Why are Douglas Adams's writings so funny and engaging and best selling despite lacking the basics ___?

Question

Most what adam's write lacks plot and theme. Almost no element of strugle (no clear protagonist/anatagonist) exept in few semi isloated sketches. Characters are paper thin and cartoonish, narration passes through lots of sudden illogical twists. sentences are long , some times too long and often a same word is repeated three or four times in one sentence.Yet the stories are wonderfull to read , very funny and quite scuessfull as far as sales are concerned?

Answer 1

I'm not sure I'd agree with everything you are saying here.

As regards plot and theme - the Hitchiker's Guide has been compared to Homer's "Odyssey" in the way Arthur Dent (Odysseus) travels around and meets different cultures and concepts.

Adams may not flesh out his characters fully, but I think to say they are "paper-thin and cartoonish" is a little harsh. The characters are developed enough to allow us to understand why they do and say what they do. Clearly you would expect Arthur's reaction to a situation to be polar opposites to Zaphod's because of the character traits that Adams has given each of them.

I would agree with you that Adams' prose style is not conventional, it seems to me to be more of a stream of conscience style of writing.

The success of Adams works lies behind the subversion of a popular format (science fiction was ripe for parody at the time Hitchiker's came out - see also Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs" and "Red Dwarf") and the development of a very, very simple idea into an all-encompassing novel on the nature of life, the universe and everything !

At the end of it all, Douglas Adams was a genius.

Answer 2

Because most peoples lives are like that. And we can identify with the nature of the problem if not the problem iteslf. We start do do something and a 1000 things get in our way. What Adams did was to exploit the stories in those distractions. Far from 'paper thin' characters might I suggest that other novelests 'overdevelop'?

Answer 3

I'll agree that he doesn't waste time with character development, but there certainly IS a protagonist, and the entire 5-book trilogy (STILL funny) is one long struggle: it's Arthur Dent against the Universe.

Incidentally, I always thought the absurd logic in narration, the non-sequitors and the flagrant disregard for basic structure were part of the humor.

Best section: from Earth: Mostly Harmless, when Arthur Dent is waiting in the train station canteen. The digression about train station food is cripplingly funny.

Answer 4

I think you already answered it--"the stories are wonderful to read" and "very funny." Even if his books did lack plot or theme, this apparently makes up for it.

His books (at least in the "trilogy," I haven't read Dirk Gently yet) do not lack plot or theme, all the elements of a good piece of writing are there. I won't argue with "characters are paper thin and cartoonish," though. I can only read his writing in short bursts, it doesn't fascinate me for very long, but I wouldn't be so harsh on him either.

Answer 5

There's a certain absurdist quality to his writing, the same quality that makes the show Family Guy so popular right now. Out-of-the-blue, totally odd things (that somehow ring true with familiarity) drive both Adams & Family Guy. Check out Eugene Ionesco or Samuel Beckett...

Answer 6

"Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" was originally written a B.B.C. radio series (loooong before either of the films and the books). There was no need to flesh out characters, or detailed plot because this was done by voice on the radio. But, as you say, "wonderful to read," and "very funny."

Answer 7

Sophicated and scientific humor at it's best. His books aren't cliches either making them a modern classics. He's a genius!

Answer 8

He throws himself at the ground and misses.