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tttxgq t1_j42aos2 wrote

I agree. As I recall, my opinion at the time I read Hitchhiker’s… was that he writes a lot of non-sequiturs, and it just didn’t make me laugh. I think I felt like he was trying too hard to be random or unpredictable. I could be totally wrong about it and doubtless there will be Adams fans who disagree, but that was just my take on it.

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stefswa t1_j42dq0z wrote

I don't agree that he's "trying to be random". Imo he always (next to the non-sequiturs) had these build ups that then amount to something incredibly pointless and stupid and that's what's so funny to me.

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Eire_Banshee t1_j449vfa wrote

That's what kills it for me though. It feels like he doesn't even take his own book seriously. Like everything is a joke and the book has no purpose.

I thought it was a fun read with some funny one liners, but I never understood all the hype

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stefswa t1_j45fww3 wrote

Yeah that's exactly why i like it. IMO too many people/things take themselves too seriously. Everything is a joke and the book does indeed not have a purpose, because not everything has to be serious and have a purpose. That's why IMO the book is funnier than some comic relief in an otherwise serious book.

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DannyRand72 t1_j4aitep wrote

thats kind of the point of it, he beats you over the head constantly with the idea that everything is random and meaningless.

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transmogrified t1_j433613 wrote

Totally agree with the non-sequitur thing. I felt like I could open any one of his books and read pages at random and get the exact same experience as having read through the book in order. It did not keep me very engaged. I had him recommended to me due to my undying love of Terry Pratchett and it was just so... meh in comparison.

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Master_Shitster t1_j439ffc wrote

I’ve recently read the 3 first Discworld books amd feel the opposite way. They feel like an inferior version of the Adam’s books.

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boxer_dogs_dance t1_j43owyf wrote

The first two discworld books in order are sub par. If you want to give it another shot, try something later like Going Postal or Small Gods. But Pratchett has a strong voice and it is not for everyone. The first two books are parody of very specific classic fantasy tropes and they don't hit the same way today.

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Purple1829 t1_j49yoqp wrote

Since you mentioned Pratchett. I’ve always been intrigued by Discworld, but I find long series’ to be so daunting, I usually never start them at all.

I’ve heard Discworld isn’t quite as linear though? I’m particularly interested in Night Watch, since I’m a time travel nerd.

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schnager t1_j454jwl wrote

the point being that everybody keeps forgetting that the characters that are followed in the story are not what the books are about

It's meant to be a guide giving you all sorts of information on all the peculiarities of the galaxy and how one might traverse said peculiarities while spending very little for transportation services

The main character in every iteration is The Guide.

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