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The Restaurant At The End of The Universe
"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
"How do you know you're having fun if there's no one watching you have it?"
On The Road
"What difference does it make at all? Anonymity in the world of men is better than fame in heaven, for what's heaven? what's earth? All in the mind."
"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-by. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."
"How do you know you're having fun if there's no one watching you have it?"
On The Road
"What difference does it make at all? Anonymity in the world of men is better than fame in heaven, for what's heaven? what's earth? All in the mind."
"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-by. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."
Head-to-Head
Characters: Dean Moriarty. Full stop. On The Road is read for its sense of adventure and Kerouac's irresponsible escapades, and neither of these would possible without Dean's manicured insanity to help bend the night even further. I'm reminded of the wild card episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia; half a century before Charlie Day was barreling out of a speeding van, Dean Moriarty was already a wild card for the ages.
But then, if we're talking "for the ages", the cast of Restaurant is also pretty timeless. While none of Adams' characters share Moriarty's depth, they're all loony tunes as well, except Arthur—who, thanks to juxtaposition, is another special kind of weird in his rigid normalcy.
Both crews embark on a long road of lifetime adventure, but as in previous rounds, Dean carries his book to this category win all by himself.
Advantage: On The Road.
Setting: Which is weirder, America in the last century, or the universe in a nonspecifically distant future?
Adams takes full advantage of the space that he has to write oddball townships, states and planets. In Restaurant, he even extends it beyond just the one universe. This gives him myriad chances to set up planets full of literary Rube Goldberg devices that result in great gags.
America's awesome too, and the nightlife sounds exquisite as written by Kerouac. Still, if there's a criticism, it's that if you weren't there with Kerouac (which I, of course, was not), his descriptions of a jazzy night out in New Orleans are a little difficult to differentiate from a swinging night out in San Fran. It all sounds like blurry fun, but the settings don't stand out like Adams' do.
Advantage: The Restaurant At The End of The Universe.
Plot: This one's a bit of a wash. Neither book is about advancing from beginning to end as much as it is about having fun along the way. Both books are boisterous and joyful, but it's not a chore to put either book down like it is some others.
Advantage: Push.
Ending: Once Dent & Prefect crash land after supper, Restaurant hauls out some of its funniest bits, along with its scathing social commentaries. On The Road doesn't really end, it just stops when its characters begin to detox themselves of their youth.
Advantage: The Restaurant At The End of The Universe.
Language/Writing: British humour! Adams is incredibly sharp, and his jokes come across in text so well that he may as well be next to you, jabbing you with his elbow and exclaiming "Eh? Eh? Ya get it?!"
Kerouac's book is essentially a road trip bible. His passages about the road, about the night, about the countryside and about adventure may as well be numbered and separated into 39 sections. Imagine reading Old Bull Lee 21:18, the most essential passage of that particular disciple of Paradise. It kinda works.
The best part of both books is the writing style to me, and for that, I won't penalize either.
Advantage: Push.
Philosophy: Neither book is particularly heavy, owing to the lower number of pages and lighter humour in each. On The Road is a sort of childish proposition in the real world, but imparts a sense of adventure that makes it feel so right to never want to grow up. Restaurant is rather bleak in its commentaries on some sectors of society and its not-entirely-subtle jabs at modern leadership, but it keeps the lulz rolling rather than rubbing your face too much in the grave points that it's making. It provokes thought competently without being onerous, and in this instance, that's enough.
Advantage: The Restaurant At The End of The Universe.
Both crews embark on a long road of lifetime adventure, but as in previous rounds, Dean carries his book to this category win all by himself.
Advantage: On The Road.
Setting: Which is weirder, America in the last century, or the universe in a nonspecifically distant future?
Adams takes full advantage of the space that he has to write oddball townships, states and planets. In Restaurant, he even extends it beyond just the one universe. This gives him myriad chances to set up planets full of literary Rube Goldberg devices that result in great gags.
America's awesome too, and the nightlife sounds exquisite as written by Kerouac. Still, if there's a criticism, it's that if you weren't there with Kerouac (which I, of course, was not), his descriptions of a jazzy night out in New Orleans are a little difficult to differentiate from a swinging night out in San Fran. It all sounds like blurry fun, but the settings don't stand out like Adams' do.
Advantage: The Restaurant At The End of The Universe.
Plot: This one's a bit of a wash. Neither book is about advancing from beginning to end as much as it is about having fun along the way. Both books are boisterous and joyful, but it's not a chore to put either book down like it is some others.
Advantage: Push.
Ending: Once Dent & Prefect crash land after supper, Restaurant hauls out some of its funniest bits, along with its scathing social commentaries. On The Road doesn't really end, it just stops when its characters begin to detox themselves of their youth.
Advantage: The Restaurant At The End of The Universe.
Language/Writing: British humour! Adams is incredibly sharp, and his jokes come across in text so well that he may as well be next to you, jabbing you with his elbow and exclaiming "Eh? Eh? Ya get it?!"
Kerouac's book is essentially a road trip bible. His passages about the road, about the night, about the countryside and about adventure may as well be numbered and separated into 39 sections. Imagine reading Old Bull Lee 21:18, the most essential passage of that particular disciple of Paradise. It kinda works.
The best part of both books is the writing style to me, and for that, I won't penalize either.
Advantage: Push.
Philosophy: Neither book is particularly heavy, owing to the lower number of pages and lighter humour in each. On The Road is a sort of childish proposition in the real world, but imparts a sense of adventure that makes it feel so right to never want to grow up. Restaurant is rather bleak in its commentaries on some sectors of society and its not-entirely-subtle jabs at modern leadership, but it keeps the lulz rolling rather than rubbing your face too much in the grave points that it's making. It provokes thought competently without being onerous, and in this instance, that's enough.
Advantage: The Restaurant At The End of The Universe.
Winner Winner Turkey Supper
A story about a road trip through space is way less grounded in reality than a road trip through America, but that disconnection from reality allows the fun to be a lighter read that still gives some food for thought.
The Restaurant At The End of The Universe is the fourth book into the semifinal round.
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