"Restaurant at the End of the Universe" Book Review

A Study of Key Ingredients in Classic British Comedy

Apr 30, 2024

⭐️Yes, I loved this book. ⭐️

Douglas Adams was a brilliant writer. The first “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” will probably always be my favorite, but this one was just as good in many ways, and even better in the political commentary department.

For example, how could one describe some of today’s most press-covered world leaders any better than this? »

Chapter 28:

The major problem – one of the major problems, for there are several one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.

And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they're not.

Even though I know that this quote originally would’ve been based on leaders in the UK more than 20 years ago, I can’t help but feel that this quote is especially relevant to U.S. politics today.

Now analyzing comedy is very different than dissecting other types of fiction. That’s why for this review, I went down a different rabbit hole where Stephen Fry explains what’s unique about Classic British humor specifically, which actually runs against the grain of most American writing craft books. (And as I personally adore British humor and always have, I love the way this perspective turns all the standard “rules” on their heads. I actually read and watch more British comedies than American ones.)

In this post, we’ll cover:

My favorite parts of this sequel to Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy
Stephen Fry’s specific definition of “Classic British humor”
How “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe” meets Stephen Fry’s definition

😍My favorite funny bits!

***************************There are mild spoiler alerts for what follows**********************

Every time the book itself “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is mentioned in the series, Douglas Adams does it in a new way, explaining why this book is so popular in these worlds.

The Guide itself:

Here on pg. 170 is an incredible description that completely mocks probably every book marketer that he ever had to work with:

The book is a guide book, a travel book.

It is one of the most remarkable, certainly the most successful, books ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor – more popular than Life Begins at Five Hundred and Fifty, better selling than The Big Bang Tbeory-A Personal View by Eccentrica Gallumbits the tripled-breasted whore of Eroticon Six and more controversial then Oolon Colluphid's latest blockbusting title Everytbing You Never Wanted to Know About Sex but Have Been Forced to Find Out.

(And in many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Easter Rim of the Galaxy, it has long supplanted the great Encyclopedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper, and secondly it has the words DON'T PANIC printed in large friendly letters on its cover.)

The best Marvin moment:

Often called the “paranoid android,” Marvin of course is our super-computer powered AI assistant robot that unfortunately received manic-depressive personality programming to give him a more “relatable, human” interface.

When Marvin points out that he could actually read Arthur’s mind and decode the Ultimate Question about the Meaning of Life, The Universe, and Everything that everyone was searching for…

pg.248:

"Ah, ignore him," said Zaphod, "he's only making it up."

"Making it up?" said Marvin, swiveling his head in a parody of astonishment. "Why should I want to make anything up? Life's bad enough as it is without wanting to invent any more of it."

"Marvin," said Trillian in the gentle, kindly voice that only she was still capable of assuming in talking to this misbegotten creature, "if you knew all along, why then didn't you tell us?" Marvin's head swiveled back to her.

"You didn't ask," he said simply.

"Well, we're asking you now, metal man," said Ford, turning round to look at him.

At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum.

"Hey, Ford," said Zaphod, "that sounds good. Have you worked our the controls on this boat?"

"No," said Ford, "I just stopped fiddling with them. I reckon we just go to wherever this ship is going and get off it fast."

"Yeah, right," said Zaphod.

"I could tell you weren't really interested," murmured Marvin to himself and slumped into a corner and switched himself off.

And do we ever learn what The Ultimate Question is?

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

Of course not.

Paradox of “getting rich” vs. needs for planetary survival

I have to say this passage hits quite close to home considered all the rapid deforestation that’s currently going on in the real world (despite the fact that we as humans rely on trees for the oxygen we breathe…but oh, well. Whatever. Who needs to breathe when you can be rich?)

This excerpt is from when a group of humans from another planet crashed onto Earth to colonize it, but these people were categorized as roughly the dumbest on the planet, but just barely intelligent to somewhat survive.

pg. 299

"How can you have money," demanded Ford, "if none of you actually produces anything? It doesn't grow on trees you know."

"If you would allow me to continue..

Ford nodded dejectedly.

"Thank you. Since we decided a few weeks ago to adopt the leaf as legal tender, we have, of course, all become immensely rich."

Ford stared in disbelief at the crowd who were murmuring appreciatively at this and greedily fingering the wads of leaves with which their track suits were stuffed.

"But we have also," continued the management consultant, "run into a small inflation problem on account of the high level of leaf availability, which means that, I gather, the current going rate has something like three deciduous forests buying one ship's peanut."

Murmurs of alarm came from the crowd. The management consultant waved them down.

"So in order to obviate this problem," he continued, "and effectively revalue the leaf, we are about to embark on a massive defoliation campaign, and... er, burn down all the forests. I think you'll all agree that's a sensible move under the circumstances."

The crowd seemed a little uncertain about this for a second or two until someone pointed out how much this would increase the value of the leaves in their pockets whereupon they let out whoops of delight and gave the management consultant a standing ovation.

Conclusion:

Read the book; it’s a delight.

Now believe it or not, while this book is a chaotic mess to many people expecting to find standard plot plans, the novel does actually satisfy some key “requirements” common in British comedies.

What is Classic British Humor?

(according to Stephen Fry)

All of these points I have collected from the interview when Stephen famously spoke on American vs. British comedy years ago:

He did another similar interview in which he reiterates most of these points and adds some more that are more relevant for the last 5 years:

British Humor Follows These Patterns:

Though there will be some variations (and I’m not addressing mash-ups between American and British humor like the show “Ted Lasso,” so keep that in mind) there are some strong guideposts:

😞1. British main characters are meant to fail.

Stephen says in summary:

“They always want life to be better, but they are those on whom life craps from a terrible height, and whose sense of dignity is constantly compromised by the world letting them down … They try to be decent and right, they try to be proper … and their lack of dignity is embarrassing. They are a failure. They are an utter failure. They are brought up to expect Empire and respect and decency and being able to wear a blazer in public, whereas everyone around them just (points and laughs).

British comedy has characters so flawed that they can only be an ultimate disaster.

In fact, I’d agree that UK humor revolves around a character’s failing to succeed at anything. Whereas some comedies redeem their characters by allowing them to have at least one skill that they’re really great at to get themselves out of a jam, a UK comedy won’t let their characters win anything. It just goes from bad, to worse, to unimaginable, to holy-shit-how-can-you-even-cope-with-this-without-tea?

❌👑 2. British main characters aren’t in rich or powerful positions.

They are often lower and middle class people. If the stories were told from the POVs of unlimited millionaires or royals, then you remove the potential for suffering, extreme humiliation, and more severe consequences. No great suffering, no great British comedy.

🫣3. The main character always lacks confidence.

The British guy is rarely bragging about anything because he knows he doesn’t have anything to brag about. And if he IS bragging occasionally, he often knows it’s a lie, or he’s too dumb to realize his true role in the pecking order of life.

They’re often not trying to be leaders. They want to be comfortable, to be respected, and to continue through life without making any big changes.

😂😬4. The British happily laugh at themselves.

Stephen Fry says, “I think the ability to laugh at ourselves is a very important one.”

Why? Because British Humor is about self-deprication.

It’s also a coping mechanism that makes the pains of life more bearable. For example, “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” is another example of how laughing at situations sarcastically got her through extremely difficult times.

👎5. UK humor doesn’t feel obligated to make characters likable at all.

British humor embraces the most flawed of people and showcases all of their mistakes and despicable qualities fully. The audience isn’t expected to love them, only to laugh at them and occasionally with them. Characters in a British comedy are more meant to make you feel better about yourself because their lives are so much epically worse than yours.

😲6. My addition: Some British humor allows room for profound questions.

Behind all the failing and the witty jokes, brilliant satire shines through in these moments where you can clearly see how the author feels about big issues that do affect us deeply and affect the world as a whole.

Because the situations in British humor can be so absurd, and everything is possible, then it relaxes the audience enough to laugh at how ridiculous some things we all deal with really are. The harder-hitting truths about life are wrapped up nicely in jokes and situational irony so that we’re actually more receptive to the material. Yet afterward, we can think about, “Wow, there’s actually a lot of truth in that moment,” when we’re done laughing instead of feeling like someone was lecturing us about anything.

😕🫤7. My addition: “Happily Ever After” or “Happy for now” is never expected.

In a British comedy, no one expects everything to get better or to get everything they wanted. Their hopes and expectations in general are quite low. Surviving is often good enough. If there’s a pub at the end of the lane, then that’s all the better. Thus, while a lot of British comedies end rather tragically, those ends sort of suit the general worldview that the character had anyway of everything in life being a sadistic joke.

How These Patterns Showed up

in HHGTTG Book 2:

Arthur is meant to accidentally ruin the tech they rely on.

😞One of Arthur’s biggest flaws is his inability to really learn how any of the devices around him work. He spends most of his time trying to change things to suit him, which isn’t possible 99% of the time, but he refuses to adapt anyway. This characteristic is one of the things that makes him the biggest failure at whatever he does, but it also drives the story and its humor.

❌👑Arthur also satisfies the criteria of being a lower-middle-class person who doesn’t experience wealth nor power. Throughout the series, he suffers everything from losing his home planet and everyone he loved, to finding the girl who got away again, to learning that she’s dated an idiot instead that she apparently prefers to him, to losing his “friends” before they become good chums…and on it goes. Anything terrible that can happen DOES happen to Arthur.

For example, see how he wrecks the ship’s entire control system just by trying to get the drink machine to make a proper cup of tea (which was a necessary plot device to make everyone nearly die while being under attack again):

pg.155-156:

"No," he said, "look, it's very, very simple... all I want... is a cup of tea. You are going to make one for me. Keep quiet and listen." And he sat. He told the Nutri-Matic about India, he told it about China, he told it about Ceylon. He told it about broad leaves drying in the sun.

He told it about silver teapots. He told it about summer afternoons on the lawn. He told it about putting in the milk before the tea so it wouldn't get scalded. He even told it (briefly) about the history of the East India

"So that's it, is it" said the Nutri-Matic when he had finished.

“Yes,” said Arthur, "that is what I want."

"You want the taste of dried leaves boiled in water?"

"Er, yes. With milk."

"Squirted out of a cow?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking I suppose...

"I'm going to need some help with this one" said the machine tersely.

All the cheerful burbling had dropped out of is voice, and it now meant business.

"Well, anything I can do," said Arthur.

"You've done quite enough," the Nutri-Matic informed him.

It summoned up the ship's computer.

"Hi there!" said the ship's computer.

The Nutri-Matic explained about tea to the ship's computer. The computer boggled, linked logic circuits with the Nutri-Matic, and together they lapsed into a grim silence.

Arthur watched and waited for a while, but nothing further happened.

He thumped it, but still nothing happened.

Eventually he gave up and wandered up to the bridge.

In the empty wastes of space, the Heart of Gold hung still. Around it blazed the billion pinpricks of the Galaxy. Toward it crept the ugly yellow lump of the Vogon ship.

🫣Arthur also lacks confidence:

pg. 247:

Zaphod left the controls to Ford to figure out, and lurched over to Arthur.

"Look, Earthman," he said angrily, "you've got a job to do, right The Question to the Ultimate Answer, right?"

"What, that thing?" said Arthur. "I thought we'd forgotten about that."

"Not me, baby. Like the mice said, it's worth a lot of money in the right quarters. And it's all locked up in that head thing of yours."

"Yes but-"

"But nothing! Think about it. The Meaning of Life! We get our fingers on that we can hold every shrink in the Galaxy up to ransom, and that's worth a bundle. I owe mine a mint."

Arthur took a deep breath without much enthusiasm.

"All right," he said, "but where do we start? How should I know? They say the Ultimate Answer or whatever is Forty-two, how am I supposed to know what the question is? It could be anything. I mean, what's six times seven?"

Zaphod looked at him hard for a moment. Then his eyes blazed with excitement.

"Forty-two!" he cried.

Arthur wiped his palm across his forehead.

"Yes," he said patiently, "I know that."

Zaphod's faces fell.

"I'm just saying the question could be anything at all," said Arthur, "and I don't see how I'm meant to know."

👎Zaphod leads as the most supremely unlikable character

…to get more laughs and make a statement about politicians in general that is frighteningly accurate.

pg. 68

One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in her relationship with Zaphod was learning to distinguish between him pretending to be stupid just to get people off their guard, pretending to be stupid because he couldn't be bothered to think and wanted someone else to do it for him, pretending to be outrageously stupid to hide the fact that he actually didn't understand what was going on, and really being genuinely stupid. He was renowned for being amazingly clever and quite clearly was so – but not all the time, which obviously worried him, hence the act. He preferred people to be puzzled rather than contemptuous.

😂😬Arthur survives the depressing reality of the future of Earth by laughing at himself:

From the start of the last chapter 34:

The sound of voices lilted through the trees followed a moment later by two girls who stopped in surprise at the sight of Ford fact rocking with noiseless laughter.

Prefect and Arthur Dent apparently lying on the ground in agony, but in fact rocking with noiseless laughter.

"No, don't go," called Ford Prefect between gasps, "we'll be with you in just a moment."

"What's the matter?" asked one of the girls. She was the taller and slimmer of the two. On Golgafrincham she had been a junior personnel officer, but hadn't liked it much.

Ford pulled himself together.

"Excuse me," he said, "hello. My friend and

"Excuse me," he said, "hello. My friend and I were just contemplating the meaning of life. Frivolous exercise."

"Oh, it's you," said the girl, "you made a bit of a spectacle of yourself this afternoon. You were quite funny to begin with but you did bang on a bit."

"Did I Oh yes."

"Yes, what was all that for?" asked the other girl, a shorter, round-faced girl who had been an art director for a small advertising company on Golgafrincham. Whatever the privations of this world were, she went to sleep every night profoundly grateful for the fact that whatever she had to face in the morning it wouldn't be a hundred almost identical photographs of moodily lit tubes of toothpaste.

"For? For nothing. Nothing's for anything," said Ford Prefect happily.

"Come and join us, I'm Ford, this is Arthur. We were just about to do nothing at all for a while but it can wait." The girls looked at them doubtfully.

😲Profound truths:

The way we find out that the galaxy’s psychiatrists destroyed Earth and all its survivors to stop the experiment to find the meaning of life because if people knew that, then who needs psychiatrists anymore? (I mean, you do get more money from patients when their therapy takes SO much longer…😂)

At the beginning of chapter 4:

Ten light-years away, Gag Halfrunt jacked up his smile by several notches. As he watched the picture on his vision screen, relayed across the sub-ether from the bridge of the Vogon ship, he saw the final shreds of the Heart of Gold's force shield ripped away, and the ship itself vanish in a puff of smoke.

Good, he thought.

The end of the last stray survivors of the demolition he had ordered on the planet Earth, he thought.

The final end of this dangerous (to the psychiatric profession) and subversive (also to the psychiatric profession) experiment to find the Question to the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe and Everything, he thought.

There would be some celebration with his fellows tonight, and in the morning they would meet again their unhappy, bewildered and highly profiable patients, secure in the knowledge that the Meaning of Life would not now be, once and for all, well and truly sorted out, he thought.

😕🫤No happy-ever-afters expected:

On the last page, we see that Arthur has given up…on everything really, and especially on the idea of being pulled off of prehistoric Earth. He’s completely given up trying to get off of the planet, find Trillian, or trying to change the future of the human race because what’s the point.

"What book?"

Arthur paused.

"The Hitcbbiker's Guide to the Galaxy," he said at last.

"What's that?"

"Oh, just something I threw into the river this evening. I don't think I'll be wanting it any more," said Arthur.

While diving into all this comedy analysis, I found rather hilarious discussions about the differences between Classic British Humor vs. American Humor…

(Side Note: When I say “American,” I mean the United States, and I don’t know why countries South of the Panama Canal are called South America, and whatever the reasoning was, I think it was generally a stupid idea. Did any of those countries say “Hey, we’d love to be referred to on thousands of world maps as if we were an appendage of another country that we aren’t even technically part of”? I mean, where does it end? Are we going to start calling the North Pole “Upper-North America”? 😂 So I won’t be using the term “South America” anywhere.)

(P.P.S. When I say “British humor,” I’m referring to the comedy style that’s actually popular not only in England and Scotland, but also in Wales and Ireland. They do have slight differences from one country to the next, but you have to admit the comedy has a lot of similarities between them.)

People have many strong opinions about USA humor vs. UK humor, and if you’d like me delve into this further, then I can pick 3 U.S. humor books for next month & contrast them in light of what I’ve discussed in this post.

📣Announcement!

I wrote a Cozy Sci-Fi Comedy inspired very much by Douglas Adams and HHGTTG, and I even launched it on his original “Big-break” day. You can read about why and see the list of all episodes in season 1 here:

Intergalactizen's Guide to Taming Earthlings (Planetary Domination Made Easy)