My Hitchhiker's Experience

My adventures with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy have been a long and a mostly delightful one. It started back in 1982, when I was in college. My mother and I were shopping one weekend when I was home from college (a very typical activity). Having gotten our fill of the abundant couture, we wandered into the department store’s book section. There on the dollar table was a hardback copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It was the cover that first got my attention as any good book cover should. I remember picking it up and showing it to my Mother. She was always ”tolerant” of my love of science fiction. I think she thought it made me smarter somehow.

After I got home, I dove right in to this wonderful book I had found. I couldn’t put it down. I laughed and laughed. The following Monday back at school, I told everyone I knew that they MUST read this book. I made my friends either buy their own copy or read mine. I can remember many a night sitting in a bar quoting this book. My friends and I had our own language and hidden meanings. It was lovely. We were so “hip” discussing this fabulous book I had discovered. We never went anywhere without a towel, seriously. And the answer was ALWAYS 42.

Then, local PBS station started to show the BBC series of HGTG. I was so excited. The series was weird and surreal like the book. I couldn’t wait to see each and every episode. Moreover, as each new book became available I bought it, read it and then spread the word once again. I was hooked!

Now, I can’t find my hardback copy. I know it’s here somewhere. Instead of finding it, I went out and bought another copy. It made me sad, remembering that day that I bought my first copy. I missed my Mother who is now in the deep throes of dementia. She would have made me find the original copy. Nonetheless, I tried to read my new copy before I saw the movie. I finished the first half before we went. I still love this book. In my world, Douglas Adams is bizarre individual that deserves many accolades. I really like bizarre people. This really explains a lot about me.

So off we went to see HGTG. And what did I think about the movie? What’s not to like? It’s British, it’s Sci-Fi. I should love it. Well, as it turns out I’m one of those purists everyone keeps talking about. Yep, that’s me! I enjoyed the movie but not as much as I enjoyed the book. Somehow so much of Douglas Adams’ humor seemed to get lost when translated into cellulous. I was disturbed about the ending in particular. In the book, Zaphod ask Arthur if he was hungry and suggested the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. That’s it; nothing more needs to be said (for the time being). But in the movie there’s a happy ending including some gratuitous kissing etc etc. I didn’t particularly care for this ending. This movie turned out to be more of a boy meets girl, boy loses girl to the President of the Universe, boy meets girl again in a most improbable way kind of flick. So I realize when I read the book, it wasn’t so much the plot as it was the humor I was partial to. The book is simply nonsensical in that oh-so-British-way. The movie makes an effort to capture the mood, but in my opinion falls somewhat short. It is, of course, the same old thing I hear from countless people that read a book and then see the movie. They just don’t like it as much. However, I really did like the movie’s theme song. It is catchy, funny, melodic, and so terribly British. And now I can say I have actually heard Vogon poetry. It is as bad as I imagined. Good job on that concept! Out of five possible aliens, I give this movie three and half aliens.

Alex and Robert haven’t read The Guide, but have seen the movie. What do you think guys????