How bad is And Another Thing really?
We've been listening to And Another Thing (Hitchhiker book 6 by Eoin Colfer) recorded when it was serialised on Radio 4's book at bedtime back in October. That it's taken us almost 2 months to listen to 10 fifteen minute episodes is a symptom of our growing lack of enthusiasm. Neither of us laughed once, and the way that Colfer got out of the problems caused by the pretty final ending of Mostly Harmless seemed to be trite, obvious and unconvincing. There's far too much Zaphod: I always found him more irritating than funny. And reducing the guide to a series of footnotes took away most of the charm of Adams' original.
I'd like to know if this is all down to the book itself, or whether it's the way it's been abridged - "let's fit in lots of plot by leaving out all the jokes" - or whether it's Steven Mangan. He seemed to feel that the book needed to be read in a completely humourless way. Though giving the Vogons Yorkshire accents was a surreal touch.
Would anyone who has read the book comment? Is it worth reading at all, or have we experienced what it'll be like courtesy of Radio 4?
I'd like to know if this is all down to the book itself, or whether it's the way it's been abridged - "let's fit in lots of plot by leaving out all the jokes" - or whether it's Steven Mangan. He seemed to feel that the book needed to be read in a completely humourless way. Though giving the Vogons Yorkshire accents was a surreal touch.
Would anyone who has read the book comment? Is it worth reading at all, or have we experienced what it'll be like courtesy of Radio 4?