To Belgium, Thanks for all the memories, love Zaphod

[manephelien]

I think Douglas Adams wrote possibly the only funny post-apocalyptic novels in existence in this universe. A few pages and I'm grinning, no matter how grouchy I felt when I started reading.

[pierre19]

I thought the original point of this thread was what a bunch of jerks Sadie works with.
Anyway, I kind of thought Mr. Adams might have appreciated the waffle definition because of what a complete waste of time it was. It is just the sort of information Arthur would have needed had he decided to move on from sandwiches to waffles on prehistoric earth. Personally I think the whole Belgian waffle issue is shrouded in mystery and there are several waffle issues here which have not been fully explored.
Furthermore, I believe this thread has been firmly hijacked by wanton wafflry and tea drinkers. It should not fall back into the hands of well wishers.

Pierre

[HoopyFrood]

I think it's clear that I love HHGTTG, from my name alone. DNA (ha, if only I could have those initials...or something interesting at least) was an freaking genius, some of the sentences he comes out with:
The ships hung in the sky in the same way that bricks don't.
Let us grapple with the ineffable and see if we can't eff it anyway.

He was brilliant! And HHGTTG is a work of art!

I'm also a big fan of the writer that inspired him, good old P.G Wodehouse. He's a legend as well. And you can definitely see how DNA was inspired by him, they have the similar technique of using some brilliant (albeit slightly disconcerting!) phrases!

P.S Zaphod rules all. Although Authur Dent still has a place in my heart. I want to give Random a good slapping though, she annoys me...although she has a cracking name!

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Star Vampire

I never got why exactly Belgium would be a curse, or "foul-sounding word"

I live in Belgium, I love it...

The original manuscript of the Guide had "f**k", not "Belgium" - it was changed before the first American edition because it might have offended readers in the USA, and lost sales.

[Stenevor]

Picked up the 5 book commemorative box set for £4.99!(RRP £34.95) from a bargain book shop a couple of weeks ago and have been working my way through them this week. Read the first 4, just got Mostly Harmless still to read.
Id read the first two years ago and enjoyed re-reading them. No loss of quality in the next 2 either. Really consistent all the way through. As someone said earlier you cant read this and not be put in a good mood. Ive not really been doing them justice though, reading them way too fast(on the sly at work).

[ElJayDee]

Originally Posted by pyanfaruk

The original manuscript of the Guide had "f**k", not "Belgium" - it was changed before the first American edition because it might have offended readers in the USA, and lost sales.

Thank you for that. As an avid fan of the whole series, but particularly the first three, I was completely confused by the Belgian references. Living in Australia and New Zealand, I read the English versions and heard the radio play and narry a Belgian, bloated or otherwise, in sight.
And Stenevor, too true. One of the few books to make me laugh out loud on public transport.

[cornelius]

i live in Belgium

we have great waffles

[HoopyFrood]

mmmm belgian waffles...god, i love those things!

[ElJayDee]

As a complete side-track, don't you just love the context sensitive ads by Google. They want visitors to this thread to travel to Brussels or to buy waffles. I am just sorry nobody wants me to buy sprouts