I'm a heretic without humor...

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Geralt

These books were simply trying too much to be funny and failing miserably. Not liking them has nothing to do with not getting the British thing, and everything to do with them not being funny!

Err..or it might just be you.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by tompe

That was how I read it. But checking:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lanc...plain/A3533609



That makes me wonder what I am missing.

Nothing. I read that as the author of that article making a pun out of Arthur Dent's name to illustrate pun construction. Nothing suggests Douglas Adams ever did so. That line about "marking it badly" (the context for the second meaning) was not from the book. He appears to have chosen Aurthur Dent merely as an homage to HHGTTG, he may as easily have chosen to illustrate with his own name, or John Smith, if he could have come up with a pun.*

ApK

* I can:
"Do you know a 'John Smith'?"
"Why? Do you need a toilet built?"

I'm here all week. Try the veal.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by 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.

It is wise to remember that THHGTTG was originally a radio series and the radio series is terrific. I love the books too, but they are not the radio plays. Don't watch the movie. Listen to the real series. It is very entertaining.

The later episodes of the series might not be as enjoyable for some, but the Primary and Secondary phases are worth the time. The later part of the series has some great moments: The Krikkit War Crimes Trial, Lallafa, Wowbagger. I still listen to them before bed a lot of nights.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

It is wise to remember that THHGTTG was originally a radio series and the radio series is terrific. I love the books too, but they are not the radio plays. Don't watch the movie. Listen to the real series. It is very entertaining.

I'll have to see if I can get access to the radio series. I've never heard it.
I agree about the movie. It was a huge disappointment.

[bobstro]

The me that read HHGTTG back in the 1980's loved it. I still re-read them every few years and enjoy it, though not as much. It was a lot more fun when fewer people knew about it and making a connection with someone who did was a rare thing.

People reading it today probably go in with unreasonably high expectations (not their fault), and are disappointed because, yeah, it's been done and ripped off to death.

When I re-read it, I like to put myself in the context of the time. Same with a lot of old classic SF. Today, it wouldn't pass muster, but for the time, it was thought provoking stuff. I don't blame the author for the passage of time.

If we're going to get into operating systems, we should open it up to distro wars as well. (Debian on desktop, laptop and server)

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by ApK

Err..or it might just be you.

Umm..of course it's me. I frequently enjoy English comedy shows, English comedy books so of course it's not from not getting English humor.
Hitchhiker was not funny. To me.

Do we have to end our posts with IMO and other acronyms around here so people will get I'm talking for myself and my own personal experience? That's really bothersome.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Geralt

Umm..of course it's me. I frequently enjoy English comedy shows, English comedy books so of course it's not from not getting English humor.
Hitchhiker was not funny. To me.

Do we have to end our posts with IMO and other acronyms around here so people will get I'm talking for myself and my own personal experience? That's really bothersome.

Everyone else who expressed an opinion managed to do so without coming across to me like they thought they were the supreme arbiter of what is funny. Only your post seemed to have the Indiana Jones "everyone's lost but me" attitude. So if you're asking me "Do we have to end our posts with IMO...," then my answer is "No, not 'we'. Just you."

Come on. Your post had an attitude, and I commented on it. Do you really think it needs--or deserves--a verbose defense?

[Geralt]

I think you are reading way too much in to it.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Geralt

I think you are reading way too much in to it.

I wasn't at first, I was just rolling my eyes at it. But we can go as far down the popcorn-eating-smiley rabbit-hole tangent as the mods will allow. Bring it on, Bubba!


Or we can just get back to whether or not the OP is a humorless heretic. Your call.

[Geralt]

Honestly I couldnt care less what you want to do.

Katsunami, you are not alone. Hitchhiker has a lot of fanboys. But, there are also lot of people who think it's migraine inducing, boring shite of a book. And ofc, there are lots of people in between. No need to think of yourself as humorless just because you're not licking the same boots as fanboys do.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by gmw

The curious thing about Pratchett is that these days when I re-read them (which I do quite regularly), I don't actually do it for the humour. Sure they are often funny, but a lot of that is the result of his insights into situation and character - and this serious aspect is what keeps me coming back.

Same here. I think it's what eschwartz likes to call the Tao of Pratchett.

But you know what's beginning to seriously freak me out? The way Ankh-Morpork works because of Vetinari.

[BenG]

I like Douglas Adams but, yes fans (of anything really) can get a little over-enthusiastic. Just remember they are trying to tell you how the book made them feel and you should respect that, but don't expect that you will necessarily share their enthusiasm.

BTW, I liked the first two Discworld books just fine but they are not my favorites. The early books tended to be parodies of fantasy novels, while the latter books are more about poking fun at our world (the Round World).

[jandrew]

Obviously, some people are humorless and just don’t want to admit they don’t get it. They will claim they aren’t humorless because they laughed at other stuff, but they are mistaken and that other stuff just isn’t funny. It’s sad really.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by gmw

The curious thing about Pratchett is that these days when I re-read them (which I do quite regularly), I don't actually do it for the humour. Sure they are often funny, but a lot of that is the result of his insights into situation and character - and this serious aspect is what keeps me coming back.

Same here. Tao of Pratchett, as doubleshuffle says. The man is a genius!

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

Same here. I think it's what eschwartz likes to call the Tao of Pratchett.

Not just me. I first heard that expression from Jim Butcher, and have been ruthlessly ripping it off since then -- it just fits:

Cold Days by Jim Butcher, page 45

“I know it’s not thematically in tune with my new job and all, but I find it effective. Build a man a fire and he’s warm for a day,” I said. “But set a man on fire and he’s warm for the rest of his life. Tao of Pratchett. I live by it. You wanted to face me down in front of everyone, get props for tweaking my nose on my first night here? Well, congratulations, Red. You’re the man.”

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

But you know what's beginning to seriously freak me out? The way Ankh-Morpork works because of Vetinari.

It doesn't freak me out -- it just makes me laugh because of course; after all, NecessarilyEvil. It is only to be expected.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Geralt

Katsunami, you are not alone. Hitchhiker has a lot of fanboys. But, there are also lot of people who think it's migraine inducing, boring shite of a book. And ofc, there are lots of people in between. No need to think of yourself as humorless just because you're not licking the same boots as fanboys do.

Mwa, I wouldn't go as far as calling it a worthless series. It has its very funny moments, but it just isn't the inducer of the epic unbroken string of infinite maniacal laughter I was expecting.

(See what I did there, huh?)