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Book Details

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

64.3% complete
1988
1990
1 time
1 - 35 Chapters
Book Cover
Has a genre Has a synopsis Has a year read Has a rating In my library In a series 
74
© 1988 by Douglas Adams
For Jane
It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression "as pretty as an airport".
May contain spoilers
He turned to the front page to see if there was any interesting news.
No comments on file
Synopsis* (may contain spoilers)
Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams is a satirical novel that follows the misadventures of an unlikely duo as they attempt to unravel the mysterious occurrences that have thrown their lives off course.

The story begins with the introduction of Kate Schechter, a rundown journalist in London who is struggling to make ends meet. Kate is bewildered when she encounters a raging thunderstorm that seems to be focused solely on her. As if that wasn't enough, she arrives at Heathrow airport to find that her British Airways flight to Oslo, Norway, has been canceled, and all alternative flights are fully booked. To make matters worse, her credit card has been mysteriously canceled, and she is unable to access any cash.

Meanwhile, Dirk Gently, a former private investigator who has been relegated to running a small holistic detective agency, is at the airport to meet his latest client. The client, a shy and uptight accountant by the name of Gordon Way, has hired Dirk to solve the mystery of his missing cat, who apparently disappeared moments before his priceless painting was stolen. When Dirk arrives at Gordon's flat to investigate, he finds himself dodging the massive refrigerator being hurled at him through the window by Kate Schechter, who has accidentally found herself in Gordon's apartment.

As the story progresses, Dirk and Kate are forced to team up to solve a series of increasingly bizarre and supernatural happenings that have thrown their lives into chaos. Together they discover that these events are not just coincidences, but are part of a larger conspiracy that threatens not just their lives, but the fate of the world itself.

The author weaves a complex web of characters and subplots that all eventually converge in a dramatic and climactic finale. Along the way, we encounter a host of colorful and memorable characters, including the Norse God Odin, a senile old professor, a talking robot, and a thoroughly unpleasant business magnate.

Throughout the book, the author maintains a playful and irreverent tone, poking fun at everything from organized religion to corporate greed. At times the humor is silly and ridiculous, while at others it is biting and satirical. Regardless of the tone, however, the author manages to keep the reader engaged and entertained throughout.

One of the most interesting themes explored in the book is the idea of interconnectedness. The author presents a view of the universe in which everything is connected, and seemingly unrelated events can have profound implications on each other. This idea is exemplified by the recurring motif of the Norse god's obsession with the number 42, which is revealed to be a crucial part of the book's climactic revelation.

Ultimately, Long Dark Teatime of the Soul is a rollicking and irreverent romp through a world that is at once familiar and bizarre. With its witty humor, engaging plot, and memorable characters, it is a must-read for fans of comedic science fiction.

Extract not on file

 

Added: 29-Dec-2002
Last Updated: 22-Mar-2023

Publications

 02-Jan-1990
Pocket Books
Mass Market Paperback
In my libraryI read this editionOrder from amazon.comHas a cover imageBook Edition Cover
Date Issued:
02-Jan-1990
Format:
Mass Market Paperback
Cover Price:
$4.95
Pages*:
307
Read:
Once
Internal ID:
222
Publisher:
ISBN:
0-671-69404-9
ISBN-13:
978-0-671-69404-3
Printing:
1
Country:
United States
Language:
English
Credits:
Wilson McLean  - Cover Artist
DELIGHTFULLY WEIRD... THERE ARE PASSAGES THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO READ WITHOUT LAUGHING LOUD AND LONG..."
- The Boston Sunday Herald


When a passenger check-in desk at London's Heathrow Airport disappears in a ball of orange flame, the explosion is deemed an act of God.  But which god, wonders holistic detective Dirk Gently?  What god would be hanging around Heathrow trying to catch the 3:37 to Oslo?

And what has this to do with Dirk's latest - and late - client, found only this morning with his head revolving atop the hit record "Hot Potato"?

Amid the hostile attentions of a stray eagle and the trauma of a very dirty refrigerator, super-sleuth Dirk Gently will once again solve the mysteries of the universe...

"FUNNIER THAN PSYCHO, MORE CHILLING THAN JEEVES TAKES CHARGE AND SHORTER THAN WAR AND PEACE....  THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL IS ANOTHER SEMIPRECIOUS GEM IN ADAMS' GLITTERING DIADEM OF HUMOR."
- The Birmingham News


"CLEVER AND FUNNY... MR. ADAMS CREATES A UNIVERSE OF URGENT TRIFLES THAT ADD UP TO AN ASTRONOMICAL FARCE...."
- The New York Times Books Review
Cover:
Book Cover
Notes and Comments:
First Pocket Books printing January 1990
First printing per number line

Related

Author(s)

Douglas Adams  
Birth: 11 Mar 1952 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Death: 11 May 2001 Santa Barbara, California, USA

Notes:
Douglas Noel Adams was born in Cambridge on March 11, 1952.  He went to school at Brentwood School, Essex and St John's College, Cambridge.  In 1974 he gained an MA in English Literature.

He started writing at Cambridge.  Some of his earlier writings were featured on the radio.  He went on from radio to become the script editor of Doctor Who where he wrote a couple of stories for the Tom Baker incarnation of the Doctor (4th Doctor).  He wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which was comissioned and aired as a radio series in March 1978.  Since then it has been transformed into a series of best-selling novels, a television series, records, cassettes and CDs, a computer game and several stage adaptations.

In 1991 he married Jane Elizabeth Belson and leaves a daughter, Polly Jane Rocket.  Douglas Adams died suddenly of a heart attack on May 11, 2001

Awards

No awards found
*
  • I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
  • Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
  • When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
  • When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
  • Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.






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Presented: 28-Mar-2024 03:59:32

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