• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  • By: Douglas Adams
  • Narrated by: Stephen Fry
  • Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,185 ratings)

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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  By  cover art

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

By: Douglas Adams
Narrated by: Stephen Fry
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Editorial reviews

Master of comedy Stephen Fry delivers a brilliant audiobook narration of the best-selling novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams. Arthur Dent is a very British man having a very bad day. He discovers his friend is an alien and he’s taken off earth just as it’s destroyed to make way for a galaxy highway. To make matters worse, he hasn’t even had his morning cup of tea yet. This ingeniously constructed story takes a humorous look at how something as precious as Earth isn’t always appreciated until it’s gone. A lighthearted and enjoyable listen. Available now from Audible.

Publisher's summary

One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun, and the Galaxy is a very strange and startling place.

©1979 Serious Productions Ltd (P)2005 Random House US

Critic reviews

"By turns authoritative as the narrator, bemused as Arthur Dent, deadpan as Ford Prefect and manic as Zaphod Beeblebrox, he [Stephen Fry] makes an altogether appropriate reader . . . The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" ( The Times)

What listeners say about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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    5 out of 5 stars

"Mice, they paid for earth." Mind Blowing.

Love to Love it, Stephen Fry made it better, as a matter of fact, he is undoubtedly the best at these sort of entertainment.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Feeling at one with the origins of nerdy tropes

It's great to finally hear the sources of so many legendary nerdy tropes such as 42. Douglas Adams has such a wonderful and non-conventional method of storytelling. That sees the narrative hop-skip and jumping all over spacetime in a quest for imaginative narrative glee.

There's a certain child-like wonder that comes with experiencing a story like this, full of incomprehensible things.

Fantastically delivered by Mr Fry, who never fails at aural engagement.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hilarious sarcasm

Stephen Fry perfectly captures the British humor in the story and it's a wonderful performance.
The story is extraordinary, too. I sometimes cannot help bursting into laughter.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story, great narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to be better than the print version?

I have not read the printed version. But i really liked the audio version.
And i will definitely listen to the rest of the book in the serie at some point.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The charaters in this book was all, special, and funny, in each of there own way, so i dont have a favorite character.

Have you listened to any of Stephen Fry’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listen to any of audiobook narrated by Stephen Fry before, but this one was very good. So i dont think it will be the last Stephen Fry book i have listen to.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes if i had the time, i would definitely listen to the whole book all in one sitting.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful narration by Stephen Fry, but the radio play is still superior

If you’ve heard the radio play from which the book is derived you might think it falls a bit flat. Nonetheless Fry brings each character to life and the whole story is thoroughly entertaining.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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excellent performance

I love the writing and the humorously serious tone of the plot. The performance of the book was fantastic

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The storytelling

A story that will take you on an adventure have you wonder what is going to happen next within the story. It questions the possibilities of what our purpose in this vast universe really is, and if there are other life forms already implementing intergalactic travel within their own space.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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As always a great story, highly amusing but...

Stephen Fry has managed to disappoint again with a rather stolid reading of a very funny and great book. So sad.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Weird not wise

So don’t get the hype surrounding this book. Sure it is a zany romp, but I use those adjectives pejoratively - I mean how many adults are really into zany romps. I’m thinking of throwing in caper somewhere in this review. For me it was infantile, bizarre and nonsensical - no real plot, tension, suspense, character arc, and certainly no profound wisdom. There are flashes of brilliance, I must admit, and I did enjoy some of the droll humour of the ordinary juxtaposed with the bizarre, but overall pretty vacuous. Brilliantly brilliantly narrated by Stephen Fry however.

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Just ok

Stephen fry is fantastic as always. However as a newcomer to the series I wasn't a huge fan. Mainly because I didn't particularly like the humour.

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