The Restaurant at the end of the Universe

Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy is a modern classic and for a very good reason. It’s fun, it’s imaginative and it’s also thought-provoking. In this, the sequel to a well-read and beloved novel, Adams again takes us out into the wide universe to meet more strange creatures and odd planets. This is The Restaurant at the end of the Universe and it’s sure to bring a smile to your face.

In the first installment we meet Arthur Dent, a human who happens to have befriended a creature named Ford Prefect living on, but not actually from, Earth. It is thanks to this connection that Arthur survives the attack on Earth by the Vogons. Arthur and Ford escapes and hitchhike around the galaxy which eventually leads them to pick up a few people along the way and end up in The Restaurant at the end of the Universe. Here, after Arthur have found out that Earth was ruined to make way for a new intergalactic road but also contained the answers to the age-old question of What Is The Universe and that Arthur is one of two surviving Earthrens who now possess the answer, he and his new friends continue to travel from one place in space (and time) to another. They’re still looking for the answer, or rather, the question to the answer they already have, while trying not to get caught by Vogons or whoever want to capture the ex-president of the galaxy, who just happens to be one of Arthurs acquaintances. Despite having their hands full, Arthur and his friends still manages to sqeeze in a visit to the Restaurant at the end of the Universe.

It’s been a while since I read the first installment but I had a sudden urge to read the sequel, something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and I’m quite happy I did it. It was more fun and interesting than I remember the first book to be and it made me laugh more than once. Adams is very creative and paints an interesting world for his readers to discover. He is fun in his way of writing and it’s a lighthearted story, even though I felt there was way more hidden in the depts. More than once I stopped to contemplate some idea or other and I do feel that while it’s fun to read books that makes you laugh and where you can escape into this completely different world, it’s also interesting to look at certain parts and question them, question the world we live in and question the universe and all its secrets as well. A good book will make you feel good but a great book will make you think.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I’m glad I gave it a chance after not being too interested in it after I finished The Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy. I feel like this is one book that should be on everyone’s shelf, one you can take out and read when you need a pick-me-up and one that ultimately will make you forget where you are for a moment and remember that the universe is vast and that the chances and adventures are limitless.