Not without purpose but likely not what you want in a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book.<br><br>Others have said there's a nihilism in this book that isn't present.in previous books, I feel that this is a misdiagnosis. The series has always had an element of nihilism, there wasn't really a purpose to anything in the universe. There was a cynicism too, a commentary on the absurdity of modern life. However what there wasn't, was an overt sense of pessimism. There was a silliness and a sense that with a bit of drive, you can make a difference in the universe. Here we don't have any of that, we have characters suffering for basically just existing.<br><br>We've lost some of the more interesting characters along the way too. We no longer have Fenchurch and her blossoming relationship with Arthur. We no longer have Marvin's dry humour to provide counter balance. We at least don't have Zaphod either. Having Trillion doesn't really help because she doesn't develop much more dimension.<br><br>What there is though is reflections on the difficulties of parenting and the difficulty of not having a home. A child has been brought into this universe without their consent, with no sense of structure to their life or a place to settle. It's understandable why Random lashes out. <br><br>We aren't without some of Adam's trademark wit either, it just has more heaps of pessimism and cynicism. Obviously he was in a difficult place and he mentioned dissatisfaction years later at writing such a bleak installment, but alas I can only judge what was created.<br><br>It substantively and thematically might fit into a lot of the Hitchhiker's series, but tonally, it doesn't feel like it's fit.
