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Two wildly inventive novels by this superselling master of wit, zaniness, mystery, time-travel, and more. In these inspired stories detective Dirk Gently tries to solve the mysteries of the universe and the human soul. Includes Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea Time of Soul.
Svlad Cjelli. Popularly known as Dirk, though, again, "popular" was hardly right. Notorious, certainly; sought after, endlessly speculated about, those too were true. But popular? Only in the sense that a serious accident on the motorway might be popular— everyone slows down to have a good look, but no one will get too close to the flames. Infamous was more like it. Svlad Cjelli, infamously known as Dirk. He was rounder than the average undergraduate and wore more hats. That is to say, there was just the one hat which he habitually wore, but he wore it with a passion that was rare in one so young. The hat was dark red and round, with a very flat brim, and it appeared to move as if balanced on gimbals, which ensured its perfect horizontality at all times, however its owner moved his head. As a hat it was a remarkable rather than entirely successful piece of personal decoration. It would make an elegant adornment, stylish, shapely and flattering, if the wearer were a small bedside lamp, but not otherwise. People gravitated around him, drawn in by the stories he denied about himself, but what the source of these stories might be, if not his own denials, was never entirely clear.
Anonymous
Posted February 25, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read all of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe" series and the "Dirk Gently" books are a great addition to the works of Douglas Adams. The characters in this book had whimsical moments, but those moments were balanced with the scientific detail in various events. The mysteriousness of the plot was intriguing and thought-provoking. Speaking of which, the storyline was one of utmost originality. Time machines, ghosts, and an electric monk wrapped up in one neat package. Science fiction and humor are mixed flawlessly together in "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency."
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Dirk_Gently
Posted January 30, 2010
Adams delivers another hilarious book, love everything he's done. It's a shame he never got a chance to put out more books.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 22, 2013
Compared to the rest of his work this is merely amusing and not overtly memorable.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 4, 2005
I read this book after I read the Hitchhickers guide looking for more of that Adams genius. What I found was in fact a good dose of that genius, he packs this book full of the same kind of mind bending comedy just as he did in the 'Guide'. But as you read on you come to the clear conclusion that Mr. Adams is insane and you can tell by his writing that there are days that he needed to adjust whatever psychiatric drugs he happened to be on. Now this may sound like a good thing, the comic genius ramblings of a madman but everything has it's limits. The book bounces from classic Adams to the mostly delusional ramblings of a homeless man. We all have our limits, it seems that Mr. Adams should have limited himself the The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (and at, what? 7 books in a single trilogy that aint bad). Thanks Douglas, R.I.P.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 31, 2003
This novel continues the amazing creative expression of Douglas Adams, begun for most readers, with the Hitchhiker's Guide. It is, as the others are, pure comic genius. Reading, or better yet hearing Douglas Adams takes us into a reality which is probably truer than the one we know every day. Indeed it adds dimension to what we call the Real World. From Quantum Physics to concern for endangered species, it teaches as it boggles! By the way, the reason they go to visit Coleridge is to prevent the writing of the poem that set up the destruction of the world. My only 'negative' in reading and re-reading any of Douglas Adams is the sadness that the voice is now silent and we will never hear anything new from this amazing mind.
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Posted May 2, 2003
Unfortunately, it is also incomprehensible to anyone under the level of advanced God. I read it three times and I STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY WENT TO SEE COLERIDGE!!! But read this book anyway. If you are already a fan of Douglas Adams this is one of his best, and if you're not you will be after reading this book. Believe me.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 5, 2001
Now come on people. How could no one else have read this book, happened upon this page and said, 'I'm gonna write a review'. Alright, many of you aren't in this position. But I am. So why not, I'll go for it. The little Star Guide on the side claims that 5 is the equivilant to Outstanding. If you have ever read a Douglas Adams book before, you will know what to expect - a non-sensical plot with the infamous psycic Dirk Gently, of whom I am currently modeling my life after. From his adventures of 'cheating' in collage to solving the mysteries of the universe by asking a child, he is a character. His motto is that while Sherlock Homes opted to eliminate the impossible, he has found that doing this sometimes wields unsatisfactory results. Therefore, he practices a Holistic detective agency, and studies the interconnectedness of all things. From Shrodinger's 'hypothetical' Cat, to the odd problem of a phoneline only working while in another dimension altogether, Dirk does it all. Oh, and unless you haven't noticed, the quoted words signify the parallel to what is reality and what is Dirk Gently's own personal universe. But Dirk is only in the title and therefore has a limited part in the story. After the murder of a computer tycoon by a machine-monk (with the ability to utter 'I believe you' with a pitch of utter sincerity) the more or less main character is tricked by Dirk into thinking he is a prime suspect. In traditional Adams fashion, the story spirals out of control and ends with 'To be continued' just to annoy us readers. If my review was vague in any way or if you respond better to being commanded, I will say this: Buy this book! If you despise online transactions, go to a store! As you can imagine, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. But now I must say Adieu, and my 15 minutes are coming to a close. Goodbye, and if you have made it this far, kudos. You can survive the book which you will now undoubtedly buy...
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Posted November 21, 2008
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Posted January 12, 2010
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Posted March 23, 2009
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Posted January 9, 2011
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Posted October 25, 2008
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Posted March 8, 2013
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Posted July 29, 2009
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Posted July 30, 2009
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Posted October 2, 2010
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Posted March 3, 2009
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Posted December 2, 2008
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Posted September 12, 2009
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Posted February 4, 2010
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Overview
Two wildly inventive novels by this superselling master of wit, zaniness, mystery, time-travel, and more. In these inspired stories detective Dirk Gently tries ...