Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12334 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-08
• Binding: Paperback
• 768 pages

Synopsis
A one-volume edition charting Arthur Dent's odyssey through space, comprising: THE HITCH HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. For Arthur, who has just had his house demolished, this is too much. Sadly, the weekend's just begun. THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE: When all issues of space, time, matter and the nature of being are resolved, only one question remains: Where shall we have dinner? The Restaurant at the End of the Universe provides the ultimate gastronomic experience and, for once, there is no morning after. LIFE, THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING: In consequence of a number of stunning catastrophes, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a hideously miserable cave on prehistoric Earth. And then, just as he thinks that things cannot possibly get any worse, they suddenly do. SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH: Arthur Dent's sense of reality is in its dickiest state when he suddenly finds the girl of his dreams. They go in search of God's Final Message and, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it.

Customer Reviews

A Must Read
Surely one of the most known books in the sci-fi satirical, witty genre with a philosophical twist. This has become a reference for authors and earned the title of 'classic' with readers of this style. Douglas Adams at his best - unfortunately he did not live to see the making of the movie which doesn't do the book justice in my opinion. Don't think twice, buy the book.

The Trilogy Of Four...
When I first heard of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, I was under the impression that it was a vastly inaccessible universe that only true Sci-Fi loving readers could cling to. I was, however, 12 years old and the source of introduction was a friend who had only heard the radio show.
Years had gone by, and I found myself looking for a book to read, to see me through a 12 hour flight (not being a lover of Transatlantic In-Flight programming, I needed something to hold my interest). And there it was - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Trilogy Of Four. What better way to begin my journey into the fantastical world of Douglas Adams masterpiece, than by reading the first 4 HG2G novels in one, giant omnibus.
When it comes to reading, I'm one of those people who knows if they're going to be able to finish a book within the first few chapters, and boy did I know...
I spent the first week of my holiday in Florida, drawn into this hilariously, mind-bending odyssey and soon enough I was nearing the end of the 4th novel, "So Long

Pure genius!
I won't even try to attempt to convey just how utterly fantastic the Hitch-hiker's Guide 'trilogy' really is - better reviewers than me have tried and failed. The wit, humour and complete randomness that have been poured into this book are simply beyond words - truly, Douglas Adams was a genius.

His writing is so light and frothy, ridiculously easy to glide through, requiring almost no effort by the reader; one simply slips in and that is it - you are lost forever. The text has been dotted with so many laughs, so many flashes of wit, that it all just blurs into a single, huge explosion of humour. It is one of the (if not the) only piece of literature I have read, where the plot, storyline and characters become irrelevant: you end up just reading it for the writing style itself! It is like a drug - it provides such an incredible feeling, while all the time teasing you, drawing you back for more and more, and every time I read it I discover wit afresh.

I can't emphasise strongly enough how essential it is to read this book; it has to be one of the greatest pieces of literature in existence. I have read it so often that quotes and passages keep popping up in my mind, bringing a sudden burst of laughter, much to the shock and horror of the surrounding public!