Ratings48
Average rating3.6
The Salmon of Doubt is Douglas Adams's indispensable guide to life, the universe and everything. It includes short stories and eleven chapters of a Dirk Gently novel that Douglas Adams was working on at the time of his death, and features an introduction by Stephen Fry. This sublime collection dips into the wit and wisdom of the man behind The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, uncovering his unique comic musings on everything from his school-trousers to malt whisky and from the letter Y through to his own nose, via atheism, hangovers and fried eggs. These hilarious collected writings reveal the warmth, enthusiasm and ferocious intelligence behind this most English of comic writers; a man who was virtually an unofficial member of the Monty Python team. Douglas Adams on his passion for P. G. Wodehouse, The Beatles and the perfect cup of tea alone make this a must-have collection and a remarkable sign-off from one of the best loved writers of all time. Start from the beginning of the surreal Dirk Gently series with Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
Reviews with the most likes.
If you love DA it will fill you with such sadness that he died way too early. If you know him peripherally then give this collection a miss. Three stars are the average between the five I would give with my heart and brain, and the one for the very uneven collection of material.
An excellent overview of what made Douglas Adams such a unique observer of life. I'd go as far to say, if you have never read anything else written by him, this would be a great place to start.
This book is a combination collection of essays/speeches, short stories, and the last incomplete novel of Douglas Adams. Reading it made me sad all over again that the world lost such a brilliant mind so suddenly and tragically. In this collection, you can feel his passionate love for the environment and technology and his hopes for their coexistence. You also get a healthy smattering of what might have been in had he lived to follow through on some of his ideas. I've put off reading this book for a while because I knew it would make me sad, but I'm glad to have read it.
Featured Series
3 primary booksDirk Gently is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Douglas Adams.
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.