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Product Description
The second hilarious instalment of Douglas Adams's legendary cult classic, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Book Description
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. Arthur Dent's odyssey through space continues as he takes a trip to the end of time itself in search of a decent meal, and accidentally alters the future of the entire human race . . .
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:School & Library Binding
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe begins where The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy left off, only Zaphod Beeblebrox's idea of stopping for dinner at the aforementioned restaurant is delayed a bit (or an incredibly long bit, depending on your upcoming temporal location). Having escaped the legendary planet Magrathea without having been killed by intergalactic policemen or, in the case of Arthur Dent, having his brain slicked up and studied for the inherent Question of the Life, the Universe, and Everything which is undoubtedly hardwired into it somewhere, the hoopiest cast of space travelers in the galaxy thought their troubles were over, or at least greatly lessened. They were completely wrong. The Vogon ship that destroyed the earth shows up to destroy the last two remnants of that now-dead world, namely Arthur Dent and Trillian McMillian. Unfortunately, Arthur's increasingly strident demands for a cup of real tea have the entire computer system on board the Heart of Gold focused on that task rather than anything as silly as escaping imminent destruction. This is just the beginning of this particular set of adventures. Other highlights include a visit by Zaphod's dead great-grandfather, a night of drinks and food at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Zaphod's experience inside the universally-feared Total Perspective Vortex, a trip in the mega-rock band Danger Area's stunt ship into a sun, a meeting with the real Ruler of the Universe, and a return trip to the Earth-sort of.
Nobody crams as much comedy per page as Douglas Adams. While The Restaurant at the End of the Universe isn't quite as amazing as its predecessor, this is only because its predecessor was so amazingly original and different from everything that came before it. The satire Adams employs, often quite subtle, is as brilliant as always; anyone who reads this book will laugh, but only some will realize that he/she is really laughing at himself and the absurdity of human life that Adams is playing off of. These characters are more real to me than many of the people I know in real life. Best of all, they don't change: Arthur Dent remains the rather bemused, clueless soul he has always been; Ford Prefect is just Ford, only more so; Zaphod-well, Zaphod's just this guy, you know; and poor longsuffering Marvin the Paranoid Android is still the most depressing (yet hilarious) robotically engineered life form in the galaxy. If these crazy characters and Adams' brilliantly comedic narrative don't make you laugh, you would be well advised to don a pair of Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses because you are headed smack dab into big trouble indeed.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
THE STORY:
Having escaped Earth shortly before it's destruction, Arthur Dent finds himself travelling in the company of the work-dodging journalist Ford Prefect, the insane adventurer Zaphon Beeblebrox, Tricia Macmillan (aka Trillian) a girl he met at a party and the morbidly depressed robot Marvin. Together they pull up a seat in the establishment of the title and prepare to watch the destruction of the universe.
Having escaped Earth shortly before it's destruction, Arthur Dent finds himself travelling in the company of the work-dodging journalist Ford Prefect, the insane adventurer Zaphon Beeblebrox, Tricia Macmillan (aka Trillian) a girl he met at a party and the morbidly depressed robot Marvin. Together they pull up a seat in the establishment of the title and prepare to watch the destruction of the universe.
WHAT'S GOOD:
More of the same from Adams, with wonderfully twisted logic combines with the insightfully witty entries in the Guide to provide alot of clever ideas and more clever humour. As always, Arthur's slightly bemused take on the events of his life add a tone to the story that rings amusingly true for a fellow Englishman. By now we all know that the answer to the Ultimate Question About Life, The Universe And Everything is 42. In this book (in another wonderful twist of logic) we discover that though the answer is correct, the question itself is wrong. Best of all is when Arthur and Ford find themselves on a spaceship full of insufferable middlemen, beauraucrats and hair dressers, who turn out to be the founders of the human race.
WHAT'S BAD:
I found that Adams' disposal of the supporting cast was a bit casual and poorly explained. Also, the description of the Restaurant is pretty nausating (but that's probably intentional).
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While later additions to the series can be read on a take them or leave them basis, it's really rather pointless to separate The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy from The Restaurant At The End of the Universe, as the two books seem to form the two halves of one longer story. As such this sequel finally wraps up all the mysterious clues left about Zaphod Beeblebrox's past brain surgery and his reason for stealing the Heart of Gold in the first place, and we finally get the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything - or at least as close as we are going to get thanks to a brilliant twist ending that sees the whole history of life on Earth upset 2 million years in the past. The Hitchhikers Guide itself start to play a larger role than just a framing device thanks to the novel starting with a trip to their publishing offices, and it's interesting to note just how much of this novel is dominated by Zaphod Beeblebrox - it's only really in the last third of the novel after they are all separated that Arthur Dent steps out of the shadows. In effect 3 excellent concepts crammed together - Zaphod's quest for the ruler of the universe, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe itself, and the Golgafringan ark - this novel lives up to the brilliance of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and satisfyingly wraps up the tale. The later novels are fun, but to all intents and purposes this book completes the tale.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Funny Stuff
It has been quite awhile since I read this and I was relieved that I still found it to be really funny. The originality of this book is still breathtaking. Read more
Published 1 month ago by The Emperor
The Restaurant at the end of the Universe " Sass that book"
In the begining the universe was created, this made a lot of people unhappy... a long time later I read this book (the restaurant at the end of the universe)and I thought it was... Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by M. D. L. Rushworth
What's on the menu?
Comedy, clever writing, humour, insight into the existential crisis in the human heart, more humour, good laughs, complete disregard for the existential crisis in the human heart... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2010 by Peter Deeney
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
I have read all Douglas Adams's books and every one has provided endless laughter... and astonishing imagination. One of the best authors EVER!
Published on 18 Dec 2009 by S B DEMPSTER
A series of short stories stuck together
The second book in the series continues in a similar vein to the first, although the flippant sense of surrealism seems more forced. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2009 by J. R. Johnson-Rollings
Douglas Adams, Genius
Part of The Hitchhikers Guide The Galaxy series of 5 (including Mostly Harmless), one of the all time future classics.
Published on 11 Feb 2009 by Mrs. C. Mackenzie
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
i love this book however i was under the impression i would get the original artwork on the cover as advertised, and was a little dissapointed that it was the new version with the... Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2009 by Helen Checkley
Excitement, Adventure and Really Wild Things.
I read this straight after The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and enjoyed it all the more for it containing material that I'd not come across before as I'd got into Hitch Hikers... Read more
Published on 30 July 2008 by Ian Wood, Author of 'Here's 2 Absent Fathers'
fantabulous!
This really does prove that sequels can be better even though they rarely are. I found the first almost forgettable in comparison! Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2008 by Mr. B. L. Zebubble
Diners Are Forever
Ah yes, this second book in the series is more adventurous and funnier than the first. Those warm cardboard cut-out characters again, Arthur and Ford may need to amend the... Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2007 by Mark Dickens
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