Playwright and screenwriter Arvind Ethan David, known for his work on "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" adaptations and his novel "The Great Game," has revealed a notable aversion to the works of Charles Dickens. David expressed that, with the exception of "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol," he finds Dickens's writing to be "turgid and too clever by half."
In contrast, David cites Douglas Adams's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" as a pivotal work that ignited his passion for reading and writing. He described the experience of reading Adams's book as akin to having a "brilliant supercomputer best friend whispering directly into my brain, making me smarter, cooler and funnier." This profound impact led David to adapt Adams's "Hitchhiker's" and "Dirk Gently" books for television, comics, and theater, stating that Adams "gave me more than the reading bug. He gave me the writing bug, the make-cool-stuff bug, and the have-fun-with-your-life bugs too."
David's own novel, "The Great Game," published by Thomas & Mercer, is set in 1905 London and features literary figures such as the aging Sherlock Holmes and Watson, as well as a young Winston Churchill. David expressed his hope that he has done these historical and literary figures justice in his work.
He also mentioned "Three Bags Full" by Leonie Swann, the novel that inspired the film "The Sheep Detectives," as a current favorite. He is reading the book with his eight-year-old daughter and plans to explore its sequel, "Big Bad Wool."
When asked about a book he would take to a desert island, David selected "The Complete Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle. He explained that he first became enamored with the detective and his companion, Watson, at age 11 and has revisited the mysteries annually. The enduring appeal of Sherlock Holmes even influenced the setting and characters of his own debut novel.