2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Our February group read will be The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

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.

Lindsay will be our discussion leader, thank you!

I think you might need to change the title of this thread Winter ;) :)

Anyway, I didn't really have a horse in this race as such, but I'm still happy this won! It's about time I went back to it anyway - haven't read it in years, and then just like with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe I think I'd just been overexposed (I'd already read it once, seen the film, *and* seen the gloriously 80s [maybe] BBC TV series) so I didn't like it as much. Hoping that'll change now of course, and I've got a good feeling that it will. Not sure why though. :)

In fact, because it's been so long in general I think I'm going to pull them all out now and read them this year. Including... the sixth one! Which I've never actually read, though I managed to find out most of what happens in it anyway. Then again that was years ago so I feel like I've forgotten a lot. So that's pretty great! Plus I always liked Eoin Colfer in the first place, although Douglas Adams -> Eoin Colfer was always a weird one to me. Though maybe not that weird.

I've also managed to get my hands on the original radio series, the true originals in fact! Though considering that I started with the book myself and apparently forgot that these existed for *years*, I'm not going to yell at anyone who comes in here who uses/used this as their way in. Because that would be hypocritical. And even if it wasn't hypocritical, it'd be rude. Which isn't to say that I haven't been rude about twenty different ways in this one comment alone.

But enough about that! It's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy time, and I think it's better (for now maybe?) that I let you discover it for yourself. Hold on to your towels everyfrood! You're probably going to sass a pretty good time. Probably. ;) :D

(view spoiler)[I have no idea who Veet Voojagig is :$ (hide spoiler)]

Have some music!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbhAf...

Whoops, thank you Paul ^^ I were in a rush yesterday ;)

I'm exited for this one, it's been on my tbr for almost forever and I'm waiting for it to arrive in the mail :-D

I read this not long ago but I think I might have to read it again in February because I really enjoyed it.

Looking forward to rereading this with everyone. I have the film and tv series to watch and I've never seen them before. Not sure which version to watch first. Paul, what would you suggest?

I'm definitely going to be reading this! I really should've, as it is both a sci-fi and a British classic, but I somehow never got around to it.

Like Lindsay, I'm looking forward to this :)

Love this series. Not sure if I'm going to reread it with the group, but I probably will, if only to keep my "Group reads 2017" streak going. :D

Nik wrote: "Love this series. Not sure if I'm going to reread it with the group, but I probably will, if only to keep my "Group reads 2017" streak going. :D"

It's quite a light read isn't it?

I've read the entire series in may, but I loved it enough that I'm actually considering reading it again with the group. I probably will, because well, it was great.

Lindsay wrote: "Looking forward to rereading this with everyone. I have the film and tv series to watch and I've never seen them before. Not sure which version to watch first. Paul, what would you suggest?"

That's a really good question Lindsay! I don't know! I know a load of people hate the film and everything it stands for, but I can't help but have a soft spot for it. OK, I haven't seen it for years, but still. Sure, it's very different from the book (kinda Hollywoody actually, which might be a deal breaker) and way more romancey (which is what Douglas Adams wanted, so fair enough I guess?), but you've got Martin Freeman (who's such a baby in this! then again I never really watched The Office), Zooey Deschanel for some reason, your man from Iron Man 2, Moon and Galaxy Quest, John Malkovich for some reason, Mos Def for some reason, Alan Rickman as Marvin (who I don't think really works that well actually?), Bill Nighy, Stephen Fry as the Guide, it looks really nice, and I know I haven't really talked about the writing yet but you know what, I still quite like it. So there. :D

I do think the TV show is probably better though. Sure, it doesn't really have people who you'd know who they are (though most of them came back from the radio show, and it does have Peter Davison and your man who was in Darth Vader's suit for a bit), but they all do a pretty good job. Well, apart from Sandra Dickinson's peculiar accent, although to be fair it was her own, so I can't complain much about that. It's also a lot closer to the book than the film is, or should I say the radio show, so it's got that going for it. (Actually that's one thing about the TV show, it lurches into Restaurant at the End of the Universe material about two thirds of the way through, and I mean lurches, but if you'll forgive me checking your shelves you've already read it, so I'd say you should be OK in that sense.)

It really is gloriously 80s BBC sci-fi in its entire look and feel and pacing though, at least from what little I've seen and heard of it (Tom Baker was in his final season when it went out after all), so if you're not used to that it might throw you a bit. Or it might be a refreshing change! Goodness knows I like TV Zaphod's second head more than I like film Zaphod's second head, even if it doesn't do anything and looks unnervingly like Paul McCartney with an eyepatch now that I look at it. Then again that could be because film head is shouty and disturbingly placed and doesn't do anything except annoy you. And it's also got these lovely hand-drawn computer graphics for the Guide!

So on the whole I'd say the TV show just about shades it over the film, even though I do like both and the film more than most. It's not like the film never had a hit song after all! ;D Whatever you decide to do though Lindsay, enjoy! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTXOW...

Paul wrote: "Lindsay wrote: "Looking forward to rereading this with everyone. I have the film and tv series to watch and I've never seen them before. Not sure which version to watch first. Paul, what would you ..."

That makes it a lot easier for me Paul. I will watch the BBC series first. Tom Baker was my favourite Doctor if that isn't too controversial. I also loved Blake's 7 as a kid and it was very much the same era. I will let you know how I get on with it. Thank you!

I read it a few years ago and wasn't really a fan. I think I wasn't really ready for it (as in it wasn't what the type of book I wanted to read in that moment) so I'm going to give it another go!

I read this for the first time a few years ago and tried to read all the books in the series in one go. I didn't succeed (I never made it to the last one) but I'm looking forward to re-reading this and maybe easing slowly back into the series. I did watch the movie after reading the book and I wasn't a fan, but I had no idea there was a BBC series! I'll have to look out for it when I finish the book.

I've been waiting a long time for this one! I'm glad to have a motivational reason to push me towards reading it now!

Lindsay wrote: "Paul wrote: "Lindsay wrote: "Looking forward to rereading this with everyone. I have the film and tv series to watch and I've never seen them before. Not sure which version to watch first. Paul, wh..."

That sounds perfect, Lindsay! Hope you enjoy it. :)

Alicia, I was gonna say that the BBC series might be on iPlayer, but I just checked and it isn't. :/ I did find it floating around on DVD on Amazon UK and US though, so hopefully that's a good option for you. :)

I don't think I'll end up re-reading this one, but I'm excited to join in for the discussion!

My favorite go to book. Find his characters less strange now than ever before ;) Love the Vogons. Watch the movie and have the BBC series with out takes, interviews,etc. Guess that makes me a fan. Or maybe just a bit off.

I love this book so much I can't even express it properly!

This has been on my TBR list for years! So excited to read it!

I've never read this! I might have to join in!

Oh! I'd like to join in. I think it might have been 10 years since I read it last time.

My copy has arrived and I'm ready for next month!

So, just checking but... are we reading just book one in this series, or are we reading the entire series?

We're reading book #1 as a group read, but if you enjoy it you can always propose the other books as buddy read.

I'd also like to join in, as the book is on my to do list anyway. And on my shelves, physically.
This may be a stupid question, but do I have to "register" somewhere to join in?

Auntie wrote: "This may be a stupid question…"

No such thing! We were all new here at one point or another and found our way with the help of fellow group members.

"…do I have to "register" somewhere to join in?"

I think you just did, simply by stating your intent in this thread. =) If you haven't already selected the number of books you'd like to read this year, and would like to, you can sign up for the 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge. And if you're new to this group, there's a starting point for new members that will help you figure out challenge participation, creating your own little corner to track your reading and challenges, and point you to the thread where you can introduce yourself to the group.

Hope that helps. Welcome!

Great answer, Nik! Thanks. :)

Welcome to the group Auntie!

I just read this book for the first time in January. It was a recommendation by my cousin who knows my reading tastes well. I loved it!

Amber wrote: "I just read this book for the first time in January. It was a recommendation by my cousin who knows my reading tastes well. I loved it!"
It will be great to have you jump in on the discussion Amber!

I hope everyone is excited to get started with this new group read tomorrow!

If I have anxiety issues that kept me up like I did last night, I'll make sure to start reading it after midnight....

Then again, maybe I shouldn't. :D

Pam wrote: "If I have anxiety issues that kept me up like I did last night, I'll make sure to start reading it after midnight....

Then again, maybe I shouldn't. :D"

I hope tonight you have a great sleep!

I will probably not start it until next week or so.

Thanks a lot for the nice replies.

I'm still starting to find my way around booklooker - via the app, which seems to make some bits more complicated. ^^

As for the Guide, I just slipped it into a protective jacket so I can take it to work safely. ;-)

I read this one last year, and, well, let's say it is not my type of book. I am very curious about what you guys think though, so I will definitely be following the discussion threads.

Ready to start! Or barely started rather :)

I jumped the gun a little bit and already read it last weekend. Loved it just as much as when I read it for the first time.

I read it a couple of years ago and thought it was just o.k. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. Waiting on the audiobook from the library. Hope it will add some spark for me.

I have read this many years ago and honestly can't remember what I thought of it.
I'm not sure I'll have the time to read it with the group, but I sure hope so :)

I'm currently reading this book, and well meh, its okay. Maybe I need to get further into it to see what everyone likes about it. I will definitely keep reading.

Not so long ago I listened to the radio play (in German, though). And I must say that so far I enjoy the printed English version a lot better - maybe because then loud sounds are in my head, not in my ears, and under my control...
I suspect that, as with Terry Pratchett's novels, you either get hooked or you don't "connect" at all with Douglas Adams' writing.

I just got the book and can't wait to start reading it

Aaaaagh! I have 1.5 books in the queue before I start (re-)reading this with you all. Looking forward to jumping in soon. =)

Ooh, I've been thinking of re-reading this! Loved it many years ago. Perhaps I'll jump in :)

I'm excited to finally read this! Saw the movie years ago and I bought the ultimate edition with includes 5 of the books.

I'm in! I guess I'm a couple days behind, but I'll catch up!

This has been on my TBR list for ages. This is a great opportunity to read it!

I tried the book and couldn't finish. The audiobooks was slightly better. It was just a "meh" for me. Sorry;(