Dirk Gently

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dramatised)

By: Douglas Adams

Narrated by: Harry Enfield

Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Harry Enfield stars once again in a brand new full-cast dramatisation of Douglas Adams's second Dirk Gently novel, directed by the award-winning Dirk Maggs

Harry Enfield exuberantly returns as Dirk Gently, who, fallen on hard times and dressed as a gypsy woman, is using his irritatingly accurate clairvoyant powers to read palms. He is saved when a frantic client turns up with a ludicrous story about being stalked by a goblin waving a contract accompanied by a hairy, green-eyed, scythe-wielding monster. When Detective Superintendent Gilks decides a headless body found in a sealed room is the result of a particularly irritating suicide, Dirk is plunged into a mystery where the interconnectedness of all things is tested to the limit...

This is the second of three series adapted from the Dirk Gently books, directed by Dirk Maggs (chosen by Douglas Adams to conclude the award-winning Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy). Guest stars include Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Jan Ravens (Dead Ringers), Philip Jackson (Poirot), John Fortune (Bremner, Bird & Fortune), Morwenna Banks (Absolutely), Stephen Moore (The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy) and returning cast members Olivia Colman (Peep Show), Jim Carter (The Golden Compass) and Billy Boyd (The Lord Of The Rings). This release contains over 30 minutes of additional unbroadcast material.

©2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

THIS IS NOT THE LONG DARK TEA TIME OF THE SOUL

This audio "RETELLING" completely butchered a very good book. I made a horrible mistake of thinking this was the audiobook of The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul and it is NOT. I wasted an audiobook credit on this, thanks to Audible. This is a version that sounds like listening to a terrible slapstick play, missing 100 percent of the things about Douglas Adams writing that makes this story good. Please don't make the same mistake I did. THIS IS NOT THE BOOK IN THE SLIGHTEST.

More to say about 'Rubbish'

It's so strange to find the first installment of this series (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) so incredibly good and this one so Incredibly Bad. But whoever rewrote the book for THIS dramatization seemed to forget what should be completely plain from the title of the first book- i.e.- this is a DETECTIVE story, like the Hitchiker's Guide Books are road stories (kind of). And the point of a detective story, even one with such an odd detective, is to not give the game away Until The Very End. Among other things, there is a scene in here of a meeting which basically explains (gives away) the whole book-in the first five minutes of chapter 1! So the plot is shot, the suspense is gone, and what's left? One dimensional, tired, forced slapstick. In the original book, there's a buildup of strange events intruding into a familiar world that lends a depth to the story, but this version's just irritating. Maybe this is just a case of cashing in on a sequel. Just don't blame Douglas Adams, someone mauled a good story. On the bright side, this one made me realize that the good Mr. Adams was more than just a comedy writer (although he was VERY funny), he could really WRITE.

A laugh a minute.

I was glad to hear of the BBC's adaptations of the Dirk Gently novels. After listening to and being thoroughly impressed with their handling of holistic Detective Agency I took a listen to the sequel, Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul. Again I found myself laughing so hard I was surprised when I didn't pee my pants. They made some changes to the story to bring it into the modern age, and while I generally hate it when people make such changes, it worked surprisingly well here. It helped that they picked an excellent cast for these whacky characters.
It all started while Kate Schechter was waiting to catch a plane to Norway. Already running late as it was, she's delayed even more by a big, angry Nordic man who also wants to catch the flight but is prevented from doing so by is lack of a credt card, bank account, passport or any kind of identification. Any chance of either of them making the flight is irrevocably lost when the check-in desk suddenly shoots up through the ceiling engulfed in a ball of orange flame.
Meanwhile, holistic investigator Dirk Gently is forced by poverty to make ends meet by putting his frustratingly accurate powers of clairvoyance to use as a cross dressing fortune teller. Things get hectic when Dirk is retained by a rich record company executive who claims to be pursued by a gobblin waiving a contract signed in blood and a giant, hairy green-eyed monster with a sythe. Though initially skeptical of this excentric's story, Dirk begins to take it seriously when he arrives several hours late for an appointment with his client only to find him brutally decapitated with his head sitting squarely in the center of his record player's turntable, which happens to be playing a copy of a record he helped get released. As Dirk digs deeper he discovers shocking truthes behind his client's murder, truthes that may even have a bearing on the bizarre incident at the airport as well as the disappearance of the girl working at the exploded check-in desk and a fighter pilot who went missing during a mission over the North Sea.
All in all this is an excellent adaptation well worth adding to your library, particularly if you like British humor. And despite his absence from the actual novel I actually liked how they brought Richard MacDuf back for this presentation since it gives a bit more of a sense of continuity. I also got to wondering if the Kate from the original novel of Holistic Detective Agency is the same Kate who features prominently in this presentation, now carrying a different name. If you havent given this a listen yet I wholeheartedly recommend it. You might just be in for a good time.

Improving series, but still no Guide

Dirk Gently is still not on the level of Hitchhiker's Guide, obviously, but this sequel is a better read than the first. Easier to follow, and very funny, the story is intriguing. Can't lose with mythological consumerism!

I do wonder though, with the irreverent Norse gods hanging around, did this or American Gods come out first?

Great show just one problem

You will love the show. But the song, Hot Potato, will get stuck in your head and unlike the Krikkit Masters' song, A full length version has never been released. 😭

Clever, Creative, Engaging and Imaginative.

A tale with enough wit and plot twists to give the mind's eye a colorful story to visualize. Intelligent details. Captivating dialog, with enough respect for the reader to avoid polluting the text with profanity. Delightful storytelling. An author that dances with the intellect of his audience. An under appreciated style of humor. I hope to discover another similarly brilliant author. Thank you , Mrs. Ann H.

The book was better?

Not to sound cliche, but this version of the story wasn't bad, but the actual book is better.

Rewritten for BBC Radio

Would you try another book from Douglas Adams and/or Harry Enfield?

Read all of Douglas Adams

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointed that they did not stick closer to the book. While i give the book 5 stars I only give this dramatization 2 stars. They converted a mystery story into a straight "comedy". The mystery in the book is given away in the second act. And they rewrote the ending so it is different from the book.

Rubbish

Not funny, not interesting, not engaging.

Read reviews first!

Definitely not what I was looking for. Hardest Adams book to follow on audible at any rate. Buy or borrow the book - Much better!

Douglas Adams at his best

Just as funny as hitchhikers guide...and as well performed with the a list cast it has. Comedy gold and utterly bonkers

Maggs works his magic on Dirk

If you loved the first Dirk Gently novel then you'll adore this one as I believe it is even better.

The cast is strong and the direction is beautifully adapted to make the very complex tale both easy to follow and twisted enough to hide the surprises.

Once again Harry Enfield's Dirk is magnificent but I particularly love Olivia Coleman's angry drinks machine.

It has all the buff and polish that you'd expect of a Dirk Maggs production and could certainly hold its own next to the more popular Hitchhikers series.

Brilliant!

Great book, not the greatest audio performance

Harry Enfield is a legend, who has done some great work. This is not one of them. The book on which this dramatisation is based, is great. The dramatisation is weak, and the performances 'phoned in'. Worth reading, not worth listening to, especially if you enjoyed the book.

not the best adaptation

Unfortunately nowhere near as good as the book. Poor sound quality and wooden performances

Brought to life beautifully.

The whole premise of the story is so fascinating and so Douglas! In other hands it could become incomprehensible but the cast did a fantastic job of making a bizarre storyline totally believable. Harry Enfield is outstanding, if more avuncular than I imagined Dirk to be. Jan Ravens is excellent and Peter Davison always sounds out of breath and slightly annoyed. So many excellent cameos and small roles weave texture into this tale. I wish there were more than 2 stories. Oh Douglas, we miss you!

Delightful and as fresh as ever.

It's not the full text, but it's a fab cast and the kind of production only Maggs is capable of.
Perhaps feels a bit more silly than the original, but still so enjoyable.
For fans and newbies alike.

Oh, and Olivia Coleman steals the show in a surprise role.

Difficult to follow

Struggled to follow the story with so much going on in the background. Often unable to her the characters words against the effects.

A classic

A fantastic version of a great Douglas Adams book. Great performances and production. Dirk Maggs is fantastic with this sort of material

better than i remember

great work from Dirk maggs and his sound crew. Some nice little easter eggs here and there

Perfect!

This is just-about as close to perfection as I think it's possible for one book to get, and a full cast really bring this terrific story to life. Harry Enfield make a really wonderful Dirk.

We have Norse Gods, goblins, an impossible suicide, and Dirk Gently somehow works it all out. It's a roister-doister of a ride, fun all the way and my goodness, it's funny. Just what you need to lift the spirits on a gloomy afternoon.