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A review by readingwryly
The Humans by Matt Haig
5.0
I don’t have the words for my depth of appreciation for Matt Haig in general, and this book specifically. But I will try.
This book (from a birds eye view) is a story written by an alien, to his fellow alien counterparts, about his experiences on earth with (human) “aliens”. The idea to flip the switch from the get-go and refer to earthlings as the foreign beings is, in and of itself, awesome. It is a brilliant way to approach the topic of life and existentialism and force the reader to look at the world and our lives objectively, thereby effectively setting the tone to delve into this discussion.
The set-up is such that, an earthling mathematician has proven a mathematical theory that will change the world, therefore creating a threat to the universe as a whole. These aliens, inhabitants of a galaxy so far reaching beyond anything we can fathom, have killed this mathematician and sent one of their own in his stead to eradicate any and all traces of this discovery. Basically, this alien has stolen the body of professor Andrew Martin and the book begins by plopping him onto earth completely naked and left to complete his mission while navigating our strange customs and idiosyncrasies.
I have never laughed SO HARD out loud while reading a book. Following him as he bumbles through learning English (from an issue of Cosmopolitan), shares a jar of peanut butter with his dog, and fumbles through a conversation with his teenage son, was the most fun I’ve had in a while. I don’t know if that speaks ill of me or well of Matt Haig, but either way I’m satisfied.
Without going into spoilers, this is a tale of learning to feel, and to love. It is about the value of pain, and the complexity of human emotion. It is charming and dramatic. It is a love letter from an alien.
After having read now three novels from Matt Haig, all with this central theme of the meaning of life, I’m left wondering how he can possibly live a day to day life while holding such expansive thoughts in his mind. I’m awed by his ability to craft stories that are so thought provoking and poignant. He has become an automatic read for me, and I feel privileged to grace my eyes with anything he writes.
This book (from a birds eye view) is a story written by an alien, to his fellow alien counterparts, about his experiences on earth with (human) “aliens”. The idea to flip the switch from the get-go and refer to earthlings as the foreign beings is, in and of itself, awesome. It is a brilliant way to approach the topic of life and existentialism and force the reader to look at the world and our lives objectively, thereby effectively setting the tone to delve into this discussion.
The set-up is such that, an earthling mathematician has proven a mathematical theory that will change the world, therefore creating a threat to the universe as a whole. These aliens, inhabitants of a galaxy so far reaching beyond anything we can fathom, have killed this mathematician and sent one of their own in his stead to eradicate any and all traces of this discovery. Basically, this alien has stolen the body of professor Andrew Martin and the book begins by plopping him onto earth completely naked and left to complete his mission while navigating our strange customs and idiosyncrasies.
I have never laughed SO HARD out loud while reading a book. Following him as he bumbles through learning English (from an issue of Cosmopolitan), shares a jar of peanut butter with his dog, and fumbles through a conversation with his teenage son, was the most fun I’ve had in a while. I don’t know if that speaks ill of me or well of Matt Haig, but either way I’m satisfied.
Without going into spoilers, this is a tale of learning to feel, and to love. It is about the value of pain, and the complexity of human emotion. It is charming and dramatic. It is a love letter from an alien.
After having read now three novels from Matt Haig, all with this central theme of the meaning of life, I’m left wondering how he can possibly live a day to day life while holding such expansive thoughts in his mind. I’m awed by his ability to craft stories that are so thought provoking and poignant. He has become an automatic read for me, and I feel privileged to grace my eyes with anything he writes.