The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Authorized Collection (1993)

great fun! ( )

Arthur Dent stars in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as the only human left once the Earth is dissolved in order to clear the way for a new intergalactic highway, saved by his not-so-human friend Ford Prefect. Arthur and Ford hitchhike through various spacecraft and planets in the hours directly following Earth's destruction, with the help of a book, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

I enjoyed reading this novel. However, Douglas Adams has a tendency to go off on tangents about somewhat unrelated topics. Often I had to go back a few paragraphs and reread to figure out how we had gotten on the current subject. This did impede my comprehension of the novel, as well as slowed down my reading considerably.

Despite the slightly confusing manner in which this book was written, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a must-read for all fantasy lovers. It is very relatable because Arthur is just a normal human being who happens to be saved from the end of world. The readers view his struggle to accept not only the fact that his home planet is gone, but also the presence of other life forms within the universe, and the improbability of many of the situations he faces.

My only other comment on this novel is that the ending felt unfinished, but this is only the first of the series. I can't wait to read more! ( )

Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Authorized Collection is a graphic novel treatment of Douglas Adams’ iconic work, adapted from the novel by John Carnell and illustrated by Steve Leialoha, and first published in 1991.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy started out as a radio serial broadcast on the BBC in the mid-1970’s. The script was adapted as a novel, which has in turn been adapted as a television series (1981), graphic novel, and movie (2005). The story follows the adventures of a hapless Earthman named Arthur Dent and his extraterrestrial friend, Ford Prefect, who escape from the Earth moments before it is to be vapourized to make way for a hyperspatial express route. They manage to escape almost certain death by hitchhiking a ride from the very alien spaceship responsible for the earth’s destruction.

This adaptation, which was authorized and approved by Douglas Adams, is very faithful to the original, with about 70% of the text of the graphic novel copied directly from the novel. The illustrations portray the protagonists as young adults, rather than the more middle-aged characters of the television series and movie, which is a little jarring for aficionados of the older works, but makes the story more relevant for the young audience for which this adaptation is intended. The illustrations are very effective in adding flow and action to a work that depends very heavily on language and word play, and the illustrator has created a strong visual distinction between the artwork for the storyline and the artwork meant to portray the Guide entries.

This graphic novel introduces a whole new generation to the popular series. It is especially appropriate for ages 12 to 16, but will also be appreciated by adult fans of graphic novels and of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novels. ( )

Der Comic hat die Geschichte schön umgesetzt, nur lässt die Heyne-Taschenbuchausgabe zu wünschen übrig: Durch die Verkleinerung lässt der Comic sich nur bei gutem Licht lesen und Details erfordern Konzentration, und die wie ein Abreißblock geleimten Seiten lösen sich schnell vom Buchrücken. ( )