“Maybe
that’s what beauty was, for humans. Accidents, imperfections, placed inside a
pretty pattern.”
Good Reads Synopsis
Our
hero, Professor Andrew Martin, is dead before the book even begins. As it turns
out, though, he wasn’t a very nice man--as the alien imposter who now occupies
his body discovers. Sent to Earth to destroy evidence that Andrew had solved a
major mathematical problem, the alien soon finds himself learning more about
the professor, his family, and “the humans” than he ever expected. When he
begins to fall for his own wife and son--who have no idea he’s not the real
Andrew--the alien must choose between completing his mission and returning home
or finding a new home right here on Earth.
My Thoughts
The Humans by Matt Haig is possibly my new
favourite book. It’s definitely in my top 5. I’ve heard many people say that
certain books have changed their life, but before reading this, I’d never
thought that about any book before.
Matt Haig got the idea for this book whilst
he was suffering from anxiety and felt separated from the rest of the world. He
used his own experiences of this time to emphasise how Andrew Martin felt while
trying to understand and fit into the human race.
This book is beautifully written, with some
amazing and inspirational quotes. It is so easy to get into and has a
remarkable plot. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s embarrassing and most importantly,
it’s fascinating. The character development of the alien who takes over Andrew
Martin’s body is achieved brilliantly; as he learns more about humans, his
opinions change and he slowly begins to understand what being “human” is about.
Although the main character is literally from another planet, I found him to be
relatable and also loveable.
“Don’t
aim for perfection. Evolution, and life, only happen through mistakes.”
It also has an interesting take on human life
and behaviour; it points out everyday things, which we seem to be normal, and
points out the strangeness in them. This book really makes you think about your
everyday life and things that you do everyday but, from an outside
perspective, don’t make that much sense.
“If
getting drunk is how people forgot they were mortal, then hangovers were how
they remembered.”
It also celebrates the best parts of the
human race. Haig talks a lot about love and how that makes humans unique and
makes up for all the bad things in a humans life, like death, pain and grief. It
makes you appreciate not just the human race more, but your own life and experiences,
whether they are good or bad. As a dog lover, I loved the importance of Andrew
Martin’s dog, Newton, through out the story. Martin quickly grows fond of
Newton, and takes more comfort in being with him than humans. This is something
I’m sure many people have felt before, I know I’ve had many days where I would
much rather be with my dog all day than actually be around people.
“Dogs
are geniuses of loyalty. And that is a good kind of genius to have.”
I’m giving this book, 5 out of 5 stars. It
was a fascinating read, which really opened my eyes to some things that we do
everyday but doesn’t make sense. One of the biggest messages that I got from
the book is that we should try hard to be as happy as we can be and love the
people around us. I would recommend this book to everyone, even to people that
don’t read. This book really is life changing.
“Your
life will have 25,000 days in it. Make sure you remember some of them.”
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