4 ms·

If anyone hasn't read or has forgotten Douglas Adams 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' then I warmly recommend it. It includes, iirc, The Sofa Problem

If anyone hasn't read or has forgotten Douglas Adams 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' then I warmly recommend it. It includes, iirc, The Sofa Problem and the solution is classic Adams and all HNers will love it! :)

noir_lord 8y ago
Wondered if anyone would mention this, also if you haven't tried it the Netflix version of Dirk Gently is wonderful, departs from the books without departing from the characters.
- bostik 8y ago
  The first season is delicious, the second one (unfortunately) veers too far off into the odd mix of fantasy, conspiracy theories and mysticism. I'm curious what the third one brings. Casting-wise, I am not sure Elijah Wood was the best choice. Big name for impact maybe, but the role just feels ill-fitting.
  - scrooched_moose 8y ago
    Unfortunately nothing, it's been cancelled. https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadline.com/2018/03/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-will-not-have-a-season-3-producer-1202335666/amp/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadline.com/2018/03/dirk-gentl...
  - golergka 8y ago
    Second season was a huge disappointment, but it also featured the best and most truthful portrayal of MDMA that I've ever seen on screen (under the guise of a "love" magic spell).
  - Apocryphon 8y ago
    It's sad sack similar enough to his role on Wilfred.
  - noir_lord 8y ago
    I really enjoyed the second season but yes the first season was better bordering on sublime. Much better than the BBC version (and very different). When I heard they where doing an american version I didn't expect much wondering how it would translate...it turns out, very well.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- smt88 8y ago
  Caveats for people passing by: the Netflix version has little or no resemblence to the book series and its creator's career seems to have ended following accusations of rape and sexual abuse by more than 10 people[1]. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Landis#Sexual_assault_accusations https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Landis#Sexual_assault_ac...
avip 8y ago
Greatest book ever. Must read even if you're not into moving sofas across corridors...
fhars 8y ago
And it is surprising how many readers completely miss the solution :-).
mar77i 8y ago
Generations upon generations of people will keep complaining that Douglas Adams is not part of the Moving Sofa Problem. But to be fair, that one was about a regularly shaped sofa getting stuck by violating the laws of physics in the first place.
madrox 8y ago
What I learned from this HN post is that Douglas Adams wasn't the original source of the sofa problem. I always thought he invented it.
- willvarfar 8y ago
  Adams books are full of refs to other problems and theories. Don't have the books to hand so can't point out any more, but I don't think I am overfitting :)
skykooler 8y ago
Is there an audiobook of the full book? I was only able to find the abridged version.
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  There was an unabridged audio of both Dirk Gently and Long Dark Teatime. Both read by Douglas and each 6 CDs. A quick skim of Amazon doesn't find them so you might have to hunt eBay etc.

noir_lord 8y ago

Wondered if anyone would mention this, also if you haven't tried it the Netflix version of Dirk Gently is wonderful, departs from the books without departing from the characters.

bostik 8y ago
The first season is delicious, the second one (unfortunately) veers too far off into the odd mix of fantasy, conspiracy theories and mysticism. I'm curious what the third one brings. Casting-wise, I am not sure Elijah Wood was the best choice. Big name for impact maybe, but the role just feels ill-fitting.
- scrooched_moose 8y ago
  Unfortunately nothing, it's been cancelled. https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadline.com/2018/03/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-will-not-have-a-season-3-producer-1202335666/amp/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadline.com/2018/03/dirk-gentl...
- golergka 8y ago
  Second season was a huge disappointment, but it also featured the best and most truthful portrayal of MDMA that I've ever seen on screen (under the guise of a "love" magic spell).
- Apocryphon 8y ago
  It's sad sack similar enough to his role on Wilfred.
- noir_lord 8y ago
  I really enjoyed the second season but yes the first season was better bordering on sublime. Much better than the BBC version (and very different). When I heard they where doing an american version I didn't expect much wondering how it would translate...it turns out, very well.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
smt88 8y ago
Caveats for people passing by: the Netflix version has little or no resemblence to the book series and its creator's career seems to have ended following accusations of rape and sexual abuse by more than 10 people[1]. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Landis#Sexual_assault_accusations https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Landis#Sexual_assault_ac...

avip 8y ago

Greatest book ever. Must read even if you're not into moving sofas across corridors...

fhars 8y ago

And it is surprising how many readers completely miss the solution :-).

mar77i 8y ago

Generations upon generations of people will keep complaining that Douglas Adams is not part of the Moving Sofa Problem. But to be fair, that one was about a regularly shaped sofa getting stuck by violating the laws of physics in the first place.

madrox 8y ago

What I learned from this HN post is that Douglas Adams wasn't the original source of the sofa problem. I always thought he invented it.

willvarfar 8y ago
Adams books are full of refs to other problems and theories. Don't have the books to hand so can't point out any more, but I don't think I am overfitting :)

skykooler 8y ago

Is there an audiobook of the full book? I was only able to find the abridged version.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago
There was an unabridged audio of both Dirk Gently and Long Dark Teatime. Both read by Douglas and each 6 CDs. A quick skim of Amazon doesn't find them so you might have to hunt eBay etc.