The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

By: Douglas Adams

Narrated by: Stephen Fry

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

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 15 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; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.

Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time in between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!

Listen to the rest of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy."

Want to learn more about the new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie? Listen to this interview with Robbie Stamp, close friend of Douglas Adams and executive producer of the film.

©1980 Serious Productions Ltd (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

The universe is big

There won't be another Earth. If it's destroyed by a mistake, What can we do about it? Can't say if that was an intended message, but it came through that way.

Clever comedy setting up a genre

Great book and great performance bringing this to life. So sad Douglas Adams didn’t write more.

Perfect :-)

Two of my favourites cooperate here: Douglas Adams and Stephen Fry.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a classic one hardly needs to praise anymore.

And I never miss a book that Stephen Fry reads - he is perfect :-)

Don't miss this great treat !

Geek classic holds up well

Like most junior high school kids inclined toward geek enthusiasms in the early 1980s, I was a huge fan of this book and its sequels, and tried to copy Adams' writing style (in 1983, not in this review). The book holds up well, if its not quite as brilliant as I remembered. Having discovered P.G. Wodehouse in the interval, I realize how much Adams emulated his writing style, particularly the hilarious descriptive analogy. If you like one, you'll probably like the other; Arthur Dent and Bertie Wooster inhabited very different physical environments, but the way in which they are swept through life, with the protagonist as primarily a reactor to events as opposed to an initiator of them, and their reliance on others to get them out of scrapes, is similar. Both authors are very funny although at this point I give the edge to Wodehouse. On the other hand, while both have ridiculous plot twists, there is more "stuff" going on - points being made, philosophy explored, etc - in Adams' work (at least that's my take). The book is a classic now of course so the real point of this is to commend Stephen Fry as the narrator, who does a wonderful job.

It's very odd that audible has the first book done by Fry, and the second by Martin Freeman. Both are incredible pros and do a great job, but I would have preferred that they pick one or the other! I thought Fry nailed Zaphod Beeblebrox, then Freeman came in with a totally different take that wasn't necessarily any less valid, but was a jarring contrast. I got used to it and it seems that they stick with Freeman for the rest of the books. For what its worth both men do a very fine job with the material.

all-time great sci-fi

Would you listen to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy again? Why?

Definitely, it's just such a classic and the humor helps it never get old.

Which character – as performed by Stephen Fry – was your favorite?

I'd say Arthur, Stephen does a great job capturing his bewilderment and frustration over the world/universe as he knows it being blown to pieces (both figuratively and literally).

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Don't Panic.

Ridiculous and Hilarious

What did you love best about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

The story was completely ridiculous, yet still managed to work as something to follow along.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Marvin the robot, such a subtle character, yet still important to the plot.

What about Stephen Fry’s performance did you like?

He was able to act out many different characters and emotions while keeping a pretty consistent voice level.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The most astonishing adventure in the universe begins when the world ends.

Fantastic

Absolutely loved it. I actually saw the movie before reading but they are both so great. The story, detail and narrative is just great.

A Real Page Turner

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

I wouldn't know, haven't read the book, yet.

What did you like best about this story?

Stephen Fry Narrating and the Storyline

Which scene was your favorite?

Arthur Dent laying in front of his house.

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

An amazing story that keeps you captivated.

Very original

The book was very random with good writing and creative. Sometimes it was hard to imagine as I had no reference point for all the different things going on. I will definitely have to read it through a second time as I'm sure I've missed some things. All in all I really liked it. Reader did an excellent job.

so long & thanks for all the fish!

The main takeaways from this book are not to take everything too doggone seriously all the time. There is humor to be found in everything, especially by those who take life way too seriously.
So long and thanks for all the fish.