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The Meaning of “Life, the Universe and Everything”
I review the third book in Adams’ series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Life has no meaning. After reading the first two books of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, it is evident that Adams seeks to entertain a cynical perspective in his zany, sci-fi adventure. As civilizations rise and fall in his Universe, the big answers do not say much, one’s life path ultimately falls to numbers, and life continues to happen without the discernible pattern that we so crave to conclude that our existence has value. While the third book in his series continues this theme to an extent, one can sense the distancing from the cynicism that characterized the first books to an extent.
The book’s overall plot continues the story from the others while exploring new territory in terms of its theme. Our protagonists find their way into more ridiculous situations, although a greater purpose guides their actions. They are chasing after mysterious white robots that seek to restore an ancient world that posed a danger to the entire Universe thousands of years (or was it more than that?) prior. Contrasting with the other books, each ridiculous situation serves this overarching narrative rather than presenting seemingly disparate stories.
