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Hitchhiker's Guide BBC Radio Series #1
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase
The BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatization!
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
Presented Fully Dramatized on 3 CDs.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published April 12, 1978
21 people are currently reading
686 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Adams
120 books23.5k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.
Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its seventeenth season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams was a self-proclaimed "radical atheist", an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, and a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.
Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.
Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its seventeenth season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams was a self-proclaimed "radical atheist", an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, and a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
October 5, 2025
From June 2011
Please note: the point of this review is not to discuss the plot of THGttG, but rather to convert those who are diehard fans of the books and are not familiar with the radio show into devotees of the BBC radio series which first aired in 1978, since it, after all, was the basis for the books, and not the other way around. But if you're not familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, read on to find out what all the fuss is about.
Skip this first paragraph if you are already familiar with THGttG since most of this content is lifted from Wikipedia:
Why the original radio version is zillions of times better than the book:
It's like comparing the experience between a mono radio show featuring a crappy banjo player with front and centre seats at a live symphony orchestra playing a concert hall. Well, sort of. THGttG was the first radio comedy show to be recorded in stereophonic sound and it was acted out by a full cast of professional actors, but what really sets this show apart is the sound effects which were completely innovative at the time. "One of Adams's stated goals was to be experimental in the use of sound. Being a fan of Pink Floyd and The Beatles (and especially the experimental concept albums both bands produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s), Adams wanted the programme to have the feel of a "rock album...to convey the idea that you actually were on a spaceship or an alien planet — that sense of a huge aural landscape".
Of course today, there is a quaint quality to those sound effects, but that is part of what adds to the overall charm of the experience. But best of all, though some kind of alchemical process, what might seem funny in the book, here actually SOUNDS absolutely hilarious. I first discovered this show in the late 80s when a local radio station aired the series, and must say that more than 20 years later, a reading of the book (which not surprisingly seemed awfully flat) it felt just as fresh, off the wall and yes, innovative as it did the first time around. Not convinced? Well you might want to give Vogon poetry a try, you just might like it.
____
From Today October 5, 2025:
I worked out this year
that the answer to
Life, The Universe and Everything
as worked out in THGttG (42)
works out to 6 which is LOVE.
🙂🙃💞
For more of my writings visit my blog: TotallySurreal.com
Please note: the point of this review is not to discuss the plot of THGttG, but rather to convert those who are diehard fans of the books and are not familiar with the radio show into devotees of the BBC radio series which first aired in 1978, since it, after all, was the basis for the books, and not the other way around. But if you're not familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, read on to find out what all the fuss is about.
Skip this first paragraph if you are already familiar with THGttG since most of this content is lifted from Wikipedia:
In the [Primary Phase], Earthman Arthur Dent is about to have his house demolished to make way for a new road, but before work can start his friend Ford Prefect informs him that the world is going to be demolished by a Vogon constructor fleet "to make way for a hyperspace bypass" and that he, Ford, is in fact an alien writer for a book called "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Hitching a ride aboard the Vogon ship which has just destroyed Earth, the pair eventually find themselves aboard a stolen spaceship called The Heart of Gold. Onboard is Ford's two-headed semi-cousin and President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, a woman Dent once met at a party called Trisha MacMillan (who has styled herself "Trillian") and a depressed robot called Marvin. Beeblebrox is searching for the mythical planet of Magrathea and the answer to the "Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything". Dent and the others later find themselves at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and are ultimately held captive aboard a Golgafrincham ship which is just about to crash-land on Prehistoric Earth.
Why the original radio version is zillions of times better than the book:
It's like comparing the experience between a mono radio show featuring a crappy banjo player with front and centre seats at a live symphony orchestra playing a concert hall. Well, sort of. THGttG was the first radio comedy show to be recorded in stereophonic sound and it was acted out by a full cast of professional actors, but what really sets this show apart is the sound effects which were completely innovative at the time. "One of Adams's stated goals was to be experimental in the use of sound. Being a fan of Pink Floyd and The Beatles (and especially the experimental concept albums both bands produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s), Adams wanted the programme to have the feel of a "rock album...to convey the idea that you actually were on a spaceship or an alien planet — that sense of a huge aural landscape".
Of course today, there is a quaint quality to those sound effects, but that is part of what adds to the overall charm of the experience. But best of all, though some kind of alchemical process, what might seem funny in the book, here actually SOUNDS absolutely hilarious. I first discovered this show in the late 80s when a local radio station aired the series, and must say that more than 20 years later, a reading of the book (which not surprisingly seemed awfully flat) it felt just as fresh, off the wall and yes, innovative as it did the first time around. Not convinced? Well you might want to give Vogon poetry a try, you just might like it.
____
From Today October 5, 2025:
I worked out this year
that the answer to
Life, The Universe and Everything
as worked out in THGttG (42)
works out to 6 which is LOVE.
🙂🙃💞
For more of my writings visit my blog: TotallySurreal.com
April 4, 2020
I am so very excited that they got the original cast remastered without all the interruptions of the narrator from the radio show. I loved it when it came across the pond in 1980. I had just acquired a house, a husband, and a radio. lol We toked up, listened to this, and Ken Nordine's excellent radio show, Word Jazz, and then spent the rest of the evening playing cribbage, eating walnuts, and drinking port. A very good combination, btw.
But I digress. As I often do. H2G2, as it is lovingly referred to by those of us who hate to type out all that stuff, was life-changing for me. I realized that the universe could just as well be like this as what we like to codify and worship now in other terms. It opened my mind to possibilities. You might like to try that, too. I found it amazing.
If you have gone through life without encountering the Bugblatter Beast of Traal, or the Babelfish, or the large friendly letters on the cover spelling out "Don't Panic", or an SEP, (Somebody Else's Problem), or the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything,
YOUR TIME HAS COME.
Don't waste another minute. My library has recently acquired this for free downloading. Now, you have no earthly excuse to look the other way. This doesn't even require reading skills. Just listen, and enjoy.
Update: What better way to remind yourself why you still love life than to listen again?
Loving this in the time of Corona virus isolation. Glad I can travel while at home!
But I digress. As I often do. H2G2, as it is lovingly referred to by those of us who hate to type out all that stuff, was life-changing for me. I realized that the universe could just as well be like this as what we like to codify and worship now in other terms. It opened my mind to possibilities. You might like to try that, too. I found it amazing.
If you have gone through life without encountering the Bugblatter Beast of Traal, or the Babelfish, or the large friendly letters on the cover spelling out "Don't Panic", or an SEP, (Somebody Else's Problem), or the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything,
YOUR TIME HAS COME.
Don't waste another minute. My library has recently acquired this for free downloading. Now, you have no earthly excuse to look the other way. This doesn't even require reading skills. Just listen, and enjoy.
Update: What better way to remind yourself why you still love life than to listen again?
Loving this in the time of Corona virus isolation. Glad I can travel while at home!
May 13, 2018
I listened to this via Audible.
I've experienced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in many ways, the books, the TV show, the movie, recordings of live readings, and even several attempts at the text adventure. But until now I've never listened to the radio production that started it all. It was time to change that.
It was like reconnecting with an old friend and falling into the same old topics of conversation you always talk about, with the same inside jokes and common interests. On several occasions I found myself speaking along with the performances of passages of the Guide that are etched into my mind from repeated readings. The cast was amazing and gave the characters a new life different from any of their later portrayals. It was simply fantastic.
If you've never encountered Douglas Adams' work I highly recommend you pick up anything he ever wrote right away and give it a go. It's funny, witty, smart, sarcastic, and even tackles the big questions with total irreverence. I can't say enough good things about it so really you should just stop reading this and go check out The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, any of his Doctor Who episodes, or anything else with his name attached to it.
If you're still here, I'll also note that I was pleasantly surprised at the end of the recording to find a retrospective on the creation of the radio show with interviews of Adams, the actors, and others involved in making it possible. This was unexpected and brought me great joy to hear stories from how the phenomenon began.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I loved listening to this and hope you do to when you go get yourself a copy and plug it into your ears. Enjoy!
I've experienced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in many ways, the books, the TV show, the movie, recordings of live readings, and even several attempts at the text adventure. But until now I've never listened to the radio production that started it all. It was time to change that.
It was like reconnecting with an old friend and falling into the same old topics of conversation you always talk about, with the same inside jokes and common interests. On several occasions I found myself speaking along with the performances of passages of the Guide that are etched into my mind from repeated readings. The cast was amazing and gave the characters a new life different from any of their later portrayals. It was simply fantastic.
If you've never encountered Douglas Adams' work I highly recommend you pick up anything he ever wrote right away and give it a go. It's funny, witty, smart, sarcastic, and even tackles the big questions with total irreverence. I can't say enough good things about it so really you should just stop reading this and go check out The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, any of his Doctor Who episodes, or anything else with his name attached to it.
If you're still here, I'll also note that I was pleasantly surprised at the end of the recording to find a retrospective on the creation of the radio show with interviews of Adams, the actors, and others involved in making it possible. This was unexpected and brought me great joy to hear stories from how the phenomenon began.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I loved listening to this and hope you do to when you go get yourself a copy and plug it into your ears. Enjoy!
July 21, 2023
I haven't listened to the radio version of Hitchhikers for since sometime in the early 2000s. Happy to report that they hold up brilliantly and still provide a unique version of the story not fully replicated in any of the other media. Less so in this first volume, which other versions more closely follow than later ones, but still with plenty of elements you don't find anywhere else.
December 20, 2021
dont know why GR gave me two of this. See other.
March 4, 2021
This has been a part of my life for almost 30 years now, the jokes in the first pages--the first few PARAGRAPHS--winning my loyalty for life. I think I'd first enjoyed this particular version back in college when a friend of mine, upon learning I was a fan, gave me a loan of her cassette tapes of the program.
It was fun to listen to it again. The audio quality is not great (as was stated on Audible's site), but I did not have a terrible time of it. The jokes were still amazing, and there was also a documentary at the end where I learned some new things as well about the production of the program.
A quick and very enjoyable listen.
It was fun to listen to it again. The audio quality is not great (as was stated on Audible's site), but I did not have a terrible time of it. The jokes were still amazing, and there was also a documentary at the end where I learned some new things as well about the production of the program.
A quick and very enjoyable listen.
November 26, 2021
Absolutely glorious, the original version works even better than the adaptations that came after. Every moment is brilliantly written and performed. It must have been spectacular to hear this for the first time when it aired.
Read
March 29, 2025Simply hilarious throughout. I enjoyed the philosophical angle to some of the jokes. I can see that Hitchikers was clearly a big inspiration for Terry Pratchett.
The Eagles-Journey of the Sorcerer playing at the start and end of every episode was also a nice touch. It was too long ago that I read the book to comment on the differences but I do like that here, you're acutely aware that you are just listening to a bunch of guys in a room having a good time.
Definitely continuing.
The Eagles-Journey of the Sorcerer playing at the start and end of every episode was also a nice touch. It was too long ago that I read the book to comment on the differences but I do like that here, you're acutely aware that you are just listening to a bunch of guys in a room having a good time.
Definitely continuing.
November 26, 2021
Deliciously bizarre.
December 22, 2020
I’ve always been inspired by the freedom of creativity in Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which has seen success across so many mediums. Listening to the original radio episodes made me realise that it really is a verbal masterpiece! The dialogue, tangents, wordplay and humour is brought to life in an absurd but brilliant way. It’s genius.
April 23, 2023
Even though it's British, and an audio drama version that I listened to, this book just isn't my cup of tea. Part of the problem is that the weird sound effects made it hard to hear what was being said at times.
June 4, 2021
This was great fun. The brilliant voice acting and sound effects added hugely to the experience. The deadpan delivery of the depressed android was a particular favourite
February 19, 2024
I learned recently (you probably already knew this) that 1) the radio show came first and 2) no two iterations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are the same (which I think is delightful) so I knew I had to finally check these out. I had so much fun with this! I've only read the first book and seen the movie, so there was lots of new material for me. Definitely listening to the next one.
If you're completely new to the series you could absolutely start here, if you want. I think I'd recommend starting with the first book, though - it lets you become familiar with the characters, story beats (to a point), and general Vibe at your own pace, and then you go ham with the other versions. The only bad place to start is the game*, though, so do you.
The 55-minute long mini documentary(??) about the radio series at the end was definitely worth a listen. It didn't really become clear until the end that it was done while Adams was still alive and just...oof ouch ouchhh. It was nice to hear his voice, though.
*Not because the game itself is bad. It's great! It's just really really hard and probably impossible to succeed at if you're not familiar with the plot of the book/radio show.
If you're completely new to the series you could absolutely start here, if you want. I think I'd recommend starting with the first book, though - it lets you become familiar with the characters, story beats (to a point), and general Vibe at your own pace, and then you go ham with the other versions. The only bad place to start is the game*, though, so do you.
The 55-minute long mini documentary(??) about the radio series at the end was definitely worth a listen. It didn't really become clear until the end that it was done while Adams was still alive and just...oof ouch ouchhh. It was nice to hear his voice, though.
*Not because the game itself is bad. It's great! It's just really really hard and probably impossible to succeed at if you're not familiar with the plot of the book/radio show.
June 3, 2020
I will never grow tired of this series.
So creative and weird and wonderful and even disturbing, it was great to listen to the first original BBC radio edit of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase and see how it all began. So similar to the books yet different - in story order and certain little tidbits. Still massively enjoyable. I love the voice overs and the sound effects.
Maybe I'm a little biased, but I just can't seem to hate anything. I love that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy presents the absurdity and mess of life in one big hilarious space adventure. It is just my cup of tea.
I also loved listening to the comments at the end from the voice actors, cast and Adam Douglas on making of the Primary Phase and Secondary Phase of this radio series.
So creative and weird and wonderful and even disturbing, it was great to listen to the first original BBC radio edit of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase and see how it all began. So similar to the books yet different - in story order and certain little tidbits. Still massively enjoyable. I love the voice overs and the sound effects.
Maybe I'm a little biased, but I just can't seem to hate anything. I love that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy presents the absurdity and mess of life in one big hilarious space adventure. It is just my cup of tea.
I also loved listening to the comments at the end from the voice actors, cast and Adam Douglas on making of the Primary Phase and Secondary Phase of this radio series.
December 20, 2021
Totally loved this, as always. I have been listening to the BBC radio play off and on since I was about thirteen, never grows old.
This one especially was not new, I was pretty surprised by the differences which were huge. There are any number of differences and some of them seemed (to me) significant. For example the dolphin scrip was definitely different to the one I remember and on which I am close to word perfect.
One that really threw me was the two voices talking to Deep Thought, one of them should have been female and was not. That was an odd difference too.
Still love every minute.
This one especially was not new, I was pretty surprised by the differences which were huge. There are any number of differences and some of them seemed (to me) significant. For example the dolphin scrip was definitely different to the one I remember and on which I am close to word perfect.
One that really threw me was the two voices talking to Deep Thought, one of them should have been female and was not. That was an odd difference too.
Still love every minute.
August 6, 2018
That's it. I always said there was something fundamentally wrong about the universe. So what do we do now?
January 23, 2019
This was my first audiobook and Hitchhiker's was one of my first (non-children) Sci-fi novels. I will always love this and re-read/ re-listen often!
January 21, 2023
I’ve listened to this *checks watch* forty five million times.
January 19, 2025
Really great script, performance, it brings the sci fi and comedy to life!
June 1, 2023
*4,5 ✨
"And I think to myself:
What a wonderful world..."
Coisa boa revisitar um livro tão querido pra mim quanto o Guia no formato original que ele foi planejado 😊❤
"And I think to myself:
What a wonderful world..."
Coisa boa revisitar um livro tão querido pra mim quanto o Guia no formato original que ele foi planejado 😊❤
December 26, 2023
The book will always be my favourite THGTTG medium, being my first encounter with it, but the radio series is a close second.
March 3, 2025
It's the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy but with sound effects!!! What the zark?!
September 5, 2025
I listened to the BBC Primary Phase Special and really enjoyed all of the sound effects, the voice actors were amazing and I thought it was really funny. 3 stars because its just not my type of book, I just prefer books with a more serious plot. Don't think I'm a sci-fi person either. But it really is a groundbreaking radio show and I really enjoyed the special section on the creation of HHGG.
September 2, 2021
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is easily one of my all-time favorite sci-fi novels but this was the first time I'd ever experienced the radio series. Going into it I wasn't sure what to expect but I wound up coming away very impressed and I laughed numerous times over the course of this part.
Marvin is easily one of my favorite characters in the book and I can't help but crack up laughing every time he's in a conversation. The voice cast was excellent all around and the sound effects were equally impressive. There were a couple, namely the mice, that I had difficulty understanding but overall, the production quality is excellent.
I also really enjoyed the documentary that's included at the end of this collection too. It was interesting learning about the creation of the series and I'm looking forward to learning more in the next set.
If you've never heard these radio shows or have yet to read the book, I highly recommend doing so. It's an amazing series and I can guarantee you'll laugh. In the end, I've decided to give the Primary Phase a 5 out of 5, excellently done and equally as funny.
Marvin is easily one of my favorite characters in the book and I can't help but crack up laughing every time he's in a conversation. The voice cast was excellent all around and the sound effects were equally impressive. There were a couple, namely the mice, that I had difficulty understanding but overall, the production quality is excellent.
I also really enjoyed the documentary that's included at the end of this collection too. It was interesting learning about the creation of the series and I'm looking forward to learning more in the next set.
If you've never heard these radio shows or have yet to read the book, I highly recommend doing so. It's an amazing series and I can guarantee you'll laugh. In the end, I've decided to give the Primary Phase a 5 out of 5, excellently done and equally as funny.
January 23, 2022
[Had to add the 42nd anniversary edition from Audible to Goodreads. Surprised it wasn't already listed!]
It's been ages since I last listened to the radio show for Hitchhikers. Like many people, I have fond memories of listening to it on cassette tape, recorded from an original copy and shared friend to friend, family to family. I don't know who got her into it, but it was my mom who first shared those tapes with me, when I was aged only in the single digits. I've remained a die-hard fan ever since.
The show was just as hilarious as I remembered. The jokes still fly today, even when I've already heard them a thousand times. The acting and sound effects come together wonderfully to make you feel like you're right there with the characters. I really loved the extra documentary episode at the end, too. Not only was it interesting learning about what went into the creation of the show, learning that Douglas Adams struggled with procrastination and perfectionism makes me feel less worried about my own creative efforts!
It's been ages since I last listened to the radio show for Hitchhikers. Like many people, I have fond memories of listening to it on cassette tape, recorded from an original copy and shared friend to friend, family to family. I don't know who got her into it, but it was my mom who first shared those tapes with me, when I was aged only in the single digits. I've remained a die-hard fan ever since.
The show was just as hilarious as I remembered. The jokes still fly today, even when I've already heard them a thousand times. The acting and sound effects come together wonderfully to make you feel like you're right there with the characters. I really loved the extra documentary episode at the end, too. Not only was it interesting learning about what went into the creation of the show, learning that Douglas Adams struggled with procrastination and perfectionism makes me feel less worried about my own creative efforts!
May 11, 2024
Even though I've listened to the author read audiobooks many more times, this is about my third time through the original radio dramas and you know what? I think I might like these slightly better. Something about em.
January 14, 2021
Having read the books and the script of the radio show, I figured it was high time to finally listen to the original story, as it was originally intended. Thank Zarquod for Audible!
This is about what you would expect, story-wise, if you've already read the books. It's fun listening to the cast, and realizing how different they are from the voices in your head (except for Marvin; spot on there). The real gem is the bonus track that gives a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the audio drama.
This is about what you would expect, story-wise, if you've already read the books. It's fun listening to the cast, and realizing how different they are from the voices in your head (except for Marvin; spot on there). The real gem is the bonus track that gives a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the audio drama.
September 3, 2021
I have adored this radio play for two decades, ever since I happened upon the first episode being broadcast by a local radio station. It honestly changed my life in many weird and wonderful ways. Listening to it after many years... has confirmed, for me, that Douglas Adams really was brilliant.
July 3, 2022
As usual this is excellent, so funny and excellent theme tune. Will definitely be listening to the rest!
May 22, 2023
Hilarious and light-hearted - a fun read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews