The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2) by Douglas Adams

My rating:

In his sequel to “The hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy”, Douglas Adams continues the adventures of Athur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillian, and Marvin, in the same funny and unassuming style. Zaphod, still nutty as a fruitcake, looks for the man who rules the universe, while Arthur’s continued search for “The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” churns out the unsatisfactory “What do you get if you multiply six by nine?”.

It makes for a quick read, ever surprising by its sophisms, absurdity and sense of perspective from ‘one’s never alone with a rubber duck.’ to (speaking of planet Earth being destroyed to make room for a hyperspace bypass):
‘Oh, I’ve heard of worse,’ said Ford, ‘I read of one planet off in the seventh dimension that got used as a ball in a game of intergalactic billiards. Got potted straight into a black hole. Killed ten billion people.’

Douglas Adams also touches on deep issues like faith, people management, and ecology, for instance when a civilisation decides to use leaves as currency. The book is surprisingly contemporary given it was published in 1980.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it made me laugh and has a great pace, with every new spaceship, planet, and set full of surprises. Milliways, the restaurant at the end of the universe, doesn’t disappoint. Also, for some reason, I love the scene at the end of the book.

View all my reviews