Audible Book Reivew - The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams

This was another book my family has recommended to me that I've finally gotten to. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (hereafter referred to as Tea-Time) by Douglas Adams was a very different book from what I've read or listened to recently. Most people remember Douglas Adams for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but Tea-Time features a different set of characters and is what would now be called an urban fantasy. Featuring a mystery plot and a private "holistic" detective it certainly kept me guessing up to the end. I did enjoy it, and freely acknowledge that it is not for everyone. Here is the link to Audible's page for the book. It was fun to hear it read by the author, Douglas Adams.

Plot: "It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression as pretty as an airport." Kate is late to her flight in the Heathrow Airport because a very large, very hairy, very Norse man with a hammer is trying to get tickets but doesn't have a checkbook, credit car, or even a passport. When the man becomes upset there is an explosion (in which no one is killed), and the check in person who was not helping him disappears. Kate ends up in hospital but can't seem to forget this large man and so she goes looking for him when his body (and private Coke machine) are taken from hospital in the middle of the night... Dirk Gently, a private holistic detective, arrives to meet with his client only to find that the man's head is several feet from his body. Dirk is beginning to think that the man's claims about a seven foot tall, scythe-wielding monster are a little more credible then when he first heard them the day before. Even though his client is dead, Dirk is curious about what's going on. And then the airport explodes and the only person not accounted for is Dirk's old secretary. He decides to check it out. While all this is happening, we find that humanity's need to believe in something has produced Gods that, by virtue of us wanting them to be, are immortal and are a little ticked off about it. Kate, Dirk, and the Gods (and whoever Odin made a bargain  with) now start a dance around each other, meeting in the most unusual circumstances and resulting in a conclusion that wraps up everything in about 10 minutes. And how is Dirk going to get that homicidal eagle out of his house?

My personal favorites: Adams has a way of using language that is just entrancing to listen to. The story is not particularly complex (although it is convoluted) and the language and general absurdity was rather refreshing. I can honestly say that I will not look at of the Norse Gods the same way again, despite enjoying the movies Thor and The Avengers. Dirk's character in particular was amusing, particularly in the way he conducts his world. Not to mention his method of driving - to find a driver who appears to know where he/she is going and follow them. As I think about it, Dirk's style of detective work appears in a small way similar to Peter Falk's Columbo, but Columbo normally has a plan (even if it's not obvious) where as Dirk buys an electronic I Ching calculator. The humor was off the wall and the whole idea was entertaining.

Considerations: Surprisingly there was what the movie posters would say "brief strong language." Every time I came across it it was a bit of a shock as the vast majority of the book doesn't even hint at it. While the book is a mystery of sorts it is not in any sense in a traditional mystery. The resolution comes through events beyond Dirk's control, so some may claim Dues Ex Machina, or decry it as a plot driven story. But be fair with the Dues Ex Machina, there are Gods in the story. Also, the style may not be to everyone's liking.

All in all it was a curious read that was both entertaining and diverting. The total length was 6 and a half hours.