The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

One of a kind

Douglas Adams was truly one of a kind. From his unique humor to his odd reasoning, he always gave us something to remember in his books. This collection contains some of the funniest material ever written. As the other reviewers have said, it's a crying shame that Adams will never write again.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

So long....

Posthumous this book maybe but if posthumous work brings to mind those disgraceful Jimi Hendrix lps released after his death during the 70's, then think again. In many ways I enjoyed this book more than others he has written where he is limited by a story line. Adams writes of music, diving, travelling, animals etc and never fails to leave one moved by his wisdom. His fans, of course, will love this. The Adams personality comes over stronger than ever. The Stephen Fry introduction sums up the reasons to read the book far better than I could.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

one last work from adams

I strongly disagree with the last two reviews, both of which appear to be from the same person, someone without a clue of what was in the book. So it was released after his death. So it contains 10 chapters of an unfinished book. If that offends you, then I see no reason why the rest of it would, as its full of witty and great essays and stories spanning Adams's whole tragically short life. Most authors have a similar collection, and frankly it excites rather than offends me. Douglas Adams, my favorite author and most mourned celebrity, showed great promise with the beginnings of another guide book, as well as demonstrated his enormous talent with the many essays and stories. The world is quite a bit less bright for me without him, but at least we have this last testiment to his life.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Blossomrain

My old clan isnt evil. They are still there.

Rainshadow

"Where?" She asked. Redkit yawned and curled up besside the rest of the kits and he fell asleep. The rest of the kits fell asleep soon after.

An amazing collection of stories.

OK, first I have to admit that I was a Douglas Adams fan before I read this book. I actually have two copies my original paperback and now the ebook version. This book has numerous short stories which are ideal for when you don't have time to get suck into a novel. Most of the stories are funny, educational and thought provoking. There are so many gems in this book that I bought the ebook version just so I could bookmark all the sections of interest and carry a copy on my phone for future reference. Another reason I rate this book so high is that it directed me to read "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins which I would rate a the number one book I have ever read.

Thank you

So long ...

I know it may sound like a cliche

but this book changed my life. You've heard people say "oh gosh that-or-the-other book changed my life", but please, _please_ trust me when I say that such thrown-about exclamations are ridiculously exaggerated hyperboles, compared to the effect of this book. Not each and every story will inspire a profound minute or two of staring into space in awe, but enough will to deserve such acclaim. The particularly most un-missable piece would be "Is There An Artificial God", which is comparable in ingenuity to the works of Asimov and Feynman.

Get this book; I don't care how, I don't care if it's not from Barnes & Noble, I don't care if you even pay. It's a textbook must-read.

I really miss him!

I absolutely LOVED it! Yes, I am biased and it really went to my heart knowing this is his last book! I liked reading about his life, family, and the adventures he got to go on! I still can't get over that he his gone from this Earth.I held on to every sentence and story for as long it would last and still thought of them afterwards.You can see where some of the stories and characters may have come from or at least his train of thought. I hope that when you read it you have read all the other stories first because this is really a closing chapter :(

The World's Loss

My God, perhaps the best book i've read in my life...i dont think ive ever felt more connected to an author through their works before...it is truely an incredible read to go through this book and feel deeply saddened that you will never read something like this again, because he was so truely unique...

An incredible read

This is a special book for any Douglas Adams fan. After reading this book, I guess that the feeling I have is one of lonelieness more than anything else. As I began to finish the book, the humor was overshadowed by the knowledge that Mr. Adams will never again put pen to paper, and I felt the ache of having lost a friend. DNA has been one of my favorite authors since a child hood friend introduced me to a new book called The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. This book is a treasured read, and not just because it is new DNA material, but because it really does show what a genuinely nice guy he was. Somewhere out there I'm sure that Douglas has a clean towel in his satchel, and is sipping on a 'gin and tonic'.

last chance to see, indeed

Unlike the first two reviewers I knew what I was reading. This book gives you great insight to one of the greatest minds this world has known. I was so happy to read the book that I couldnt put it down, but when I finished I felt such loss. I wish I could read all his books over again for the first time. Mr Adams was my favorite author before and this book did not disapoint me, besides that this is the last of his work I will be able to read :( ....NEVER FORGET YOUR TOWEL!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Well composed and edited

I found it to be a great tribute to Adams. Gave insite to parts of his life and his ideas and values. Worth the read.

Douglas, you simply cannot be dead!

Douglas Adams was a man who really knew where his towel was - the hoopiest frood this side of the Horsehead Nebula! For all I know he may not be dead, he might have just caught a ride from a Teaser. I love this book, the critics reviews give details of The Salmon of Doubt so I won't repeat any of them. I never met Douglas, but Zarquon's Knees!, I miss him. Buy everything by Douglas Adams, it's all really good stuff... ...well, it's better than Vogon poetry!

The Salmon does not dissapoint!

The Salmon of Doubt is an excellent title. It provides the exact thing that it promises, which is a profound (perhaps too profound) insight into the mind of our dearly departed DNA.

A must for all Adams fans

I loved it. The man was more than Hitchhiker's Guide. He saved Rhinos. You have to admire that. I am glad that this book was published, I think it was put together and delivered superbly.

Don't 'hitch' a ride on this salmon

'Hitchiker Guide' Douglas Adams has not yet been dead a year, but already there is a 'new' book on the market. Considering that he was notorious for missing deadlines ('Salmon' has been promised for over 10 years), this is blinding speed indeed! But unlike the freshness of his other work, this book smells a lot like grave-robbing to me. I find it difficult to believe that a perfection nut like Adams would allow such drivel as this to be published were he still alive. Various short stories and articles make up the majority of this book, as well as the title story which is unfinished! It does not even contain Adam's long anticipated screenplay for the Hitchiker movie, which was promised. In short, this has more padding than a pre-teen. Having said that, there are a couple of stand-out items, most notably a nice piece about Zaphod (from the Hitchhiker books) and a hilarious piece he wrote with Graham Chapman, but then both of these works have seen print before this (and in the Chapman case on TV too, as this story dates back as far as the 1970s when it was performed by Chapman on his one-off TV show 'Out Of The Trees.') Salmon are known for swimming upstream to spawn, which says a lot about this book: it fights its way against the current of what is considered a good book, except here it's the reader who gets 'spawned.' Save your $25.00

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Something fishy about this book

Poor Mr Adams. First he dies way too young, then he's subjected to this half-baked kettle of fishy tales and unfinished stories (the title piece). Must be the work of a dubious agent.... And from what I hear, one of the tales compiled here (The Private Life of Ghenghis Khan) is being published without even having gained the permission of the co-author's estate! Talk about a dead fish... So long Douglas, but NO THANKS for all this fish.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

Not an Adams freak, but enjoyed many of his works. This book, long-awaited, is enjoyable stuff. Good for a laugh. Or 2.

Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

Not great, not awful.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.