERS GUIDE to the GALAXY=


 * The hitch hikers guide to the galaxy is written in 1979 in is the first book in a series of five. Following is a small extract which I think defines both this book and it´s writer very well:**

(source: click on the picture)

//‘Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.

Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.

This planet has-or rather had-a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn’t the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy. And so the problem remained; lots of the people were mean, and most of them were miserable, even the ones with digital watches. Many were increasingly of the opinion that they’d all made a big mistake in coming down from the trees in the first place. And some said that even the trees had been a bad move, and that no one should ever have left the oceans. ‘//

This is the beginning of the bestselling novel. The hitch hikers guide to the galaxy is not only a highly entertaining book, it raises questions like are we the only ones out there? What is really the meaning of our lives? And is there really a god? The writer puts a lot of humour into these serious questions. And does not seem to take humanity very seriously, as he simply wipes them out within the first four chapters of the book. It seems by this book that all the “great” discoveries of mankind are astronomically small compared to what there is in the rest of the galaxy. Even though there are a lot of unrealistic things in this book the writer manages to have a certain accuracy, because he has such an eye for details. This is a bookrapport where you can get to know the hitchhikers galaxy.

After the very special opening the story begins on earth with Arthur Dent and his house. The day begins with a normal, calm morning untill he finds out his house is going to be demolished, because of the building of a very “necessary” bypass. And Arthur goes to the drastic measure of laying down in the mud in front of the bulldozers that are going to demolish his house.

His best friend Ford Perfect on the other hand has much more important news to share, and convinces Arthur to come with him to the pub. Ford Perfect isn’t born on the planet earth, he is a hitchhiker, who accidentally became stuck on earth for 15 years doing research for a new edit of the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. The particular day that Arthurs house is going to be demolished the same thing is about to happen to the earth, which is not considered to have any significant importance to anyone. So Arthur (still wearing his dressing robe) and Ford catch a hike with one of the space ships that are supposed to demolish the earth, and the adventure begins.

Soon after the blindpassangers come into the spaceship they are discovered. And the mean creatures that own the ship, the vogons throw them out, into the open space. If you draw your breath you can drift for 30 seconds before you choke in the open space. And the probability for beeing saved is about as close to one to nothing you can get. Nevertheless a spaceship comes by as Arthur and Ford are dying, and pick them up.

Even more improbable it is Fords half brother that is running the spaceship, which he has stolen to go and find a very old planet, which has been lost for millions of years. In fact Ford’s very unique (but not very intelligent brother) Zaphood Beeblebrox has become the president of the galaxy in Fords time on earth. But he has discovered that he in fact has no real power, he is a symbol for display. Now he has stolen a brand new ship with pioneering technologies to search for the lost planet, and a sense of accomplishment. So they form a group and it becomes a great travel through space, looking for “the answer of life” and running from dangerous mice.

The book is written in an autoral 3.person angle. The writer is outside the plot watching. But is all-knowing about the carachters, and their feelings. The language is very advanced, and makes the reading slightly heavy. Personally I quite liked the book, though I think I would get even more out of it reading it in my first language, this was very good English practise.

The genre is science fiction and humor. So if either amuse you, this book definently will. But I think the people that will enjoy this book the most is those who like science fiction. At the same time Douglas Adams presents a whole new view upon humanity in this book, and uses a lot of humoristic means. This makes the book fit for more people after all.

Douglas Adams both entertains, and makes you stop up and think in this book. Therefore it is most recommendable.

Below you can see the movietrailer of the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy movie:

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