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Quite weird (read: in good way) and a bit longer than probably necessary, but very heartwarming and nice to read! Read this book if you're feeling ike humanity is doomed (how I feel a large amount of the time).
Throughout The Humans, I completely related to its alien narrator — yet, by the end, I was left feeling gloriously human and so very alive. What begins as a Douglas Adams-esque satirical look at society — all our many failings and the absurdity of so many of our rules and conventions — becomes an examination of what it means to be human and how very lucky we are to be so. The seemingly paradoxical simplicity and complexity of our world, the ways we connect with ourselves and each other, the conflicting fears and desires that we must reconcile — all these, many things that are easy to take for granted or accept blindly, are illuminated by looking at them from the outside in (as so much sci fi has done), beautifully but always with that humorous touch (if sometimes bittersweetly so) that bridges the gap between the states of being human and not. I can't recommend it enough, especially for anyone who's ever felt like they don't quite fit in on this pale blue dot.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. If you’ve ever been at the end of your rope and quite literally wished to be another planet, you’ll understand why this story is so important.
Humanity is so fragile. We are all bags of meat with eyes. Cucumbers with anxiety. Evolved monkeys with iPhones. But those things make us amazing & life is so worth living ✨
Humanity is so fragile. We are all bags of meat with eyes. Cucumbers with anxiety. Evolved monkeys with iPhones. But those things make us amazing & life is so worth living ✨
I liked 'The Humans', but not as much as I liked his book 'The Radleys'. Both use non-human characters to explore what it means to be human, but I found this version not as subtle as I'd have liked. Still three stars as I enjoy his writing style and characters, and will certainly read his next book.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4 and half stars.
Absurd and funny. This story explores what it means to be human--from an alien perspective--in all of its messiness, simplicity, and complexity.
Absurd and funny. This story explores what it means to be human--from an alien perspective--in all of its messiness, simplicity, and complexity.
Not your average science fiction - unless you regularly laugh out loud when you read sci-fi. Maybe my favorite Matt Haig yet.