For those not in the know, H2G2 is the abbreviation for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which has two h's and two g's. It also has two a's and three each of i's and e's, but those don't rate inclusion in the hip abbreviation.
For those living in caves, H2G2 is coming to a theater near you. Then again, if you live in a cave you aren't likely to be reading this blog.
Douglas Adams fans are all a-twitter about the new movie, not unlike Star Wars fans about Episode 3, Return of the Dips, or Tolkien fans about the Ring Trilogy. Like those others, H2G2 is likely to be a multi-film franchise (there are 5 books in the H2G2 "trilogy" -- yes, they call it a trilogy).
I've read a couple of the H2G2 books, and I just don't understand the fascination. I like science fiction, so it's not that. It's that the writing seems rather hackish. The author seems to enjoy being odd for the sake of being odd. That's fine, but it doesn't make great literature. Some say that H2G2 contains biting social commentary, but it looks like unoriginal anti-religion, anti-government, anti-pop culture diatribe to me. It isn't great literature.
But maybe the movie will be fun. I like fun movies. I like to laugh. But it ain't great literature and probably won't make a great, classic movie.
For the record, I don't think the Hobbit stories are great literature, either. Again, I think the writing is rather hackish. I haven't seen the movies yet.
Oh, and the Star Wars story isn't that great either. I have seen four of those movies, and I enjoyed them. But they aren't great literature.
So please, let's stop making Adams and Tolkien and Lucas out to be literary giants. Let's just be happy that they make entertaining movies. Well, Lucas does. I assume that the Tolkien and Adams stories will, too.
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6 comments:
Nobody cares about your opinion. If I were you, I would start looking for a friend in the "real world" instead of wasting your time typing on a blog.
Interesting... someone apparently cared enough to read my blog (at least this post) and to type in a comment. Therefore, they have proved that someone cares about my opinions. :-)
I am not sure the H2G@ is great either litature, but it is a fun read. It is science fiction only in that it is the vehicle that DA chose as a backdrop to do his absurdist humor against. It does have some great quotable lines and concepts that seem to resonate in the culture, and for that reason it is significant. Will your kids be reading this for school some day, prob not. But will they read in outside of school as a palate cleanser, probably. And they will be better off for it than reading Star Wars books.
Part of my problem with the H2G2 and Hobbit books may be that I didn't read them in high school. Things that seem sophisticated or biting (as in social commentary) or whatever to a high schooler rarely seem the same 10 years later. Part of that is probably due to increasing sophistication on the part of the reader, and part may be due to the advancement of technology or style, etc.
I remember watching the original Star Wars movie in '77 (when I was 15) and being awed by the special effects. But by today's standards it seems less awesome.
Similarly, I watched "A Clockwork Orange" for the first time in the late '90's and found it disappointing. First, a friend had raved about how Kubrick had invented a whole 'nother language for it. Sadly, I recognized this "new" language as Russian, which I had studied in college. And second, the treatment of sex, while it may have been way out there when first shown, was rather tame in comparison to media treatment in the 90's.
So maybe I'm being too hard on H2G2 and the Hobbits. Viewed through the right cultural and historical lens they may do better.
But I'd still have a hard time elevating them beyond cult classic status to unqualified classic status.
You have made the argument before that Nadsat (and Clockwork) are not great because they borrow from Russian and other existing languages (esp Brit slang). I don't think that diminishes the story in its book or cinematic form. I actually think it adds to the alienation of the main character as the reader is not certain as to the nature of the 'future' world that Alex lives in. Is it the result of the fall of Iron Curtain or the west. Either way, what is left to the reader is a world that is both familar and alien. Don't let the friend's misinterpretation of Nadsat's roots cause you to miss what is one the the better 'post modern western' views of society. Just like what 'Blade Runner' did for the future mixed with the past, C.O. does for the future in which the individual and society are not necessarily in harmony.
BTW...I did see H2G2 this past weekend and while some it did follow the book, as usual Hollywood had to screw with it. There are visits to the Vogon plant that are made up, a stalker love interest for Zaphod; and Arthur and Trillion are now a couple. From the credits, though he died a few yrs back, D. Adams did help write the screenplay, so maybe it is his fault. Either way, if the book is not a classic, the movie is an utter failure. It is set up for a sequel, so hide your children.
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