One of the memorable metaphor in the novel:
” The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t. ”
In fact, with this simile, Douglas Adams wanted to give information about how the Vogon ship appeared in space. He did not seek any concrete basis in his comparison of the position of the ship in space with a (gravity-influenced) brick. In fact, Adams made a random and strange claim here, and it made sense to us. Therefore, it is quite a catchy metaphor.
” The effect of drinking a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out with a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick. ”
This is a typical simile that come out in the novel. The key point of his simile is strange comparison. Something unfamiliar with comparing becomes more familiar. Here ‘the alien coctail’ which is an unfamiliar thing is compared with the another unfamiliar thing ‘the experience of brains smashed out’ .
Douglas Adams usually gives place to metaphors, similes, and sharp ironies in his book.
Adams makes comparisons in his book very interesting way. It is his writing style that makes reading the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy enjoyable.
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY 