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A review by criticallyours
The Dirk Gently Omnibus by Douglas Adams
2.0
"Why haven't I heard of this book before? I mean, he's written Hitchhiker's!" You may have asked yourself this question before, and the answer is because this book isn't within the same league as THHGTTG. It's not even within the same solar system (I know they're different units of measurement, but you know what I mean) the main point is that the two Dirk Gently books are a huge letdown.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is largely forgettable sluiced with vague annoyance and a strong urge to punch Dirk in the face throughout the whole thing. Lots of random paranormal stuff happens that seem to be loosely connected, then it all ties up at the end which was enjoyable only because I finally knew what happened after 200 pages. Seriously still want to punch Dirk in the face.
The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul was much more enjoyable than the former since it seemed to be shorter (they're both about 246 pages long) and that's because the story is much more connected and I didn't have to wait until the very end to know what was going on. Also, there were Norse gods and I'm somewhat familiar and fond of those - and they didn't act as randomly as the characters of DGHDA. Kate was a refreshingly sharp and put-together woman who managed well despite the confusion of having to travel with Thor (not quite like Trilliam from THHGTTG; Kate's much more human). Dirk got punched in the face in this one, so that desire was sated.
Anyone who has read THHGTTG is familiar with Adams' style - he tends to stray a little off-topic and provide inconsequential details throughout the whole narrative which may or may not become relevant later on in the story. More often than not, they're funny, quirky, and enjoyable.
That same tendency is present within this omnibus, only I had to skim over them because they were decidedly not as enjoyable and only provided lengthy descriptions of a single point and wasted time and effort of concentration.
If you had to pick between the two, go for The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul. You don't really have to read DGHDA to continue to this book. All you need to know is this: Dirk Gently is a "private holistic detective" who "detects and triangulates vectors of the interconnectedness of all things" which is to say that he finds the solution to the problem even if it means that the solution includes the impossible (ie. ghosts and shit) - and he's right. He's extremely lucky in many areas except for money - for example, if he were to give a quack fortune for a quick $20 the universe would somehow make it true even though he isn't psychic.
All in all I'm glad I finally read this since it's been on my bookshelf for years and I had never tried to read it. Time to shuffle it to a lower shelf and give its previous spot to a more-deserving book.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is largely forgettable sluiced with vague annoyance and a strong urge to punch Dirk in the face throughout the whole thing. Lots of random paranormal stuff happens that seem to be loosely connected, then it all ties up at the end which was enjoyable only because I finally knew what happened after 200 pages. Seriously still want to punch Dirk in the face.
The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul was much more enjoyable than the former since it seemed to be shorter (they're both about 246 pages long) and that's because the story is much more connected and I didn't have to wait until the very end to know what was going on. Also, there were Norse gods and I'm somewhat familiar and fond of those - and they didn't act as randomly as the characters of DGHDA. Kate was a refreshingly sharp and put-together woman who managed well despite the confusion of having to travel with Thor (not quite like Trilliam from THHGTTG; Kate's much more human). Dirk got punched in the face in this one, so that desire was sated.
Anyone who has read THHGTTG is familiar with Adams' style - he tends to stray a little off-topic and provide inconsequential details throughout the whole narrative which may or may not become relevant later on in the story. More often than not, they're funny, quirky, and enjoyable.
That same tendency is present within this omnibus, only I had to skim over them because they were decidedly not as enjoyable and only provided lengthy descriptions of a single point and wasted time and effort of concentration.
If you had to pick between the two, go for The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul. You don't really have to read DGHDA to continue to this book. All you need to know is this: Dirk Gently is a "private holistic detective" who "detects and triangulates vectors of the interconnectedness of all things" which is to say that he finds the solution to the problem even if it means that the solution includes the impossible (ie. ghosts and shit) - and he's right. He's extremely lucky in many areas except for money - for example, if he were to give a quack fortune for a quick $20 the universe would somehow make it true even though he isn't psychic.
All in all I'm glad I finally read this since it's been on my bookshelf for years and I had never tried to read it. Time to shuffle it to a lower shelf and give its previous spot to a more-deserving book.