Question for Fans of Hitchhiker's Guide

[Orrex]

Do you actually like any of the main characters, to the extent that you'd like to know any of them personally?

Having just refinished the five-book-trilogy, I can say without disclaimer that I really dislike all of them, with the possible exception of Trillian. Each of them displays an array of traits that, in a real person, would cause me to shun that person as much as possible.


But darn it if the books aren't still fun to read.

[opiate69]

1. I always thought Ford would be fun to have as a friend.. but yeah, a little annoying

[EFerrari]

4. How many friends have you had that aren't a little annoying?

:evilgrin:

[opiate69]

12. Heh.. good point!

[porphyrian]

2. I like them all more than Ignatius in A Confederacy of Dunces. -n/t

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. he got on my nerves, too

are they making a movie of that book? I thought I had read somewhere that Drew Barrymore had bought the rights to that book...

[porphyrian]

10. I think it's one of those cursed projects that's been planned for years but never happens.

And, lo, Google bringeth forth the answer:
http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/hollywood/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000865382

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. indefinite hold --

the nether world

[JVS]

19. Confederacy of Dunces is the kind of book that could only be done justice through Claymation

[porphyrian]

21. Ooo, I hadn't thought of that.

Don't tell the guy with the rights to it, or we'll be waiting another fifty years.

[EFerrari]

3. Yes. I like all of them. I like all of them 100% more than any

of the characters on Seinfeld!

lol

[Orrex]

5. That's not setting the bar too high, now is it?

If there were ever a more disaffected, self-absorbed crop of characters on tv, I'd like to know who they are.

But what a fine show, at that!

[EFerrari]

8. Since I seemed to be the only person on the planet that couldn't walch that show

I was just trying to be careful. :)

/oops

[Orrex]

9. Then those other people are fools, every last one of them!

All of my friends and coworkers love the show, even 9+ years hence.

Well, except for one friend, but we got rid of him via extreme rendition, so it's no longer an issue.

[RedCappedBandit]

6. I love those books..

I love Ford! Arthur seems rather average..
I like Trillian too.

I don't know about Zaphod, though.

Marvin is my favorite robot ever!

[DS1]

11. Trillian

that's about it

Marvin was amusing, but I'd end up killing it

[EFerrari]

14. I could never harm Marvin. It would like killing kin.

:rofl:

[MorningGlow]

15. What, you find Eddie the shipboard computer annoying?

"Hi guys! Wanna have a conversation?!"

Sounds like too many former coworkers... :eyes:

I've known plenty of Arthurs; I could deal with him in small doses, I suppose (mainly down the pub after some beers).

[Aristus]

16. Slartibartfast. I love him. My kind of guy.

"I put lovely fjords in Norway; lovely crinkly edges, you know. And I wanted to put them in the new Africa, and they refused to let me; said they weren't equatorial enough. But I'm going to anyway, because I like them..."

I totally identify with Slartibartfast. B-)

[madeline_con]

17. five-book-trilogy

Whaaa?

[JVS]

18. How can you not like Ford and Arthur. Never cared much for Trillian

[LittleClarkie]

20. Ford and Arthur I like well enough. Zaphod was too smug for me.

I might like Marvin, though being his friend would be a bit soul-draining.

[Orsino]

22. Arthur.

He's a punching bag for a universe of urgent trifles, but bears no ill will. He's a nebbish, but a good-hearted one.

I just reread those books a couple of weeks ago.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. Arthur, of course

He just wants a quiet life, a cup of tea, and to make sandwiches for people. And yes, Trillian is brave, caring etc., so I can't see why she's just a 'possible exception'. She did save the universe, let's remember. And Slartibartfast is OK, once he stops working for Magarathea.

It's true that no-one's particularly great in the final book - apparently Adams was going through a bad patch in his personal life then, and was feeling pretty misanthropic. He later said he wished he'd written it a lot differently.

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. Slartibartfast and Ford.

Arthur was too much of a whiner/loser. Zaphod could be fun, but I'm too introverted to handle him for long. But he'd be a blast! Trillian had a good mind and a good personality - I'd hit it! And Ford was just plain unflappable, and that's the kind of person I prefer to be with.

[derby378]

25. Definitely Ford Prefect

He seems well-meaning enough.

[mdmc]

26. i liked them all well enough

[av8rdave]

27. I've known people like Zaphod...

Not close friends, but likable nonetheless.