The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dirk Gently)

I've found that EVERY book I've ever read by Douglas Adams has had exceptional science fiction writing at it's core (except for "Last chance to see") and have been absolutely riveting. The Dirk Gently books are no exception! Highly recommended!

Everyone knows of the Hitch-hikers series. But not so many have ventured into the other novels by Douglass Adams. This is a great read. It is funny, and a great reminder of the silly fascinations we had with technology in the eighties. Very funny, this book will have you in stitches.

If you're looking for a quirky good time, you'll find it here. I really enjoy Adams style and sense of wit. The absurdism isn't for everyone, but I find the silliness delightful. Good pace, never drags. You'll laugh out lout at points.

I practically have it memorized, I've read and listened to it so many times. The man was nuts. I just love him. Miss his wit and skewed way of looking at the world. If you have a goofy sense of reality, not to mention humor, you'll love it, too!

I love Douglas Adams character, Dirk Gently, the Holistic Detective. I wish Douglas Adams had lived long enough to write more than two of these books. I like his other stuff, including the more famous books, but this is one of my two favorites.

The Long Dark Tea-Time of The Soul is the second novel in the Dirk Gently series and, for me, it is even less memorable. Adams' ridiculousness is stronger here than in any of his other books (excluding The Salmon of Doubt of course) and I found it to be a bit annoying. Still, you can't help but enjoy the nonsense plot and intelligent writing style. Douglas Adams fans who liked the first Dirk Gently novel should enjoy this as well, but, for me, reading Adams is like watching a movie that is so set on getting laughs that they force in jokes and hilarious plot twists so much that it almost wears out your sense of humor after a while.

Only Douglas Adams could come up with sentences like, "He was deliberately and maliciously watching tv at him!"
I love both Dirk Gently books, but this one is better, and funnier. I still laugh out loud when I think of Kate's "alleged car". I was afraid I'd be disappointed, since I've been a fan of the Hitchhiker books for years, but these seem to be books for his more mature audience, as the jokes are a little more subtle.

This book, unless London Pizza of the time, was delivered warmish, brand new and in a cardboard box directly to my home where I may turn page by page while lounging on the couch. As books are meant to be!

Brilliant! Wonderful! Answers the age old question what happened to the Norse Gods after Ragnaroc and comicbooks. Hilarious in strctly English way. Remember Thor and Odin and cool, white linen. Of course this might be the other book.

This book is also definitely WAY OUT THERE. But I have to say, I did not find it quite as laugh-out-loud funny as its prequel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I am almost finished with it (less than 50 pages to go and those will go quick), but it is VERY ODD! Still, it has many of the same classic Adams' techniques and it still quite funny.

Long Dark Tea-Time was OK but the notion of Norse gods being transplanted to modern day London is preposterous, to say the least, I could never really get past that with this book. Dirk Gently is not exactly the most sympathetic hero, either, and the girl in this book is an idiot. Other than that--it was OK.

Sixty-four out of the 66 reviews currently up talk about THE BOOK. The product listed is THE AUDIO CD of the book. I ordered the CD set for Christmas, and it was good - up until the final, 6th CD. There, one section repeats over and over, over all 18 tracks. It's the part of Chapter 26 where Thor and Kate meet Tsuliwaensis. Each track is not identical, but the part of the book that is read, is. Needless to say, you never get to the thrilling conclusion of the book.

the store quickly replaced the CD set (thank you!), but the replacement set has THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. (I apologize for appearing to shout here.) Has anyone reviewing this product actually listened to the CD from beginning to end? Are they all this way, or have I gotten two clinkers in a row?

Thank you.

After reading several of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy books, I hadn't read anything by Douglas Adams until now. His "Dirk Gently" books were said to be good, but this volume was not one of them.

The idea is interesting, ancient gods wandering the modern world with nothing to do. And there are some funny parts, such as how Dirk deals with an obnoxious service station tow truck driver. as well as how a woman tries not to cause streetlights to go out. But other jokes misfire, or go on too long, such as the one about the American woman obsessed with pizza and how frustrated she is over not being able to get delivery in Britain. And as another reviewed pointed out, there is far too much description over the filthy refrigerator and how passing sunlight plays over surfaces. The Hitchhiker's Guide stories succeeded because they were short and didn't linger on in any one spot like this novel does.

Also, in the Hitchhiker's Guide series, the characters at least have some level of development and you were interested in them. Not the case in this story, not even with the star character of Dirk Gently. Certainly a private detective should at least have some degree of proactivity, but he does little more than bumble around. Even Inspector Clouseau, when he didn't bumble, showed real initiative at times.

I didn't bother to finish this, but hopefully I'll like the other volumes better,

This was, as expected, a totally unpredictable read. There was no knowing or guessing at the outcome, merely holding on and keeping a sharp eye out and hoping to catch all the threads that would at some point reveal the ultimate interconnectedness of the universe.

Dirk’s epic, passive-aggressive standoff with his cleaning lady, interesting way of becoming unlost, and comedic larceny were delightful. The fridge was probably the most ridiculous and fantastic plot point of the whole thing. I did not see any of it coming.

Reading at night wasn’t working so much. As soon as I’d get tired, I’d start missing things, and as everything is linked to everything else, I decided to read the majority of it during the light of day on Saturday. Turned out to be a wise move.

Anyhow, I loved the story. It’s odd, clever, and makes a lot more sense in the end than it seems like it should. I’d recommend it to anyone who fancies Douglas Adams’ unique brand of nonsense.

I purchased my copy of this book.

This used to be one of my favorite books when I was 18 (that was more than a few years ago *cough* thirty something *cough*). I was definitely going through a ‘I love everything Douglas Adams’ phase at the time and while I still like this book because sometimes the ridiculousness of the plot and randomness of how everything happens is still so much fun I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did back then.

There are some great things in this. There is Dirk who is a funny and severely quirky character who is often very creative in his role as a holistic detective. I really do laugh at the odd way in which he sees the world and interacts with it.

--- “He had a tremendous propensity for getting lost when driving. This was largely because of his method of “Zen” navigation, which was simply to find any car that looked as if it knew where it was going and follow it. The results were more often surprising than successful, but he felt it was worth it for the sake of the few occasions when it was both.”

-- “When the girl sitting at the next table looked away for a moment, Dirk leaned over and took her coffee. He knew that he was perfectly safe doing this because she would simply not be able to believe that this had happened. He sat sipping at the lukewarm cup and casting his mind back over the day.”

While if I met him in real life I’d probably like to deck him, in the story I find his antics and musings completely fascinating and sometimes hilarious.

Some of the story seemed more like just random events to me this time through and while situationally funny I wasn’t sure how it all moved together sometimes. Thor having performance issues was entertaining as was Kate trying to figure out why right after she left the ticketing gate at Heathrow Airport did it blow un and what is with all the penguins in her subconscious.

-- “Insofar as she recognized at all that she was dreaming, she realized that she must be exploring her subconscious mind. She had heard it said that humans are supposed only to use about a tenth of their brains, and that no one was really clear what the other nine tenths were for, but she had certainly never heard it suggested that they were used for storing penguins.”

Adams wrote some wonderful jokes throughout the story but now that I’ve read so many more books I see where there are some real pacing problems and the actual story is a bit lackluster overall, but the jokes are great.

Even though this isn’t as great as I once remembered it being I still so love to dive into this type of humor from time to time and just give into the improbability and impossibility of it all.

What is there to say about a Douglas Adams book? He is absolutely one of my favorite (if not my favorite full stop) authors. His novels are really everything I approve of in a novel. They are fast paced and easy to read (even if is one was a little on the short side) and they are laugh out loud funny. They are good sci-fi but they should be enjoyable to almost everyone who simply likes a funny story.

If you have not yet discovered Douglas Adams I can not recommend strongly enough that you get copies of everything he has read and start reading.

As for this book in particular if you liked the whole Gods living among us theme I would strongly recommend that you check out "Gods Behaving Badly" by Marie Phillips it has a lot more of that kind of thing. I do not know if Marie read this book but the similarities are such that it would not surprise me to learn that in part she got the idea for "Gods Behaving Badly" from this book.

I truly enjoyed reading Douglas Adams' "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul." That is, right until I finished it. Up to that point, I had been prepared to give it at least a 4 star rating. But, the ending just fizzles. Perhaps it does more than fizzle. It just disappears. Instead of an ending that would tie everything up nicely and cleverly like everything else in the book, Adams ends the book at the last minute by, basically, throwing up his hands and quitting. All he needed was a couple more pages where he could have dumped the "Hot Potato" into the lap of the responsible parties and all would have been well. Instead, he just... stops. The ending reminds me of how badly he destroyed the Hitchhiker series with the miserable Mostly Harmless. I'm so angry with the ending that I'd like to rate the book at 1 star. But, rationally, I really enjoyed 99.9% of the book. So, I'm splitting the difference and rating it at an OK 3 stars out of 5.

Douglas Adams is just an amazing author and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul proves it. I thought that this was one of his finest works and I have read it at least three times. This story gets much deeper than his other works I couldn’t put the book down. Douglas Adams is a funny witty author and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul has an over-the top plot. I really connected to this book and it left me in stitches.

I am a little late to the Doug Adams party. This is the third book I have read by him and he is now firmly placed in my list of favorite authors. I read the first Dirk Gently book. I enjoyed it but I have to say this book is much better. I was about half way into this book and took a break. I thought about what had occurred so far in the tale. I occurred to me how ridiculous some of the characters actions were and how masterful his storytelling is that I hadn't stop to say to myself “what an absurd situation!” He does a great job telling a story that can be enjoyed at face value but also provide a deeper statement on the modern human condition (without beating you over the head). Reading some of the other reviews I am not the first to draw a comparison on Tea-time and American Gods. Seeing ancient god struggle to find a place in modern society provides an interesting juxtaposition. I had to reread the ending a few times to figure out exactly what happens. Throughout the book I thought I would find out why the book is entitled “The long dark teatime of the soul.” While it wasn't revealed, after reading the book I have a few theories on the meaning (besides just being silly and fun to say.) Dirk Gently sounds more like a porn star name than the name of a holistic detective, I would recommend him to anyone who finds themselves embroiled in a cosmic mystery that needs to be solving! Definitely worth the library late fees I incurred due to taking my time starting the book!

I know that I read "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency", but that was a long time ago, and while I remember that I enjoyed it, I don't remember any details about the story. So, in a sense, I was getting to meet this character again for the first time. Dirk Gently is not your ordinary private detective. For one thing, he believes that things that can't possibly happen are far more likely to actually happen than those that are merely improbable. And the events that occur around him seem to corroborate that position. The story here, such as it is, involves the dual mysteries of a mysterious beheading (attributed to suicide by the local police!) and an explosion at an airline ticket counter, which is labeled an "act of God", which it indeed was. As Dirk stumbles blindly, hoping that he'll stagger his way into solving these mysteries, he finds himself drawn into a divine conflict between the old Norse gods, who find themselves irrelevant in a world that no longer believes in them.

This book seems to serve mostly as a vehicle for some slapstick humor and absurdly comical scenes, but really fails to provide a compelling narrative. The conclusion feels a bit forced and some elements of the story seem to just be tacked on as a whim, without really adding anything to the story. The result is a moderately entertaining light read, but not nearly as satisfying at the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", which provided some deeply biting satire to leaven the story.

When Dirk Gentlys' Holistic Detective Agency was first published back in 1987 I was hugely disappointed after thoroughly enjoying the Hitchhikers Guide series. Like many, I absolutely fell in love with Douglas Adams magnificent sci-fi/humor series and Gently just seemed so bland in comparison. Having reread the book a year or so ago I have learned to appreciate its subtle humor and wry wit but it still pales when held next to the five part trilogy. I've owned The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul since not long after it was first published but I can't honestly say whether I ever read it until now. Personally I enjoyed it more than the previous book and it's a shame that the series wasn't continued but I suspect it was a result of the lukewarm reaction it was getting from the public even as it sold well. Dirk Gently was likely a victim of Adams own towering achievement as Hitchhiker fans did exactly what I did which was compare the two series with Gently coming in a distant second. Besides the underrated `Mostly Harmless' Tea Time is the last solo effort novel from Douglas Adams which in my humble opinion is one of the great tragedies of literature.

Douglas Adams certainly isn't the first to write a detective story but his may be the first one with a detective so clumsy, doughy and often irritating. What sets Dirk apart is his belief in the interconnectedness of all things hence the `Holistic' Detective Agency. Dirk takes Occam's razor and turns it on its head assuming that the most impossible scenario is the most plausible. Normally this would be a recipe for disaster but in Douglas Adams crazy world assuming the impossible is Dirk's ace in the hole. In this case the impossibility that the large Norseman carrying a hammer that happened to be at the epicenter of a freakish explosion in an airport just might be the God of Thunder, Thor.

I have no idea why Douglas Adams quit writing solo books but it may be because he was working in the very large shadow of his own previous success. `So Long and Thanks For All the Fish' was a literary disaster and `Mostly Harmless' was poorly received although in my opinion much better than people give it credit for. Dirk Gently would have had to have been a homerun to really be embraced and the two books simply are not. They are merely very good. The other problem was that the act of writing itself seemed to cause Adams considerable angst and sometimes it felt like he ended a book just to stop his anguish. Unfortunately this book has that feel to it.

As stated above the weakest part of the book is the ending which was often Douglas Adams Achilles heal. In the Long Dark Tea Time he sets up quite a few intriguing plot threads but when they are all tied together at the end it seems just a bit too contrived as if he couldn't come up with a good ending and so he went with the best he could given the publishing deadlines. The ending is better than the previous Gentry entry but that's not saying a lot since the ending of the first book was an incoherent mess. In terms of quality I would put the Long Dark Tea Time well ahead of So Long and Thank For All the Fish, ahead of the Holistic Detective Agency but weaker than the other four Hitchhiker books. For me the big payoff in a novel in the ending and no matter how well written the rest of the book is a messy ending means the readers last impression is less than positive. This is one of the books I recommend with a caveat that you keep your expectations in check. It's certainly possible that you might find the ending to be brilliantly creative. What's wonderful about Douglas Adams is that even when his writing isn't his best he still keeps it light and entertaining with the possible exception of Thanks for all the Fish and *ahem* the ending of Mostly Harmless.

I usually start my reviews with a brief summary, but in this case it's rather difficult since Douglas Adam's books tend to defy any attempts to summarize them. However, here goes: Dirk Gently (last seen in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) has been commissioned by a client to protect him from a huge green-eyed monster with a scythe. More interested in the money than in Mr Anstey's will to survive, Dirk arrives late for their appointment and discovers his client's house crawling with police-officers. Mr Anstey himself is sitting in front of a stereo-system, with his head revolving around on a record turn-table. The guilt kicks in, and Dirk decides to do for Mr Anstey in death what he couldn't do for him in life, and investigate the goings-on.

Meanwhile, Kate Schechter is receiving strong signals from the universe that she shouldn't be traveling to Norway, all of which accumulate in the check-in desk at the airport blowing up. It is labeled by the papers as "an Act of God," but unbeknownst to the journalists who wrote such a headline...that *exactly* what it is. To be more specific, it's the act of Thor, God of Thunder, who just wants to go home. When the paths of Dirk and Kate converge, the two of them swap stories - stories that by this stage involve secret contracts, electronic I Ching devices, a transmogrified eagle, best-selling books that aren't any good, creepy nursing homes, clean linen, a shifty lawyer, and an old refrigerator that nobody opens. Only Dirk's ideology that everything in the universe is in somewhat interconnected with everything else (you've probably all heard of the old "Butterfly Effect" theory by now) can possibly make heads or tails of all this.

It's dense and complex read, but also very, very funny (how often do you find *that* combination?) Right from the start, when Adams points out that airports are designed to be both ugly and confusing: ("some attain a degree of ugliness that can only be the result of a special effort,") the book has plenty to poke fun at, from the recesses of the human mind, to the bad smell of hospitals, to one-sided telephone conversations along these lines: "Sometimes unusually intelligent and sensitive children can sometimes appear to be stupid. But, Mrs Benson, stupid children can sometimes appear to be stupid as well."

There are also intriguing glimpses into the human psyche, such as Kate's musings that "people who needed to bully you were the easiest to push around," or the fact that Dirk knows he can get away with stealing a woman's coffee because "she would simply not be able to believe that this had happened." And I loved this, when Dirk runs into a cyclist, who: "cursed and swore at him form a moral high ground that cyclists alone seem able to inhabit." Ha! How does he KNOW?! Okay, I'd better stop quoting chucks of the book at you...I hardly ever do that in my reviews, but there are so many gems to choose from!

Basically, the plot is based around the doings of the god Odin and his wayward and bad-tempered son Thor. Though you don't need to be particularly versed in Norse mythology to know what's going on, the names and places may resonant with you more strongly if you have a vague knowledge of it (and I'll take the opportunity of this aside to throw in a recommendation for Diana Wynne Jones' Eight Days of Luke, which also speculates on the contemporary lives of Norse gods). There is a sense of poignancy to the proceedings when we learn that the gods were created by humanity's desire for them to exist - but now that no-one believes in them, their immortal lives stretch onwards in near-destitution.

As others have mentioned, the ending is quite opaque and as you read the cryptic plot, a lot of deciphering needs to be done. Nothing is spelt out and it takes a bit of time (and possibly a re-read) in order to understand exactly what's happened and why. Some aspects are made clear by the end of the book, some are gradually realized after you ponder them for a bit, and others I'm still scratching my head over. Although I don't think that Adams should have pandered to the lowest common denominator, I also think that just a *little* more explanation would have gone a long way.

But as it stands, everything in this book means something. So read carefully.

I enjoyed it... somewhat. The writing was clever and fun (as one might expect from Douglas Adams). It was the ending that felt rushed and ultimately left everything feeling somewhat pointless,,, maybe that was the point after all. After spending time with a story I want a pay off and I didn't get one here.

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.

I must admit that I have not read the precusor to the Dirk Gently series, but do not feel that this put me at a loss in reading this novel. Douglas Adams has developed an entire world within a world that makes little sense but is smashing fun (if a little confusing to read). "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" is a fast-paced mystery filled with humor, satire, and the kitchen refrigerator.

A mysterious accident occurs at Heathrow Airport in which a check-in desk and its attendent disappear in a ball of flame. Without any other reason, the occurence is written off as an act of God. But the question remains as to which god would do such a thing. It is up to Dirk Gently, holistic detective, to try to uncover the mystery that spans two worlds and gods among mortals. If only he can figure out what that has to do with his recently decapitated client as he embarks on the most miserable day of his life.

"The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" can be initially confusing since Adams skips between two characters' narrations and the storyline is far-fetched, to say the least. But the story all comes together in the end, perhaps a little too quickly and summarily, to solve the mystery and ensure that the immortals are in their right place and not messing in the affairs of humans. The plot is wickedly brillant; a refreshing escape from the mundane.

I don't have much time, but I love Douglas Adams' humor, wit, imagination, and style. First discovering him as a teen honestly altered the way I thought, wrote, and my sense of humor. It's been that way so long now I can't even remember what i was like before. I personally feel the man is one-of-a-kind and damn-near a genius. If you aren't familiar with his stuff, I'd say you're missing out. His style may not be for some folks, but it's perfect for me. I started on the Hitchhiker books and loved them, despite not being a big science fiction fan. This is a nice departure from that. I actually bought this for a gift for someone who hadn't read Adams ever and they enjoyed it too. Adams is my favorite author, and I wish he was still around to bless us with his loveliness.

THE LONG, DARK TEA TIME is a surprisingly different detective novel in which the hero, Dirk Gently, suffers from a number of humorous personality quirks. Dirk refuses to open his refrigerator, follows cars that seem to know when they're going when he's lost, and prefers to consider impossible scenarios over highly improbable ones. He also has a penchant for taking things that aren't his... although no matter how badly things seem to be going for him, he always seems to manage to end up in the right place at the right time. And perhaps this is the greatest lesson that Dirk Gently has to share.

I laughed out loud so often while reading LONG DARK TEA TIME that I cried, and found myself reading and re-reading passages to savor them again and again. Douglas Adams is truly a master story teller, even when dealing with a plot that ping-pongs back and forth between two main character who are coping with extremely unusual (and dare I say impossible) situations. Keeping track of the plot was challenging at times, but well worth the effort.

I highly recommend this book, and now plan to make sure I read everything Adams has written!

I have read all the volumes of THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE. In fact, I've read all of DNA's books including his nonfiction such as THE DEEPER MEANING OF LIFF and LAST CHANCE TO SEE. Of all the books, THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL is by far my favorite. I must add, there is no piece of fiction that I have read as many times as THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL.
Why would a person read this novel more that once? First, it is hilarious! The dialogs and interaction among the characters are well honed. This description of airports on the first couple of pages will induce everyone to continue reading. Second, the story and the underlying theoretical principles that guide the novel are quite complex. Thus, a person can read this novel ten times and still undercover an unanticipated wrinkle that sheds new light on the plot and subplots. Third, from an academic perspective, Dirk Gently employs an "ecological system model" as the centerpiece of his investigative tools. Gently's worldview represents an extreme form of a theory that student's commonly learn in college. Teaching the theoretical principles of the ecological system model is a stuffy and arduous enterprise. However, using Dirk Gently as an example opens the door for understanding among many college students. Back in 1991, I emailed DNA about how I was using his novel in class. He replied and was pleased with my efforts.
I love this book and feel sad that I will not have the pleasure reading more of DNA's work.

A check-in counter at London's Heathrow Airport spontaneously explodes in a ball of flame, and is ruled by the authorities as "an act of God." As it turns out, the explosion was an act of *a* god---Thor, the God Of Thunder, trying to catch a plane to Oslo, Norway. But why would an almighty god be trying to catch a plane flight in the first place? Enter holistic detective Dirk Gently to solve the mystery....The second and, sadly, final "Dirk Gently" book written by the late, great Douglas Adams, "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a hysterically funny book, and a major improvement over the decent but unspectacular first book, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," which certainly had it's funny moments, but was too long (and long-winded) and confusing. This time around, Adams' writing is a LOT sharper & funnier, and he keeps the book excellently paced. And the character of Dirk Gently really grows here---he's much more concise and focused, and he doesn't ramble on and on about his philosophical views & methods of detective work as he did in the first book. "Long Dark Tea Time" contains many outrageously funny scenes---Dirk's dilemma with his old refridgerator, and his surprising encounter with a young boy watching TV are both particularly memorable---and great characters, too, not only Dirk Gently but also the spunky American girl Kate Schechter, Thor the hot-headed God Of Thunder, and the vile creature named Toe Rag. The story is clever, moves along nicely, and, if I haven't made it clear enough, is very, very funny.I'm saddened that Douglas Adams never got around to writing a third "Dirk Gently" book, as I would've loved to have read further adventures of this most oddball of detectives. But at least Adams wrote a pair of them, and "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a fabulously hilarious book that can proudly sit right alongside Adams' very best "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" books, in particular volumes 1, 2 and 4. "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is classic Douglas Adams all the way.

I read "Tea Time of the Soul" after finishing its predecessor novel, "Holistic Detective Agency." Of the 2 books, I preferred Holistic Detective Agency, which I felt was better written or, overall, a bit more lucid...to this reader anyway. Dirk Gently is just an outstanding literary character and how I would love to see a movie or (perish the thought) a cable series with the haplessly insightful Dirk as the central character...oh what an ongoing adventure that would be!

Other reviews and shared experiences tell a prospective reader about the decline and fall of the old Norse gods, of pacts made with the dark side; and, of seemingly incongruous happenings; however, in typically brilliant Douglas Adams fashion, super sleuth, Dirk Gently, is able to piece it together and make whole cloth....and, the author's imagination and talent enables the reader to see the story as the book is being read. No mean feat, actually.

Still, "Tea Time of the Soul" struck me as being a bit less cohesive in its parts than "Holistic Detective Agency,"...a bit more "work" seems required of the reader to maintain some semblance of flow. In particular, Tea Time's conclusion left me with whether I had missed something in the events and process leading up thereto...overall, quite the enjoyable experience. I would strongly recommend reading "Holistic Detective Agency" first, as it will give an enjoyable foundation for the amazing holistic detective, Dirk Gently, who, btw, as I write this, is reminiscent of Peter Seller's infamous Inspector Clousseou (sp?) of Pink Panther fame. Thank you Douglas Adams wherever you are!

I did not enjoy this one as much as "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency". I do have to say that Douglas Adams is an incredible writer and I have enjoyed all of his books. His has a wonderful sense of humor and is very intelligent, and it shows through in his Dirk Gently series. Like the first book, the story starts out with several story lines developing and slowly coming together for a climactic ending. It's up to Dirk Gently to solve the mystery of his late clients death and the mysterious explosion in London's Heathrow Airport that was deemed an "act of God". I was left feeling rather dissatisfied by the ending. I didn't understand why some things happened that did, and was left feeling confused and unfulfilled. However, I do not think that this is because of the book itself, but rather that perhaps I didn't devote the attention to this book that it deserves and requires. It has a very intricate plot and was very thought provoking. I will be re-reading this book to better my understanding of it, and I would love to see more of Dirk Gently in the future.

This book was a bit of a disappointment. Good by most standards, but below Adams' median.

The second (and final) book in the Dirk Gently series, it has little to do with the first book except the Dirk character himself. The storyline, however, remains larger-than-life:

"So far he had taken no real interest in the strange incident at the airport, but now it demanded his attention. The explosion was now officially designated an `Act of God.' But, thought Dirk, what god? And why?"

As always, Adams includes zany humor (see the I Ching calculator, which computes anything above 4 as "A Suffusion of Yellow"). Still, particularly in his later writings like this one, Adams begins subtly layering social commentary into his work. This gives the piece depth, but perhaps due partly to the fact that I disagree with his notions of God, it ruins much of the fun.

This book was also a bit darker than most of his works (with a severed head revolving on a record player and an older woman threatening suicide).

It gave me a few chuckles, but no real laugh-out-loud moments--especially as the book progressed. It was enjoyable, but I'd read Adams' other works over this one

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.

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.

Actually an improvement over the first Dirk Gently, the stakes not being so high improves the telling of the tale. Whereas the Hitchhiker ultimately disappointed in the last book, Dirk seems to improve and increase. Why Douglas has neglected him since then I wish I knew! There is an odd disjointed beauty in the overall structure, details such as the mental ward Dirk visits, the mystery of Harold Bell, the truck driver followed by a lovesick rain cloud stick in the mind. I found the tape version cleared up some of the more British details (the eagle with RAF marks on its wings, for example) without distracting from the whole. The only writer who seems to whet my appetite for more Adams isthe Japanese Haruki Murakami, who may have drunk from the same spring as Adams. But its not the same! Will Dirk ever solve the mystery of what happened to Fenchurch, from Hitchhikers? Mrsmishima

There are not many things that will cheer me up faster than a Douglas Adams book. And this book is just so much fun. If you give up any attempt to connect the dots before Adams reveals them you will enjoy this book so much more.

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul is a mostly enjoyable book in Douglas Adams typical style, but it is uncharacteristically soul-less. The book begins, as books are wont to do, by introducing us to a cast of seemingly unconnected characters living seemingly unconnected lives filled with seemingly unconnected events. As the book progresses, these characters, their aforementioned lives, and the aforementioned events come together in strange and mostly interesting ways. The story moves along well enough until near the end. As I read, I eventually reached a point where there were very few pages left to read, and there was still a great deal of explaining left to do. At this point I suspected that the book would end with either; A) A less than adequate explanation for the plot points, or; B) A great deal of explanation jammed into the remaining few pages. Sadly, it turned out to be both. I would like to be able to recommend this work based on the first 7/8ths of the book. But, the final 1/8th of the book goes a long way toward overwhelming the preceeding pages with a hurried, splotchy, and unsatisfying climax. I rarely feel that any book could benefit from actually being longer, but that is indeed the case with Adams' TLDTTOTS. It seems as if the author reached a certain point in the writing process, then lost interest in the project, and wrapped it up as quickly as possible, throwing quality to the wind. If you like Douglas Adams other works, you will probably like this one. If you're not an Adams fan, the ending will leave you feeling decaffinated.

Humans only use about 10% of their brain power. Ever wonder what the other 90% is used for? Douglas Adams answers this and other random facts of life in this novel. Norse gods vs. lawyers, an opening sentence about the futility of airports, harmless explosions and green monsters hiding behind a molecule are all a part of this, one of Adams better novels.
The only detractions from this novel are the occasionally confusing plot and the end which does not quite satisfy in the manner that the beginning did. Overall this novel will make you laugh, which is all you would expect, or want, of Douglas Adams.

Adams has the ability to take a seemingly ridiculous idea and, with words, massage our brains into believing that, yes, this is probable - and not only probable but the only likely explanation of the way the real world works. An author with this kind of genius needs to be read, enthusiastically and often. This book, along with all of his other works, are rare treasures that should be savored, over and over. He is the mint in the mist, the perfume of our memories, the sirens' song in our morning coffee. Don't miss this book!

Enjoyable. Not quite as good as his"Last Hitchhiker" series, but that same kind of wonderfully English sense of humor. I liked it better than "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" where the plot got too improbable even for me.

The dry wit of Douglas Adams is everlasting. I was a huge fan of his hitchhikers series, but didn't think I would enjoy this. I am glad I gave it a try. This is a great read. Loads of fun. Laugh out loud funny. And, if you're geeky enough, quotable.

My suggestion to you: Use zen driving until you wind up at a bookstore (or in front of your computer) and get a copy.

Summary:
Unlike Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, this book focuses much more on Dirk Gently and his 'detective' efforts. Dirk is hired by Geoff Anstey to do 'something' relating to Mr. Anstey's contract selling his soul to a demon from another dimension. When Dirk remembers that he is supposed to be helping Geoff Anstey and heads towards his home he ends up finding Mr. Anstey's head separated from his body. As are all things in Dirk Gently's world, this job is interconnected with the bolt of lightening that destroyed a service desk at Heathrow airport a few days before. As it turns out, a disgruntled potential passenger who turns out to be the Norse god Thor was so upset by the mistreatment he was receiving that he called a bolt of lightning from the sky to destroy the service desk (a very literal 'act of god'). Though Thor was frustrated by the airline employee, Kate Schechter, an American journalist, actually tried to help him out leading to him wanting her help later on. Well, Kate and Dirk are sucked into a an adventure revolving around the selling of the Norse gods power by their king, Odin, to an advertising executive and a lawyer that happen to live next door to Geoff Anstey. Everything is interconnected in Douglas Adams novels.
My Comments:
The book is hilarious (though not quite as funny as the Hitchiker's Guide). I liked the fact that the focus was on Dirk Gently and we were even more exposed to his bizarre antics. Also, though it is never actually specified, it is hard to distinguish whether or not this book takes place before or after the first book in the series (I believe it takes place before). The only thing I felt was left unresolved, though Adams's resolutions are typically one to two pages and sometimes leaving you wanting, was what happened to Geoff Anstey's son who was spellbound and remarkably violent in his TV watching. Perhaps it was just meant to be funny, but it seemed like it should have more of a role in the book. Other than that small distraction, the book actually tends to stay mostly on track (other than Kate's trip to the mental hospital and the characters she meets there).
As is the case with most of Adams's work, if you like it, you like it. And, I would submit, this could actually be a good introductory book for someone that would like to become familiar with Adams's work. Great book; lots of fun.

In this book we follow Dirk Gently on another crazy adventure. This is the second book in the series, the first being Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I'd recommend to read the books in the correct order (I think the character introduction of Dirk Gently is better in the first book). Also, the story here seems to me to be a bit more complex than the first one.

If it's your first book from this author, don't take this one. Then the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy is the one you want (witch is also a series consisting of 5 books). If, after reading that, you've become a fan, then the Dirk Gently-series is definitely for you!

Much can be said of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, most of it rather meaningless. After all, how many detective stories have a very dirty refrigerator as the key to the mystery and a detective with an 8th sense? The world of the gods has been drastically altered, and the realm of humanity has been adversely affected. Only one man can save both. Dirk Gently, super-sleuth. As is typical of Douglas Adams's genius, a series of seemingly meaningless and unrelated events turn out to be tremendously important...to the story anyway. Dirk has to relate all of these events to find out what is wrong, and an eagle following him down a street has a goodly amount of anger towards him, causing even more problems. Other...interesting (for lack of a better word) situations confront Dirk while on his quest, including car accidents, a man who had his head cut off and placed on a record player, and navigating a massive party thrown by the gods themselves. The situations, and the dialogue, keep the reader interested, as you end up asking yourself, "What the hell is going on?" Of course, they are also extremely funny. A rather interesting example, when Dirk is talking to Kate, a person nearly killed when the check-in desk at Heathrow Airport explodes, follows. Kate: "Well, this name here is Dennis Hutch, isn't it? See?" Dirk: "Oh, yes. Yes I do. Er, should I know that name?" Kate: "Well, it depends if you're alive or not, I suppose. He's the head of the Aries Rising Record Group. Less famous than the Pope, I grant you, but--you know of the Pope, I take it?" Dirk: "Yes, yes. White haired chap." Kate: "That's him. He seems to be the only person of note this envelope hasn't been addressed to at some time. Here's Stan Dubcek, the head of Dubcek, Danton, Heidegger, Draycott. I know they handle the ARRGH! account." Dirk: "The--?" Kate: "ARRGH! Aries Rising Record Group Holdings. Getting that account made the agency's fortunes." The entire book is full of these crazy, yet meaningful conversations. Put together, they make for a very good mystery, and a humorous one at that (yes, the conversation about the dirty refrigerator does have meaning, the first one with his secretary). Perhaps the greatest achievement of this book is the skill at which Douglas Adams creates situations that show how stupid humans can be, and how callous we are. Although there is not nearly as much of this as in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (also very funny) series, the ideas make you think, the universal trademark of a great book. They can be hard to identify, but they are there, if one looks hard enough. The above is why I like this book. It has real meaning, and it is very entertaining to read, something that can not be said of many books. I can honestly say that there is nothing that I dont like about this book. I would recommend it to anyone, especially to those who have a sense of humor that has been dulled by the daily routine of life. They will benefit most.

This book, and its predecessor "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency", are heavily under-rated due to the major success of the Hitch Hiker "trilogy" by Douglas Adams. But in a way, they're the better ones. Especially this one.
I won't bother telling the story, because frankly I cannot. Now, I've been reading this book in about monthly intervals for years, but I still find something new each time, and I still have trouble keeping track of the story. Don't let that keep you, though. Yes, it *is* mildly confusing, but it all works out after a couple of times of reading, and it's great fun from first time, page one. Besides, it's worth the effort: there's many a topic for an evening of thinking in there.
But that's not what you buy it for.
Then there's the business of the Norse Gods walking the Earth, just like your average John Smith. Sort of. Thor naturally makes more of a nuisance of himself, but anyway, the notion of everything that the human race ever chose to believe in being true, and staying true long after we've ceased to need it to be true as well, is an astonishingly moving one. "Immortals was what you wanted, and immortals was what you got", complains one of them bitterly. And rightly so. What would you do if you were an immortal, omnipotent being whom no-one believes in anymore? Chances are, you'd sell your immortal soul to appear in a soft-drink commercial. Once you accept the fantasy part of it, it all snaps in place with logical precision, and even going to Asgard becomes an accepted way to spend the evening.
But that's also not what you buy it for.
The most outstandingly entertaining thing about the book is, of course, the humour, which is more like what you buy it for. Douglas Adams is an expert for making a pun in a couple of words and leave you laughing longer, and louder, than many other humourists could in an entire page. The incredible lightness of it all is only apparent if you ever tried to write humourous stuff yourself, and thus know how hard that is. No wonder that there are so precious few books from this author. And no wonder that many try to emulate him, and fail.
Still, this isn't entirely comedy, and that's a good thing, too. Yes, the Hitch Hiker books give a couple of insights into Life, the Universe and Everything as well -- but the Gently books give more of it, and more practically applicable examples of it, even to those of you who know where their towels are.
One of my favourite examples is the way that one of the (mortal) key characters, Kate Schechter, explains how her name is spelled: "Two E's, two C's, two H's, and also a T, an R and an S. Provided they're all there, the bank won't be fuzzy about the order they come in -- they never seem to know themselves." Okay, it's funny, but there's more to it than that: it's the kind of humour you can only really understand with a name like hers -- or mine --, which makes me wonder how someone with an instantly spellable name like Douglas Adams, of all people, found out about it.
All in all, this is everything you could want: Hugely entertaining, but in an intelligent way, and not boring however many times you take to it. A must-have-read!

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.

Adams once again brings his whimsical writing style to an absurd series of events, making for a hilarious ride. I heard someone say once that Adams works are usually classified as "young adult", but any age can enjoy his books. Also he mentions alcohol quite a lot for young adult books. Aside from some alcohol references (I'm sure his other books mention alcohol more than this one), the book is very family friendly (no gratuitous sex/violence). If you enjoyed the Hitchhiker's Trilogy than you'll love this book. It is the sequel to "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" so you'll be more familiar with Gently's character if you read that book first, but it's not imperative.

Like most, I became a fan of Douglas Adams through the "Hitchikers" books, as well as the radio and TV series. But this is my absolute favorite of his. I bought it in hardcover when it was first published, and was lucky enough to have it signed by him. It remains one of my favorite books to this day. (Yes, this review is highly subjective and probably not all that helpful, and I apologize for that.)
There will never be another quite like Douglas Adams.

1.) If I had to summarize the plot of this book in three sentences, I would say that...It's a really funny sequel to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. This continues Dirk's adventures with new characters both from our world and Norse mythology. It's like mythology/mystery/comedy.

2.) The main themes in this book include...Some themes in this book related to Kate are alienation and her search for perfection because she keeps moving and doesn't really have a home.

3.) These themes relate/don't relate to my life because...I don't think these really relate to my life because I have only moved once and I was one year old. I don't really feel alienated.

4.)The main character of the story could be described as...eccentric...because...his actions are sometimes baffling and he does not act like most people.

5.) I would describe the author's writing style as...humorous. One quote from the book that illustrates this is..."It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression 'As pretty as an airport.'"

6.) My favorite scene was where...Dirk was talking to Sally Mills...because..the things he was saying were absurd and she was acting as if they were having a normal conversation.

7.) The climax of the story is exciting/dull because...It's exciting, like most mysteries, because you finally figure out what's going on.

8.) The ending of the story is satisfying-disappointing because...It's disappointing that the book's over, but I think the author wrapped it up well.

9.) If there were one question I would ask the author of this book, it would be...How do you think of these complex story lines?

10.) I would/wouldn't recommend this book to a friend because...I would because It's very smart and funny.

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!

I've always loved Norse Mythology, and the re-vamp Adams gives certain classic characters in this novel is absolutely spectacular. I love all Adams' works for different reasons - They're all ridiculous and wonderfully wacky, but the Dirk Gently books are a bit calmer and seem rather more thoughtful and less facetious than Hitchhiker's Guide.

Odin as an old man whose biggest character trait is pickiness about the state of his sheets, Thor as a thunder-hammer toting tough guy, these are just two of the marvelous cast of mythological creatures who inhabit this gem of a book. Imagine coming home to find a huge mythological Eagle tearing up your kitchen? Pretty funny, right? So . . . read this book, it's very much worth it.

Dirk Gently is back! Hooray! I enjoyed Tea-time almost as much as the Holistic Detective Agency but for one thing: It was very, very confusing. The first half of the book is creepy, funny, and really great. Adams is nearly at his best here. But the second half is more confusing. Now that I think about it, many things are left undone as well, unless I missed something, which I most likely did. Ah well. Read it anyway, just read it carefully and you should enjoy it.

He really got his non-Hitchhiker groove on here and wrote a thoroughly enjoyable, imaginative, and thought-provoking novel that will have you turning pages from start to finish. You don't even have to read the first Dirk Gently first if you don't want to. Just go grab this, dive in, and enjoy. I gave more words to the first one, but this one's better.

When Dirk Gently, not-so-master-detective, is on the case, who know what can happen? The story opens with an explosion in an airport. This introduces the female lead character and basis of the story. While moving through the story you learn that the old Norse Gods were actually real, but as their human believers dwindled, their powers became less and less. As a large scam between the most powerfull god, a human lawer, and an advitiser rocks the world of the gods, Dirk Gently must smooth everything out, or else the balence between the God's world and the human world will tip, and the angry Gods will run amuck!
While this story is supremely written, a couple parts need to be reread a couple times so you can follow the story line. Adam's familiar humor and observations are just a prevalent, and just as funny as always. If you like this twisted story line as a break from all the other predictable Fantasies, this book is for you!

This book definitely proved not to be a disappointment as a sequel. This book maintained the same sarcastic humor and odd coincidences that seem to fit in an extremely insane way. It dealt a lot more with gods and science fiction type stuff, so if the first book proves too sci-fi for you, don't even bother with the second. This book has definitely convinced me to paruse for more books by Douglas Adams.

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.

This, I believe, is one of the funniest books I have ever read. I think this may indeed rival Hitchhikers Guide. The style of humor is definitely different, so if you're expecting the same kind of thing, then you may be a bit let down. However, the more earthbound (or Asgard-bound) humor pulls you in. After a while, Adams goes on to throw the characters into some very strange situations, and the result is almost always hilarious (sometimes in a sick kinda way).
Plus, if you read the book, then the heading to my review will make sense.

This is the second of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently novels. The Dirk Gently series is overlooked, due to the success of the Hitchhiker's trilogies. However, this particular entry in the series, is as good as the last 3 Hitchhiker's books combined. For starters, it is so strange that you will understand it differently each time you read it. The story actually makes more sense than the first Dirk Gently novel but, do not ask me for a summary. You will think I've gone rather mad and the chance you can understand this book without reading it, is nonexistent. All the same, check it out.

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.

A great follow up to the first Dirk Gently book. This volume sees the return of this disheveled sleuth, and more of Adam's standard with and observational humor. Light and entertaining. Not quite as good as the first one, but a great read all the same. 4.5 stars.

this is yet another wonderous zany journey from Douglas

Adams. If you've ever wondered what humans do with all the brain matter they don't seem to use, what happens to gods when people stop believing in them, or whether it's possible to get pizza delivered in London, this book is for you. Same series as "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency", but I read this one first and the plot didn't suffer. Absolutely incredible.

Don't worry, you won't understand the title even after reading the book. Or maybe you will. Not really the point, though. The purpose of life, if there were such a thing, would include reading books such as this.

Personally I could not put this book down,if it wasn't for the fact that I had class I would have sat in my dorm and not stopped reading it until I was done.
I wish that there was a way to describe the plot of this book that would do it justice, but the simple fact is that there isn't. I tried to explain it to a friend but got the same confused look as I did when I tried to explain the Hitchhiker's Guide. Aside from the inexplicable nature of this book there is true genius in the characters and the holistic nature of everything in it. And as always Adams provides the reader with a plethora of quotes that you can use to impress your friends, or worry them as to your mental stability or lack there of.

Two things must be said:
(1) Douglas Adams shouldn't write sequels. "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "The Resteraunt at the End of the Universe" are equal in quality because they really comprise one book; later books in the series, the true sequels, rapidly go downhill. "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" was genuinely fresh and funny; the first sequel has gone downhill already. The book is NOT about Dirk Gently's holistic detective agency. At any rate, it oughtn't be. Strange things happen but no holistic explanation is to be found. Try Dirk Gently's Ad Hoc Detective Agency instead.
(PS: "The Meaning of Lif," another original work, is also worth acquiring.)
(2) Adams should start thinking up new titles that aren't pinched from the two hitch-hiker books mentioned above. Honestly! He might as well have a sticker on the cover saying, "No New Ideas".
The second star is awarded because Adams is still funny (although he was much funnier in the previous book), certainly more so than his immitator, Terry Pratchett. It's just that I've never seen him be funny in the service of so little.

I just started my Literature AP class, so i dont claim to know everything about good literature. But if your in the same boat as me, then you can trust me. Very confusing book, which is all part of the fun! Think about the title for a second, well, the title explain exactly what your in for when you read this book (except my tea-time wasnt too dark) The munedaness (if thats a word) of life, and how us humans take it for granted. Things like resting peacefully under linen sheets, or casually attending parties, these things are what make a person happy, and maybe a god too.... Very intelligent reading, i wouldnt sugest it for 2nd graders :)

I wanted to like this book, but there seemed to be so many words & pages that did not contribute to the story, in my opinion. I did think, though, that it had a satisfying ending, so that was good!

This is the first book by Douglas Adams that I've read and it won't be the last. The book starts out with a big explosion, which brings us to the main characters Kate, Dirk, Thor, and Odin. Kate was brought into the story by the explosion because almost seconds before she was trying to help Thor buy a ticket to Oslo. Thor is the son of Odin who acts like a child. Dirk is a private detective working on a case that deals with the gods. The book was hilariously funny, the deranged eagle, the street light thing, and Thor being glued to the floor were some of the more amusing things. Adams is a great author, who has a great vocabulary and an imaginative mind, but he writes kind of confusing so you have to read it more than once to get every detail.

I just started my Literature AP class, so i dont claim to know everything about good literature. But if your in the same boat as me, then you can trust me. Very confusing book, which is all part of the fun! Think about the title for a second, well, the title explain exactly what your in for when you read this book (except my tea-time wasnt too dark) The munedaness (if thats a word) of life, and how us humans take it for granted. Things like resting peacefully under linen sheets, or casually attending parties, these things are what make a person happy, and maybe a god too.... Very intelligent reading, i wouldnt sugest it for 2nd graders :)

This is the 2nd Dirk Gently novel and like the first it is good fun , with Adams trademark sense of humour. An explosion at Heathrow is called by the press an Act of God, and it turns out to be more than tabloid hyberbole, as Dirk Gently soon discovers.
The feel of the novel is reminiscient of Thorne Smith's 'The Night Life of the Gods'. But although Adam's style is always enjoyable, the novel seems a little thin; all wit and little substance. Given Adams notorious bouts with writer's block maybe his publishers were unwilling to wait for it to be properly polished.

This is my favorite book. I've read it more than several times, and I still laugh out loud and look forward to scenes, characters and lines. I enjoy other books, sometimes once, sometimes more, and there are more consistent authors, but this book stand above them. Taken as a light fantasy or a commentary on corruption, it works.

Douglas Adams' reading of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is truly engaging. The problem with this audio book is two-fold:
1. None of the tracks has any text-encoding. This means that devices that read this information cannot use or display the CD names or track names. So, an iTunes won't read any CD or track names. Nor will any CD player that can show track names.
2. CD #6 of the set repeats the same scene over and over, without ever reaching the ending.

New Millenium Audio destroyed a perfectly enjoyable performance with its poor mastering of the CD.

There were funny parts in this story, but they were few and far between, and the plot was intersting on those few occasions when it actually made any sense. The plot is very confusing and takes more than one read-through to understand, but I found the book too boring to re-read, so while reading the book my thoughts were, "When am I going to get to another funny part?" and upon finishing it, "Oh. Okay." To summarize, the plot is too convoluted and boring to be a good mystery, and not funny enough to be good humor.

This is a great book by Douglas Adam's - a work of certifiable genius. My one star review is not for the book itself - which is excellent - but for the poor release of this CD set. Read on for an explanation...

Beware when ordering this 6-CD edition by New Millenium Audio. There is a problem with CD 6 - something went wrong with the mastering process and some of the passages are repeated 2 or 3 times (the bit where Thor & Kate meet the old lady in a shack) - which means that you end up missing the last couple of chapters of the original book!

This is a terrible mistake by the publisher and ruins the ending, because the whole of it is missing thanks to an error which should have been spotted.

I have 2 copies of this set, and they both have the same mastering problem, which leads me to assume that it is not an isolated case.

Buyer beware!

Hopefully, a new version will appear eventually which sorts this out.

The first time I read this book, I hardly could understand anything about it, and I left it, pining for the old Dirk Gently. But I picked it up again a month ago, and when I reread it, I loved it. I got more of the jokes and I finally figured out most of the plot. It's not his best, but it's pretty funny. And if you like this book, read Ye Gods! by Tom Holt. Very close premise, except with Greek Gods.

many of douglas adams' works (the entire hitchhiker's saga and the dirk gently novels). this is not one of his best works, but definitely worth reading. if you want an introduction to douglas adams, i would recommend starting with the "hitchhikers guide to the galaxy" rather than this one. if you are already a douglas adams fan, you will want to read this one.

Yes, that's right. I also enjoyed this book. Once again, I didn't know what was going on at the beginning, but a bit into the book it all started to make sense. A lot of great funny moments in this one. I enjoyed every hour of reading I put into it (I'm a slow reader, but that just means I get to enjoy it longer :P). I'll definitely reread this one later on.

I just wanted to add (to all of the other reviews) that, while the Dirk Gently books may not be as hilarious as the Hitchhiker's book (and at times verge toward drama), I would say they are much more interesting. The plots are complicated to be sure, at times esoteric and puzzling, and you may even have to re-read, but I find it is well worth it. Fascinating.

I love Douglas Adams, and I love to hear his recordings of his books.
I like The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul well enough to have worn out my audio tapes.
I bought the CD version, but disk 6 is a messed up recording. It starts repeating parts and pieces of the same chapter over and over and never gets to the end of the book. The end of the story is not included on the last disk. I am not the only one to have found it so. You will be left hanging.

Still odd, this private investigator.

This is much of a muchness with the last book, but the act wears thing after having it done the first time around. Dirk still has dodgy fridge hygiene. The plot if you want to call it that this time has to do with a possible deity, some blowing up of stuff including people, and an annoying album also features.

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-.

This book is fun to read if you enjoy Adams's writing style and wit. The characters are enjoyable and the concept is clever. I have read this book several times for pleasure. But, I have to admit that the ending is lame. I will not spoil it I just want to warn fans not to expect a great ending - just enjoy the ride.

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul is my favourite of Adams' Hitchhikers trilogy of four. I've had it put on and plucked off my shelf countless times and each read is as enjoyable as the first if not better.
I found Adams' wit, insight and preceptions throughly entertaining, utterly hilarious, brilliantly creative and even thought provoking.
This is a book to own and to be reread through your life.

Douglas Adams' reading of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is truly engaging. The problem with this audio book is two-fold:

1. None of the tracks has any text-encoding. This means that devices that read this information cannot use or display the CD names or track names. So, an iTunes won't read any CD names or track names, nor will any CD player that can show CD names or track names.

2. CD #6 of the set repeats the same scene over and over, without ever reaching the ending.

New Millenium Audio destroyed a perfectly enjoyable performance with its poor mastering of the CD.

His best ever. Thor is amazingly depicted running through the planet earth in a most charming and wildly whimsical manner. Dirk Gently was introduced to me in this book and is my favorite fiction character in over 20 years of reading fiction. Simply Brilliant!

I loved this book because it's kind of freaky and strange but also focused and, well, funny. Sometimes the book got really REALLY weird but still somehow logic in his special way. The book is recommended to all the fantasy lovers who like good british humor and a little bit Scandinavian mythology.
READ IT!!!

Then please take yourself to a doctor-as you have lost your sense of humor! This book is amazingly funny-I found myself laughing out loud in several places-and getting funny looks in the process, but I didn't care. This book is fantastic, and I believe that it is Douglas Adam's best ever.

I read this book about 10 years ago and all my friends who were technical writers liked it. We practiced moving our heads ever so slightly to try and slip between the molecules. Well, we were much younger then and lunch hours were much longer.

A good yarn with a sprinkling of wit and attention to detail in linking everyone together and tying up loose ends by the end of the book. Not his best but a good read as long as you like a spot of fantasy and intrigue.

For fans of his Hitchhiker series, you won't be disappointed! Laugh out loud funny with a twist of science fiction. Something here for everyone. Buy this book or you will never know what is...Douglas Adams.

Of all the Adams books...and I have read the lot several times over, this one is THE BEST!!! I never get tired of re-reading this one. About the only thing I hate about Douglas Adams is that he had to go and die on us! 'So long Doug . . . rip mate and thanks!'

The book itself is typically entertaining except for a horrendous glitch with the recording meaning that the last CD repeats the first few tracks ad nauseum and the book never ends. ARRRRGH. Basically it should be withdrawn from sale and rectified. Don't buy it!!!

After the appalling "Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency", (mostly recycled from an unfinished Dr. Who script Adams wrote), we have the Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. Possibly the worst novel Adams has written, (although the last two HitchHikers books are pretty bad), it has no redeemming features whatsoever. Duff, duff, duff.

It pains me to write it, but this book was bad. I thoroughly enjoy most of Douglas Adams' work especially the Hitchhiker's series. Unfortunately, he missed the mark with this book. I personally believe Adams wanted this book to be very funny, ala, the Hitchhiker books (others disagree), since it was: strike one. The storyline was quite complex, which would be fine, but I'm not 100% certain this is what Adams was trying to do: strike two. Finally, Dirk Gentry just is not equal to Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect (Hitchhiker's main characters) in terms of full, colorful characters, the final strike. Maybe it was my high expectations after reading the Hitchhiker series, which I found incredibly entertaining at 14, 24 and 34 years of age (for different reasons).

If a book is defined as merely a bound set of pages with words upon them, then this garbage could be considered a book. By any other definition, this is merely a rectangle. A worthless, pointless, patently unfunny, string of sentences that have little to do with story telling and nothing to do with entertainment.

Two whole pages on which bath salts to use? Long descriptions on how the light skitters across a room? Ten pages about how horrible Dirk's refrigerator is? Most pages are filled with pointless words about some random item that has no purpose toward the almost non-existent storyline.

Calling the characters two dimensional would be a stretch. They have no dimensions. They don't even resemble human beings. A pizza obsessed New Yorker? A teenager who punches anyone who turns off the TV? A horribly bad PI with no money and no client who falls into a series of random events that happen to be connected then solves it by practically tripping over the conclusion? That's not a plot, it's nonsense.

It shocks me that there are any, let alone mostly, 4&5 star ratings for this book. If you're over the age of 14 and have an IQ larger than your shoe size, you should stay far away from this rectangle and go read a book.

This has to be absolutely one of the worst books ever written. The word "um" must have been used a 1,000 times. When the author describes various events it's difficult to follow along with what's actually happening because it's so poorly written.

I'm not one to throw away books, but this one ended up in the recycling bin.