Book Review: "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" by Douglas Adams


"The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" is a Dirk Gently novel by the science fiction and humor mastermind Douglas Adams. It follows the adventures of Dirk and a woman who met Thor while waiting to board a plane at Heathrow Airport as they mingle with gods, psychopaths, mechanics and eagles. Before jumping into this book, you should know that this is no "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," but what is? It still amounts to good, if not entirely comprehensible, reading.

One thing you will notice about "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" is that Douglas Adams' trademark sense of humor is present and accounted for. You will certainly get a laugh or two if you do not mind heads spinning on records and petulant gods saying things that do not make sense and will never make sense no matter how many pages you read.

A friend of mine, who happens to be British and we all know they love Adams, actually said to me that he loves Douglas Adams, but not Dirk Gently. He could never find himself enjoying the Gently novels. While I could definitely consume more than one, I was surprised at how easily I could put the book down and walk away. In fact, reading time during my dance with this book became nap time more often than not. You can decide for yourself what you think that says about it. The fact remains that it was written well and by a Shelly-appointed genius, so we really should not complain.

Shelly Barclay