Life, the Universe and Everything

What is the author's style in Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams?

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Douglas Adams is an English author and the main character Arthur Dent is also English. Adams writes using British English and idioms and frequently makes reference to English cultural landmarks such as drinking tea and playing cricket. The novel is satirical and humorous, and Adams employs wordplay for humorous effect.

Adams plays with the meaning of words, as well, introducing fictitious words and giving them unusual meanings. "The mattress flolloped around," he writes on page 53. "This is a thing that only live mattresses in swamps are able to do, which is why the word is not in common usage." The author continues to poke fun at language by creating new words that are not defined. He also gives common words new meanings, such as the word "Belgium," which is an acceptable word on Earth, but is considered extremely rude in the rest of the galaxy.

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Life, the Universe and Everything