The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Radio)

Quote: Deferenz @ September 3 2008, 10:03 AM BST

I am having trouble getting into Catch 22. I have heard elsewhere that you need to percevere with the opening sections before the book hits its stride. Is this true? I am definately finding the opening few chapters quite a trawl. I am staying with it because I've heard what a great book it is.

Regarding Chubby Brown, in his off stage interviews he has always come across as a nice guy. Hence I thought his book was worth a read. As for Russell Brand, I like his kind of humour at the moment. whether this will stand the test of time I'm not sure. Mrs Def has read My Booky Wook and said that it actually makes him look like a tosser as opposed to a nice guy.

Def.

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I don't really remember but I think Milo comes in about page 150 or so and then it just explodes.

Hotel New Hampshire may get you more into his style.
 

Quote: Timbo @ September 2 2008, 7:49 PM BST

Didn't Adams play Agrajag in the third series?

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I believe he did, yes. Think they possibly got his performance from the talking book version, but I could be completely very wrong about that,

Quote: Griff @ September 3 2008, 10:05 AM BST

It's decades since I read Catch-22 so I can't remember whether I liked the intro or not. I just remember the book made a huge impression on me and it was "my favourite book ever" for at least a fortnight.

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One of the few books I have ever bothered to re-read. And I enjoyed it as much the second time. Definitely stick with it.

Quote: sootyj @ September 3 2008, 10:08 AM BST

Hotel New Hampshire may get you more into his style.

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Or then again being by John Irving it might not.

Quote: sootyj @ September 3 2008, 10:08 AM BST

Hotel New Hampshire may get you more into his style.

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Wasn't that written by John Irving?

It took me a while to get into Catch 22, after a while the constant bouncing between events suddenly starts to make sense and you can organise it into a story. I think it either settles down a bit or somethin just clicks; but if you can stay with it it's well worth it.
 

The controversal sixth H2G2 book, And Another Thing... is to be read on Radio 4's Book at Bedtime.

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Book At Bedtime - And Another Thing... Ep 1/10
New series
Monday 12 to Friday 16 October
10.45-11.00pm BBC RADIO 4

The international multimedia phenomenon that is Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy needs little introduction. From its beginnings as a Radio 4 series to the novels, TV, film and stage adaptations and computer games that followed in its wake, the adventures of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian are loved by legions of fans.

Eight years after the tragically early death of its creator, Douglas Adams, his widow Jane Belson sanctioned a sixth novel in the Hitchhiker's series to be written by the international bestselling children's writer Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl novels.

Colfer, a fan of the Hitchhiker's series since his schooldays, has now written the sixth book, And Another Thing..., continuing the series where Adams left off.

Abridged by Penny Leicester, Colfer's eagerly anticipated sixth instalment in the series sees Hitchhiker's return to Radio 4 once again.

Reader/Stephen Mangan with Peter Serafinowicz, Producer/Heather Larmour

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/radio/2009/wk41/mon.shtml#mon_radio4
 

Quote: Ian Wolf @ September 25 2009, 1:58 PM BST

The controversal sixth H2G2 book...

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Controversial is right. A sixth novel, that nobody either asked for or expected.

A purely commercial act. Nothing to do with art, at all. Totally shameful venture.

The last one was dreadful.

As I recall, they started going downhill when he had to come up with new stuff, different to the radio series. I remember him talking about how his disregard for deadlines meant he used to have to rush large chunks of stuff.

I wonder if he did rip off gain inspiration from Sheckley?

Quote: john lucas 101 @ September 25 2009, 2:03 PM BST

Controversial is right. A sixth novel, that nobody either asked for or expected.

A purely commercial act. Nothing to do with art, at all. Totally shameful venture.

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Well, the one good thing for broadcasting this reading on radio is that it instantly be nominated for the British Comedy Guide Awards, so next January you will be able to vote against it in the "Worst Radio Sitcom" category - if it is listed as a sitcom.
 

I don't remember thinking the sixth book was commercial (although it must have been), so much as a deliberate act of revenge against the characters.

Douglas Adams was a wilful independent, genius. It's why he's so amazingly brilliant and stuff.

I can't imagine him being able to focus on a couple of comercial books once he was out of the zone (e.g. when the radio was over).

It's why he was never a Dan Brown or Helen Fielding.
 

Quote: Aaron @ May 8 2008, 11:39 AM BST

I have a first edition of the first book (paperback). Not in the greatest condition, but a first edition nonetheless!

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I too had a first edition paperback. Gave it away to a friend when I bought the first 'trilogy in four parts' hardback. Also have a first edition of the radio scripts book, but imagine that would be quite common too, no.?

Quote: Kenneth @ September 25 2009, 11:53 PM BST

Also have a first edition of the radio scripts book, but imagine that would be quite common too, no.?

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Nope. I've got a copy of that and I think you'll find it's quite rare. Worth hanging onto.
 

I've got the first edition of the book. The first edition of the radio scripts book. And I've also got the towel (whether that's a first edition of it I don't know).

Quote: Ian Wolf @ September 25 2009, 1:58 PM BST

The controversal sixth H2G2 book, And Another Thing... is to be read on Radio 4's Book at Bedtime.

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I can't believe they've gone and done it. Hitchhikers is the work of Douglas Adams, who, if I'm not mistaken, is dead. It doesn't even matter if the book is actually good, it's not Hitchhikers because it's not Adams.