Douglas Adams Never Gets Old

I found myself unusually nostalgic this Memorial Day weekend. The nature of the holiday feels like one of reflection and remembrance, and it made me start thinking of books and movies I enjoyed a long time ago. A item that was in both those mediums was Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. While most agree it is a phenomenally good book, feelings about the movie are a little more controversial – but I am a big fan. HBO has it in their movie library for free (if you have the service) and you should check it out if you haven’t.

I don’t usually revisit a lot of media. The nature of how I read and watch things revolves around an ever growing pile of new things to experience before I die. This unfortunately does not leave a lot of room for revisiting old favorites – something I am finding I want to do more and more. I got into the fantasy and sci-fi genres about 20 years ago, and the first books I read are starting to lose their crispness in my memories. Hitchhiker’s was one of those books, and all I could really remember about it was a couple of key plot points and that I had a profound and life changing experience when I read it. So I decided to rewatch the movie and see if it recaptured the spark I felt a long time ago, and unsurprisingly it metaphorically lit me on fire.

Adams never gets old. He is quoted endlessly on clothes, laptop decals, and Facebook pages because it is so hard to read Hitchhiker’s and not feel something memorable. It is deliciously ironic that a book about “no one understanding the meaning of life”, feels like it was written by one of the few people who have the answer to life’s biggest question. Hitchhiker’s is just filled to the brim with witticisms that are funny and poignant at the same time, and rediscovering it after all these years just makes me like them more.

I have tossed The Guide on the pile of things to be read. No one needs to hear my thoughts on Hitchhiker’s Guide, because I doubt I need to convince any of you to read it. This means it will cut into my review time and put me behind my schedule of books – but frankly I don’t care. Hitchhiker’s Guide is worth the inconvenience and I am so excited to dive back into its wonderful and comforting pages.

-Andrew