Book reviews

Mostly Harmless
Douglas Adams Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Douglas Adams Books
New book search
Douglas Adams Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Mostly Harmless
"The final installment in the Hitchhickers guide to the Galaxy. Athur Dent, stranded on a primitive planet, has adjusted somewhat to his situtation and has become a successful sandwichmaker. Everything seems to be going fine until a girl named Random arrives and tells him he's her father. Arthur tries to fit into the role of being a father, but Random is a cranky, willful teenager with a nasty identity crisis and things don't go exactly as planned. Meanwhile, Ford Prefect steals the new edition of the guide, and sends it to Arthur for safekeeping only to have it stolen by Random. Ford and Arthur must find Random and recover the guide before something really bad happens. All the expected chaos and humor is present, though the ending leaves you wondering if the answer to the question will ever truly be answered and if not, if it really matters."
sayruh, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Mostly Harmless
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - computer/database
Parody Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Family relations Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - unemployed
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - small businessman
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Dumb
Physique - quite fatty

Setting
Terrain - Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - big overbuilt futuristic city
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Takes place in spaceship? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Mostly Harmless
The Getaway Special by Jerry Oltion
Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton
Numbers Don't Lie by Terry Bisson
Frek and the Elixir by Rudy Rucker
Milky Way Marmalade by Mike DiCerto


Click here for more information about this book


Douglas Adams Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
sayruh  

SCHOLARS:
Joseph DeMarco  Anathandra Space Pirate  Mr.Cows89  webpenguin  Shane Tiernan  Melanie Teal  Margaret Posner  ashleigh beck  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Science Fiction books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
James Patterson 12:08:13 PM
George W. Bush 2:32:02 AM
Anonymous 2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters 9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody 6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught 11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen 9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts 1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino 9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky 11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman 12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer 7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller 8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn 12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden 2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM

More message boards