And Another Thing...
Ratings36
Average rating3
15
Ratings36
Average rating3
And Another Thing... is the sixth novel in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. Eight years after the death of its creator, Douglas Adams, widow Jane Belson sanctioned the project to be written by the international number-one bestselling children's writer Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl novels.Belson said of Eoin Colfer, "I love his books and could not think of a better person to transport Arthur, Zaphod, and Marvin to pastures new." Colfer, a fan of Hitchhiker since his school days, said, "Being given the chance to write this book is like suddenly being offered the superpower of your choice. For years I have been finishing this incredible story in my head and now I have the opportunity to do it in the real world."Prepare to be amazed...
Reviews with the most likes.
If you felt that the fifth book didn't hold up to the usual standards of quality, then prepare for a surprise. This sixth installment manages to be worse. It needlessly continues the story in Mostly Harmless, is entirely derivative, rehashes old jokes, and tells us more about the Vogons than anyone should ever want to hear.
My advice is to re-read the first three books instead.
Colfer shocked me. His capture of the Adams voice was good and his grasp of the characters was even better. Granted at time I felt a bit like I was listening to an impressionist, but I never got overwhelmed by that. And I rarely if ever thought that a character was acting in an entirely unexpected way. Hitchhiker fans should feel safe to test these watersz. Some may object that it's an uncanny valley of similarity, but overall I felt that the spirit was there and rather enjoyed it.
DNF
F-ing boring. Eoin Colfer is not Douglas Adams. He tries too much, the absurdity isn't as natural and immediate, I think Eoin lacks Douglas' “innocence”. It just isn't funny.
Colfer is to be commended for attempting the impossible and pulling it off so well. He wrote a book which, by its style, certainly fits in with Adams's corpus, but which never gives the impression of trying to counterfeit him. Not quite as funny or heart-moving as some of the original Hitchhiker's books, it was nevertheless an enjoyable read.
I think if I had read this before Salmon of Doubt I might have been disappointed that it was not Adams himself. But Salmon, with its incompleteness and sudden ending, saddened me greatly and drove home that Adams is no more, so I was not expecting his exact voice in Another Thing.
Featured Series
6 primary books10 released booksThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 9-book series with 6 primary works first released in 30 with contributions by Douglas Adams, Jem Roberts, and 3 others.
