I'm a heretic without humor...

[Katsunami]

... as I don't seem to be finding large parts of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to be as funny as they should have been.

As I've fallen behind in my challenge, I've decided to 'cheat' a bit and read this omnibus, as each book is only 120 to 175 pages (using Count Pages @ 2400 char/page). Reading this set will complete 5 out of 6 books of the "read something non-fantasy" sub-challenge.

This cult classic is a great disappointment, however. Everybody I've ever met who read it told me I should read it because it's so hilariously funny... but I just don't see it. Yes, I get the word plays, the jokes, the references, the allegories and the descriptions of the absurd situations, but... it's... just.... not.... IT. It's not funny enough.

Oh of course, there are some points which brought a smile to my face, such as

Spoiler:

... a world ridding itself of all the middle-men and people with 'useless professions', such as marketeers, 'phone sanitizer', managers, consultants and so on, and them not realizing it, making their ship crash on prehistoric earth ...

and

Spoiler:

... the horror scene where Arthur Dent discovers that every creature he has ever killed, on any world or in any time frame is actually the same creature over and over again ...

and

Spoiler:

... the scene where Arthur meets Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged, who is bored with his immortality to such a degree that he has made it his life's work to go and personally insult every living being in the universe, in alphabetical order ...

There are some other parts that are funny, obviously, but to be honest, I think a large part of the trilogy of five books is just a lot of incoherent nonsense, throwing around weird names, meant to be funny and not succeeding at it very well. For me, the story finally got going a bit at chapter 25 of the first book, which I think is quite late, and it hasn't gotten any better since then.

(Douglas Adams seems to have a distinctly unhealthy preoccupation with fish, also, which is intriguing.)

I've just finished the third book, and I'm seriously contemplating if I should finish the last two, which are, together, only 300 pages or so. Then I at least can tell other people I've read the series, before I change my name to Marvin.

Oh, yeah... where was I? Ah, yes. The topic of this thread. Or was it the thread going to grow out of this topic? I don't know. Anyway, what books have you read recently that you felt should have been better (or, worse), after all you've heard about it?

[pidgeon92]

Loved the first book in the series, but they did go steadily downhill from there.

[rkomar]

Maybe you're just in a crappy mood these days, and aren't in the right frame of mind for comedy? Are you finding other stuff funny while Adams' writing falls flat?

[Katsunami]

My mood is fine, at least as far as I can determine. THHGTTG just comes across as trying to be funny all the time. It reads like a comedy movie written out. I dislike comedy movies, actually, except for a very select few. Maybe I should watch the movie; it might work better and join the select group of comedy movies I like.

The one thing I do like is when a scene turns out to be ridiculous unexpectedly, such as the scenes I highlighted. Just calling a drink a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster or inventing words doesn't make it funny; at least not for me.

[Yapyap]

I felt much the same way back when I read the omnibus. And I do usually appreciate humour (and I'm perfectly capable of appreciating humour by authors from countries not mine, written in languages not mine, including English/British).

My only other exposure to Adams comes from Doctor Who, where I found some of his stuff amusing and some deadly dull.

Humour, more than anything - to me - is just so very subjective. I've found in recent years that (with some exceptions) I don't really tend to be overly keen on most humour where it's obvious it's supposed to be there. :-/ It often feels... forced, I guess? I can see it's supposed to be funny, but it's just trying too hard, or something.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

There are some other parts that are funny, obviously, but to be honest, I think a large part of the trilogy of five books is just a lot of incoherent nonsense, throwing around weird names, meant to be funny and not succeeding at it very well.

I think that describes most British comedy pretty darn well. I say this as an
American who loves HHGTTG and a lot of Python as well.

Hitchhiker's just had so many items that just worked for me.

Though I wonder if my enjoyment of HHGTTG was colored by my first having seen the old BBC TV miniseries. That version, and those performances, set the tone for me while reading the book.

Oh, yeah... where was I? Ah, yes. The topic of this thread. Or was it the thread going to grow out of this topic? I don't know. Anyway, what books have you read recently that you felt should have been better (or, worse), after all you've heard about it?

What did I think would be better for what I'd heard?
Dune, LotR, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. In fact, except for Starship Troopers, everything I've read by Heinlein. And Asimov, for that matter, at least the fiction.

[arjaybe]

I have one but I can't even remember the name. Something like Ominomicron. I found it wordy.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Maybe I should watch the movie; it might work better and join the select group of comedy movies I like.

Don't watch the movie. It's really not great.

Maybe the old BBC TV version, or, indeed, the original radio series where the whole thing started.

I loved the books, myself, especially 1 and 3, but it's been a long time since I last read them.

Like ApK, I'm also not much of a Heinlein fan. I particularly disliked Stranger in a Strange Land. I also failed to get on with Gardens of the Moon, the first Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, which sounded like it ought to be my kind of thing. I didn't get much out of Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula le Guin, either. If I'd given up on her there I'd have missed a lot of great work.

[FizzyWater]

I think there are at least some parts of the story that are dated....the running gag about digital watches, for example. I remember when those came out in the 70s and they were *every* where. I would imagine a first-time reader today wouldn't really get the humor in those comments now.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I think there are at least some parts of the story that are dated....the running gag about digital watches, for example. I remember when those came out in the 70s and they were *every* where. I would imagine a first-time reader today wouldn't really get the humor in those comments now.

Yes, I was definitely one of the apes who thought they were neat at the time. As you say, you had to be there.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

... as I don't seem to be finding large parts of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to be as funny as they should have been...

You are in good company , I found the same. In fact while I have all the books a review type quick go through them lead me to deciding that I wouldn't bother committing any more time than that to them.

My first language is English and I enjoy most humour and comedy (and science fiction) from all the English speaking world in books, film and TV but got the impression that the Hitchhiker's was cult rather than quality driven and likely to appeal most to geeky schoolboys (which raises the question that as I get the impression the Hitchhiker's are not much read by women, does that mean women do not appreciate humour or does my "geeky schoolboys" comment have credibility?).

[Katsunami]

ApK mentioned Monthy Python. (I think Blackadder falls in the same kind of category.) I don't like those either, especially Monthy Python. Why do they seem to think the strident and screeching voices are 'fun'? Of all the Monthy Python movies, I actually only like "The Search for the Holy Grail." (It also seems to be the one referenced the most by far, in other movies, series, computer games, and books.)

For some reason, I can watch and rewatch Mr. Bean a gazillion times and still laugh. Don't ask me why.

I have the same with Dutch comedians. They're just not funny; mostly, they're just offensive, except maybe Xavier Guzman. He is often genuinely funny. Pity George Carlin is dead. With him, I can laugh my @$$ off

[poohbear_nc]

Unless you find the punning phrase "the late Arthur Dent" side splittingly funny - amongst other equally hilarious phrases - you're not going to find this book/series very entertaining ...

I find reading the first volume once a year quite therapeutic - the descriptions of alien governments & their policies tend to explain the inexplicable infuriating shenanigans of the US Congress. As well as most bureaucracies .... kind of like Dilbert set on a space ship ....

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

ApK mentioned Monthy Python. (I think Blackadder falls in the same kind of category.) I don't like those either, especially Monthy Python. Why do they seem to think the strident and screeching voices are 'fun'? Of all the Monthy Python movies, I actually only like "The Search for the Holy Grail." (It also seems to be the one referenced the most by far, in other movies, series, computer games, and books.)

For some reason, I can watch and rewatch Mr. Bean a gazillion times and still laugh. Don't ask me why.

I have the same with Dutch comedians. They're just not funny; mostly, they're just offensive, except maybe Xavier Guzman. He is often genuinely funny. Pity George Carlin is dead. With him, I can laugh my @$$ off

Interesting. I find Mr Bean boring and love Hitchhiker. You have to like word based humor I would guess to like Hitchhiker. The radio series is best. The first three books are very good but the last books was a disappointment.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Unless you find the punning phrase "the late Arthur Dent" side splittingly funny - amongst other equally hilarious phrases - you're not going to find this book/series very entertaining ...

That is one of the jokes I missed. I still do not get it. Googling indicates it has something to do with half a dent. So what is the pun?