Rating: 
Summary: D. Adams manages to increase the suspense in the reader.
Review: The story opens with an explosion at Heathrow Airport. This introduces the female main character Kate Schechter trying to find the Norwegian man she met there just before the explosion. At the same time, Dirk Gently gets involved in that case. He, as a private detective, firstly wants to find out what has happened to his ex-secretary Janice Smith. Soon, while the plot is unfolding, the Norse gods become the main theme because their power has decreased in modern society. So, one of the gods makes a contract with two human beings in order to be able to enjoy human comfort although he loses his immortal soul. As Dirk Gently believes in the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", it all makes sense in the end. Douglas Adams does not hand you the answer on a silver platter, though, so that some parts have to be reread. The single events of the storyline are unpredictable, which makes the book so exciting, and the reader is guided by Kate and Dirk. With great skill the author changes the levels of language where necessary and uses his English sense of humour. In the end, Dirk and Kate have improved their knowledge about the workings of the universe. What I liked best while reading were the various lines of action.
Rating:
Summary: Dirk II: The Stupefying Sequel
Review: Like it's predecessor, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency", "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" demands a second reading. It's complex, often confusing, but never less than amusing. Both books display Douglas Adams' verbal wit, which will remind most of his ever-popular "Hitchhiker" books, but are more concerned with their labyrinthine and well-structured plots. And both books offer an ending that may not make sense if the reader hasn't been paying close (and I mean CLOSE) attention. The main difference between the two is that while the ending of the former was obscure *and* painstakingly logical, the ending here feels contrived and illogical. Like a good mystery novel, the reader should have been able to see it coming given the clues presented. In "Dirk Gently" this was true; it necessitated some research to fathom, but with enough effort the reader could make sense of things. Here, not so much.That's not to say that "Tea-Time" is a pointless endeavor. It is, after all, a Douglas Adams novel. And now that the man is gone, we should cherish everything he's ever written. In their own ways they're all gems. This gem, however, has less of a sheen. Once again, Dirk Gently is asked to save the world. Or rather, he's asked to not screw it up so much. He's a detective who believes in the interconnectedness of everything. This point is only sporadically touched on here, but is relayed at great length in the previous book. Pity, because Adams has constructed a narrative whose tentacles dip into a myriad of different subjects and storylines, all for the most part unrelated. But he does draw them all together, seemingly against their will, in the end. The drawback, then, is that the book becomes less a cohesive novel than a collection of eclectic ideas. I'd have loved to see how Adams further involved the electric I Ching calculator (a favourite tool of the Electric Monk maybe?) in the story. But alas it comes and goes all too quickly. The same can be said for The Great Zaganza, a horoscope writer who puts private joke messages to Dirk directly in each day's newspaper. Or Elena, the wayward maid, who's locked in a battle of wills with Dirk to see who will open his refrigerator first (Why? I'll never tell). These are all wonderful ideas, pregnant enough for a whole chapter (or a whole book) in Adams' hands, but nearly wasted here. Thankfully, there are enough of them to make a mild mosaic of mystery on which the narrative balances. The book shares one of its main themes with Terry Pratchett's "Small Gods". This is not the first time I've favourably compared Adams to Pratchett, and vice versa. I suspect if you like the wicked wit and playful literary structures of one, than you'll adore the other just as much. Adams relies less on puns than Pratchett, and more on cultural mythology, but they were equally adept at deconstructing popular images to their own ends. Before treading here I recommend a bit of research first. Read the first "Dirk Gently" book. Since Adams doesn't repeat his introduction and explanation of the main character, those unfamiliar with him will find Dirk's methods baffling. They are explained fully, just not here. Also, it might be a good idea to brush up on your Norse mythology before entering. No need to go too deep, just a trip to Valhalla will do. And finally, remember this: pay attention to everything. Nothing is accidental here. Everything matters. Everything is connected. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Gods are alive and kicking
Review: Why would the Norse God Thor be hanging around Terminal Two of Heathrow Airport trying to catch the 15.37 to Oslo? That is exactly the question Dirk Gently, a special kind of detective who uses his spiritual insight for his investigations, needs to get answered as fast as possible. Somehow the exploding Heathrow Airport ticket counter seems to be connected to Dirk's latest -and late- client, found only this morning with his head quite independently revolving atop the hit record "Hot Potato". It is time to get his holistic view on the world in practice, because the hostile attentions of a stray eagle and the murderous dirty refrigerator make the life of our intergalactic sleuth less attractive than he is used to. When reviewing any book written by Douglas Adams, you are immediately forced -by some unseen intergalactic force- to compare it to the Hitchhiker's Guide series. No need in trying to resist this urge, so here it goes: The Gently books are probably not as hilarious as the Hitchhikers Guide series, yet they are still very funny. Voila! Now that that has been cleared, it is time to formulate some useful comments. Be warned! When you decide to read The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul know that you will have to immediately reread it once you turn the last page. The storyline is so complex and mind bogglingly absurd that you will conclude more than once that Douglas must have been completely stoned while writing this novel. But don't panic! In the end everything comes together in an apotheosis of pure grandeur. The denouement is so perplexing that you can only continue by rereading the complete novel.
The jokes and gags are not the strongest point of the book, but the absurd situations and the entertaining storyline compensates this easily.
Since The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is the sequel to Dirk Gently and the Holistic Detective Agency, I guess it is recommendable to start with the first novel, although I did not do this and still had some great fun.
Rating: 
Summary: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Review: The adventures of Dirk Gently (Svlad Jelly)continues in this second and most unfortunatly last (not including the partially written Salmon of Doubt)book of the series. This book is filled with typical humor of Douglas Adams, from Gods giving up thier power for nice clean sheets, to an advertising agency bent on ruling the world. (Don't forget Thor counting all the rocks...) This is a must read for any DNA fan. What I like best about this book (and indeed most of DNA's books) is how the minutae come together at the end, as Dirk would put it "the fundemental interconnectedness of all things" really plays a part here.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, but not as good as the first
Review: I came away from this book with the feeling that it was a bit of a comedown after the first Dirk Gently book. It didn't quite deliver the same laugh-out-loud hilarity and intelligent, complex plot as the first one. Having said that, though, you still can't go very wrong by buying this book. I love all of Douglas Adams' works (yes, even the oft-maligned "Mostly Harmless"), so for me a four-star review just means that it wasn't quite as enjoyable as many of his other books. But it's still a good read, no question about it.
Rating: 
Summary: Lesser Adams work -title more describes his career
Review: The title "The Long Dark Teatime Of The Soul" comes from a line used to describe the bored and immortal Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged from his novel Life, The Universe, And Everything, who had entered "the long dark teatime of the soul." However, it may also be an accurate reflection of what Adams had entered re his writing career. Kate Schechter is on her way to Oslo, but that never happens. First, she runs into a tall, angry Norwegian-looking person whom she helps out at the check-in counter at Heathrow Airport. Second, said check-in counter explodes, sending her to the hospital. The papers label the incident an act of God, resulting in several injuries and the disappearance of the apathetic check-in counter clerk who angered the Nord. She recovers, but something leads her to Woodhouse, a hospital for very unusual patients, including a one-eyed old man whose name is Mr. Odwin, has a tiny demonic-looking assistant named Toe Rag, and a certain temperamental son with a hammer named Mjolnir. So where does Dirk Gently come in this? In his usual "fundamental interconnectedness in all things" way, of course. He wakes up hours after he was supposed to meet his client, who's terrified of a green-eyed giant with a scythe. He arrives at the client's house, only to find the police there, his client's head rotating in the middle of a 33 and 1/3 single "Hot Potato" record that keeps skipping. He goes through a series of misfortunes and incidents, including breaking his nose and being attacked by an eagle. The premise, and it may require a few re-readings to fully get what's going on, is interesting enough, but not as the ones he explored in his Hitchhiker novels and the previous Dirk Gently novel. They seem to be a series of disconnected ideas that don't click together. Dirk Gently's quirky, eccentric character works as long there's a more straight-laced foil to respond to his ramblings. Here, there is no Richard MacDuff to help out. Consider those who respond to him. Sally Mills, the nurse whose coffee he steals, isn't too put out by his personality. Kate Schechter, on the other hand, gives him a flea in his ear after he tail-ends her car, but she's more independent-minded than MacDuff, and there's only one segment in the book where she interracts with him. Some ideas that could be funny or further elaborated include an I Ching calculator, which can add up to 4, but any answer above it equals "a suffusion of yellow." One that works is his theory of finding his way after being lost in traffic, and that's to follow a car that seems to know where it's going, the premise being that somehow, he'll end up where he needs to be. As for his writing, Adams' description of Gently's fridge, which hasn't been opened for three months, is something: "the fridge no longer merely stood there in the corner of the kitchen, it actually lurked." And the fridge war between he and his housekeeper is a beaut in writing. There are actually some good writing moments, but other than that... People interested in Adams should, as the chorus to "Hot Potato" goes, "don't pick it up, pick it up, pick it up" and maybe only after they've read Dirk Gently. Getting into it does require a high degree of patience, so only for the most diehard fans. Overall a bit disappointing, like his other work Mostly Harmless.
Rating:
Summary: Wacky and Fun But Missing Something at the End
Review: Kate Schechter should have taken the signs the universe was trying to give her. That's what she tells herself as she shows up at the airport for a trip to Norway in spite of all the warnings. Still, she is unprepared for the check in desk to be blown through the roof just after she misses her flight. Meanwhile, Dirk Gently has hit a low. He has almost no money and no clients. Except the one he's forgotten about who promptly gets himself killed. Now Dirk feels responsible for not taking this guy's claims serious and wants to track down the green eyed monster. As if that weren't enough, he and his cleaning lady are having a war over who will open his fridge first, an out of order soda machine keeps appearing and disappearing, and he's being stalked by an eagle. What these seemingly unrelated events have to do with each other provides plenty of wacky entertainment. I am still only mildly familiar with the books of Douglas Adams, and I simply must correct that. This fantasy novel was wonderfully strange and entertaining. The opening bits about the airport and Kate's trip had me laughing out loud. The laughs slowed down over the course of the book, but they were still plentiful. Maybe it's my normal reading of mysteries, but my only real complaint was an ending that was really more confusing then enlightening of what had gone on before. Actually, I listened to the audio version of this book, read by the author. These can be hit or miss, depending on the author. Douglas Adams did an exceptional job of reading, throwing just the right tones and inflections in for the best effect. About the only complaint on this part was that the scene changes were so sudden and abrupt that it could confuse you for a few seconds even when you're paying attention. Whether you get your hands on the audio version of stick with the traditional print version, this is a wonderful title sure to entertain. I must move more of his books higher up my to be read pile.
Rating:
Summary: A writing genius.
Review: The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul is simply one of the most amazing books I have ever read and the late Douglas Adams is a writing genius. This story mixes his unique--and side stitching--humor with a plot that brings both a modern world and a world of myth to life. This follow up to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is more than worth the price paid and will keep you howling with laughter no matter how many times you read it. Quite simply: it's brilliant, well-written, funny and farcical. Not many authors can interject their personal opinions of the world into their work and get away with it like Douglas can. Though he may be gone he will forever live on in the hearts and imaginations of his fans world wide.
Rating:
Summary: Weak attempt
Review: The Douglas Adams I remember from the first Dirk Gently novel is not present in this one. The storyline feels thrown together, the ending is forced, and the ability of the text to hold an audience is poor. Though there were a few bright spots, this book was a large disappointment. However, the Hitchhikers Guide five book trilogy and the first Dirk Gently novels are wonderful. Don't read this, it just disappoints. At best, it's a B-.
Rating:
Summary: Acts of Gods, modern ennui and private hospitals, oh my!
Review: Douglas Adams is amazingly whimsical. If the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy didn't convince you of that, the Dirk Gently novels will. Gently is a detective, but no Sherlock Holmes. No, rather than ruling out the impossible to leave only the improbable, Gently prefers to believe the impossible, because it makes so much more sense than the improbable. He solves his case through ingenuity, luck, and a belief in the interconnectedness of all things. A highlight for me is Dirk's method of finding directions. He just follows someone who looks like they know where they are going. This, he says, doesn't always get him to where he wanted to go, but almost always gets him to where he needs to be. If only we all had such faith! This book is the second of two about the private eye. I don't want to give away too much of the story, as it is definitely a mystery, but it covers some of the same ground as American Gods in a much less sinister manner. Everything has a reason and a rhyme in this book, even if at first encounter, an event makes no sense, neither to the characters nor the reader. While the ending is a bit abrupt for my taste, if you like whimsy, you'll get an ample helping with this book.
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