Original artwork, not a still
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy • 1979
“All right,” said Ford, “I’ll try to explain. How long have we known each other?” “How long?” Arthur thought. “Er, about five years, maybe six,” he said. “Most of it seemed to make some sense at the time.”
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the book's comic engine in miniature: an ordinary Englishman re-evaluating a whole friendship in the light of one absurd fact. 'Most of it seemed to make some sense at the time' is the best defence anyone has for knowing a strange friend. Fans quote it when an odd secret comes out, and it shows how Adams lands cosmic absurdity through understated English politeness.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyShow the scene
In Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Pan Books, 12 October 1979), Arthur Dent has lain down in front of the bulldozers sent to demolish his house, and his friend Ford Prefect has drawn him away to the pub. Ford then has to explain that the Earth is about to be demolished too, and that he is an alien researcher for the Guide. To make Arthur listen, Ford asks how long they have known each other. Arthur's mildly bewildered answer is the passage's punchline.
Sources (1)
- Wikipedia: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel)Plot and infoboxReference checked
Context reviewed
