Book info

• Title Life, the Universe and Everything
• Author Douglas Adams
• Year 1982
• Genre Science Fiction

Following a number of stunning catastrophes, which have involved him being alternately blown up and insulted in ever stranger regions of the Galaxy, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a cave on prehistoric Earth. However, just as he thinks that things cannot get possibly worse, they suddenly do. An eddy in the space-time continuum lands him, Ford Prefect, and their flying sofa in the middle of the cricket ground at Lord's, just two days before the world is due to be destroyed by the Vogons. Escaping the end of the world for a second time, Arthur, Ford, and their old friend Slartibartfast embark (reluctantly) on a mission to save the whole galaxy from fanatical robots. Not bad for a man in his dressing gown...

Thoughts

I was in need of a bit of frivolity in my reading, and I knew just where to turn to. The third book in the “trilogy” and we’re following more adventures with Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent. Firstly, we have to get them off prehistoric Earth, which is where we left them, but that problem is easily handled.

Interestingly, there seems to be less in the way of adventuring in this third book, and more of a history lesson - albeit a history of something that could only happen in a Douglas Adams book, the true story behind cricket.

More than in the previous two, I felt like a lot of this went over my head, which made me a bit disappointed in myself. It was still very enjoyable, but for the first time I’m left thinking I might wait a while before reading any more.

Rating: 3 / 5