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This fact, and having read The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy - A Trilogy in Four Parts before starting with this novel, equipped me with a preconception of Douglas Adams's work. I knew roughly what to expect from an Adams work of fiction. The title of the novel, too, causes more connections to be made, obviously to the genre of the murder mystery, but also to a specific post-modernist theory concerning the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. On the back there is a "blurb" by the author: "A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic." The reader makes, under the direction of the author, a host of intertextual connections even before opening the
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Through this character, Adams is attempting to encourage growth in specific branches of our imaginary thicket. Unconsciously, the reader's mind immediately makes a number of connections between this passage and various subjects. Without these connections, the irony inherent in the passage would not be apparent. Adams is commenting on various subjects: the human condition, the post-modernist concept of religion and tolerance and the ultimate futility of technology, amongst other things. The passage could be assimilated in the reader's mind under these headings, those branches. This passage, therefore, could be viewed as intertextual with regards to a host of works, newspapers, conversations and a myriad of other sources. Indeed, the connections made in the mind of the reader could be infinite, depending on the reader. If these connections are made, the reader will recognise the irony in the passage. The host of information that this passage is related to, then, is crucial to a proper …show more content…
Adams uses humour to comment on topical issues throughout the whole novel, and in this instance the subjects that he is providing commentary on could be termed human nature, gullibility and corruption. These are but a few subjects that I feel the passage was connected to in the text of my mind. Once again, it must be emphasised that the connections made in each reader's mind is unique, which is why I have used such broad terms for the purposes of discussion. Ultimately, there is very little, if anything, that is not intertextual to some degree, whether it is intertextual with regards to a specific work by another author or with an abstract
Through this character, Adams is attempting to encourage growth in specific branches of our imaginary thicket. Unconsciously, the reader's mind immediately makes a number of connections between this passage and various subjects. Without these connections, the irony inherent in the passage would not be apparent. Adams is commenting on various subjects: the human condition, the post-modernist concept of religion and tolerance and the ultimate futility of technology, amongst other things. The passage could be assimilated in the reader's mind under these headings, those branches. This passage, therefore, could be viewed as intertextual with regards to a host of works, newspapers, conversations and a myriad of other sources. Indeed, the connections made in the mind of the reader could be infinite, depending on the reader. If these connections are made, the reader will recognise the irony in the passage. The host of information that this passage is related to, then, is crucial to a proper …show more content…
Adams uses humour to comment on topical issues throughout the whole novel, and in this instance the subjects that he is providing commentary on could be termed human nature, gullibility and corruption. These are but a few subjects that I feel the passage was connected to in the text of my mind. Once again, it must be emphasised that the connections made in each reader's mind is unique, which is why I have used such broad terms for the purposes of discussion. Ultimately, there is very little, if anything, that is not intertextual to some degree, whether it is intertextual with regards to a specific work by another author or with an abstract