The Humans by Matt Haig

The Humans by Matt Haig

Categories Genre Fiction
Author Matt Haig
Publisher Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (August 12, 2014)
Language English
Paperback 320 pages
Item Weight 9.6 ounces
Dimensions
5.5 x 0.7 x 8.38 inches

I. Book introduction

The Humans is a thought-provoking, hilarious, and heartwarming novel written by Matt Haig. Published in 2013, this book explores the essence of what it means to be human through the eyes of an alien being who has taken on the form of a prominent mathematics professor.

The bestselling, award-winning author of The Midnight Library offers his funniest, most devastating dark comedy yet, a “silly, sad, suspenseful, and soulful” (Philadelphia Inquirer) novel that’s “full of heart” (Entertainment Weekly).

When an extra-terrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a prominent mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor is eager to complete the gruesome task assigned him and hurry home to his own utopian planet, where everyone is omniscient and immortal.

He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, their capacity for murder and war, and is equally baffled by the concepts of love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this strange species than he had thought. Disguised as Martin, he drinks wine, reads poetry, develops an ear for rock music, and a taste for peanut butter. Slowly, unexpectedly, he forges bonds with Martin’s family. He begins to see hope and beauty in the humans’ imperfection, and begins to question the very mission that brought him there.

Praised by The New York Times as a “novelist of great seriousness and talent,” author Matt Haig delivers an unlikely story about human nature and the joy found in the messiness of life on Earth. The Humans is a funny, compulsively readable tale that playfully and movingly explores the ultimate subject—ourselves.

Editorial Reviews

  • “Haig strikes exactly the right tone of bemusement, discovery, and wonder in creating what is ultimately a sweet-spirited celebration of humanity and the trials and triumphs of being human. The result is a thought-provoking, compulsively readable delight.” (Booklist (Starred Review))
  • “Haig creates a delightful sense of displacement in ‘Andrew’ and draws the reader into the experiences that make us human, ugly, wonderful, and mundane by turns…. The wonder and humor with which the protagonist approaches life, and the many emotions and discoveries he experiences, are worth getting a bit weepy over.” (Publishers Weekly (Starred Review))
  • “The protagonist’s genuine joy in discovering the good things the unstable human race has produced – peanut butter, Emily Dickinson, Australian wine, the Beach Boys, dogs, and love, to name a few – is contagious. Readers of all stripes will find the results quick-paced, touching, and hilarious.” (Library Journal (Starred Review))
  • “A surprisingly touching and often hilarious tale….Haig elevates the premise with his deft, humor-rich storytelling skills. A reverence for mathematics and history also runs through the book, cutting through some of the sentimentality with a healthy dose of intellectualism. The Humans is an engaging summer read.” (Bookpage)
  • “The Humans is not so unlike the species the book details: funny, poignant, and full of heart.” (Entertainment Weekly)
  • “The Humans is by turns silly, sad, suspenseful and soulful….Haig manages…to burrow beneath clichés as he explores the meaning of sentimentality, loyalty, love, and mortality….Haig’s insights are often compelling.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

About the Author (Matt Haig)

Author Matt Haig

Matt Haig is an author for children and adults. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children’s book A Boy Called Christmas was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It is being made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. His novels for adults include the award-winning How To Stop Time, The Radleys, The Humans and the number one bestseller The Midnight Library.

Matt Haig was born on 3 July 1975 in Sheffield. He grew up in the Nottinghamshire town of Newark and later went on to study English and History at the University of Hull.

As of 2015, Haig is married to Andrea Semple, and they live in Brighton, Sussex, with their two children and a dog. The children were homeschooled.

Haig identifies as an atheist. He has said that books are his one true faith, and the library is his church.

Some of Haig’s work — especially part of the non-fiction books — is inspired by the mental breakdown he suffered from when he was 24-years-old. He still occasionally suffers from anxiety. He has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.

II. Reviewer: The Humans by Matt Haig

Reviewer The Humans by Matt Haig

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1. KAREN COLE reviews The Humans

In August 2012 my brother died by suicide. In the dark days and weeks immediately after his death I read almost incessantly. I couldn’t sleep because when I closed my eyes all I could see was his body (I had to go to the mortuary with my father to formally identify his body.) When I was awake I read so I could bear the raw grief ripping at my heart. I believe that it’s thanks to books I survived those days, I’m not sure how I’d have coped without books giving me a respite from my at times overwhelming reality.

The Humans wasn’t published then but I wish it had been. It tells the story of an alien sent from the planet Vonnadoria to remove all evidence of the solving of the Riemann hypothesis (the key to prime numbers which guarantee a huge technological leap for mankind) by eminent Cambridge professor Andrew Martin. The Vonnadorians are horrified by this breakthrough as they see humans as a primitive, violent race not ready for the advancements the solving of the hypothesis will bring. An unnamed alien is therefore sent to Earth on a mission to ensure humankind remains unaware that this secret has been solved. He kills Martin then inhabits his body in order to infiltrate his life and erase all traces of his discovery, by removing all technological evidence and by killing anybody he may have told.

The first part of the book has several comic moments, the alien arrives knowing nothing of human life and finds himself naked and without language on a motorway. Matt Haig has held a magnifying glass to humans here and through the eyes of the alien Andrew we see our often irrational absurdity.

As the book progresses it becomes more poignant, Martin learns more about what it means to be human, thanks partly to a dog, peanut butter and Emily Dickinson. The 97 point list that features in the book is perhaps the book’s shining moment, Matt’s skillful blending of the emotional with the humorous means he avoids this list becoming saccharine and it is genuinely moving, my favourite point being “It’s not the length of life that matters. It’s the depth. But while burrowing, keep the sun above you.”

The Humans is a beautifully written insight into what it means to be a human and how pain, sorrow and fear are a necessary part of that. With my grief not being a linear process there are days when I am hit again with an almost unbearable sadness. I know that on those days I will turn once more to The Humans. I don’t ever feel suicidal but there are times when I question what it means to live. When I read The Humans I am given an answer.

2. NINA reviews The Humans

Sitting down with a Matt Haig book always makes me happy. I just know from the get-go that I’m in for a lovely story. The humans made me chuckle and gave me a warm feeling inside. The plot was perfect for making you think about what matters in life, since we see the world anew from the alien’s perspective. The beginning is delightful, since the alien in its human form walks around without clothes and is arrested. I laughed a lot the first chapters. After that, I was fully invested and my emotions continued to be tugged at. The ending was perfect, and I can’t do anything else than give the book five stars.

3. FARRAH reviews The Humans

⭐ 5 Is A Prime Number Stars ⭐

I loved this book! So much!

Wanna laugh out loud while simultaneously crying? This book can make that happen!

Andrew Martin is a brilliant mathematician who solves the Riemann hypothesis which will change the world as we know it.

But the universe decides we aren’t ready for such massive knowledge and sends an alien to kill, then inhabit the body of Andrew, with the mission to remove any evidence of his findings.

But this alien doesn’t know anything about us, or our customs, or our emotions.

The Humans gives a very clever, humorous and detached look at why we are the way we are, why we’re such a beautiful mess of a species.

Then the alien, who’s never experienced an emotion begins bonding with the family dog. Discovers music and poetry. Develops a fondness for Andrew’s wife and son…..

This book shows how the universe can send in their best, most logical, most clinical and advanced soldier but it’s no match for us wonderful humans.

4. ANNET reviews The Humans

Peanut butter sandwiches go perfectly well with a glass of white wine. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise…

Funny, hilarious, sad, loving and wise story with a message. An alien comes to earth to destroy evidence of Professor Andrew Martin who has supposedly solved a major mathematical problem. Martin is killed and the alien takes his place. At first he looks with disdain and surprise at the ‘weak’ and ‘unwise’ ‘Humans’. But then he starts liking and loving his wife, gets involved in the strained life of his growingup son to help him, and he likes the dog 🙂 And then he finds out life on earth is not so bad, although ‘the humans’ could learn a lot…. There are some hilarious but also very wise philosophical statements and scenes in this book, which I will share later this weekend. I’ve read a couple of books from Matt Haig and he writes out-of-the-box, unusual stories, not typically to be arranged in some category. I like him!

5. DREW S reviews The Humans

Oh!.. The Humanity!

One of the most personally moving works of fiction I have read. The humor, the novel perspectives, and the appreciation for our humanity that it reignites is the same with every read through. I have gotten this book as a gift several times with outstanding reception after every read.

6. NIKOLEAN reviews The Humans

Easy read but deeply provoking

I’m a Matt Haig fan girl for one particular reason: the man has the ability to calm an existential crisis by putting pen to paper because of his own deep understanding of what it means to endure being human. He is never shy about his own mental health and manages to write stories that help me find light on the darkest of days. His easy style and simple yet effective writing are there perfect escape.

In this novel he challenges us to look at what it means to be humans on Earth through the rollercoaster of emotions and rational. At the core he asks would you rather the monitors robotic hive like world of our nameless alien narrator or a world where change isn’t just possible but likely. He shows us how to find meaning in life in the simple things no matter how alien or outsider we feel.

7. SONIA CHRISTENSEN reviews The Humans

Not the ordinary science fiction novel

The Humans by Matt Haig is an extraterrestrial sent to Earth to rid the knowledge of a theory that could change humans forever. Clever, humorous, and though-provoking. It is interesting how honest one can actually be when the repercussions are unknown.

The no name extraterrestrial becomes the human form of Andrew Martin, a Cambridge professor, and slowly learns that being human isn’t that bad. The hosts want the mission completed, and when it isn’t done, they send another to do it. My favorite character is Newton, the dog. It was a great book I did not expect to enjoy so much.

8. LYNNS77 reviews The Humans

Only Human

He was Andrew Martin famous Cambridge mathematician who was taken away by the “hosts” and replaced by an alien version of Andrew Martin. The aliens were brilliant but had no idea how to make the exchange without drawing attention, as in clothes for the alien imposter would have made his transition far less complicated. Andrew’s wife Isobel simply said, “It’s all right,” and cared for him at home. Meanwhile the alien Martin was supposed to dispose of research and kill anyone who had knowledge of it including Martin”s wife and son.

So many complications the Vonndarians (or some name very similar) hadn’t considered, one being that human life was interesting enough to want to watch, and in some ways very compelling. The new Andrew Martin liked his new family and did not wish to end them.

Did you ever notice that people come to a different country and discover wonderful things that the people who live there take for granted? There’s a lot of discoveries of human life that we take for granted that a new human might find richly rewarding and it’s both poignant and sometimes funny.

This was one of the most different and interesting books I have read in along time, and maybe we all need to appreciate the joys of being human a little more. Five stars for great writing and excellent creativity. I loved it!

9. PHRYNNE reviews The Humans

Matt Haig is now up there in my list of favourite authors. Each time I read one of his books I am so impressed by its originality and his amazing imagination.

The Humans is told from the point of view of an alien sent to Earth to dispose of new mathematical understandings which could help the human race to make significant scientific advances. The fun in the book is due to this alien’s opinions of us, the way we look and the way we live.

Problems occur when our friendly alien finds he cannot carry out his mission in the way his superiors wish. He falls in love, discovers peanut butter sandwiches, befriends the family dog, and discovers that being human is not such a bad thing.

I loved every moment of this book!

10. MARK MATTHEWS reviews The Humans

The world is divided into those who have read this book and those who have not. Those who have read this book are shaking their heads in the affirmative right now.

It is not so much the story, but read it for that. It is not so much the characters, but read it for that too. It is for the statement it makes on the flawed yet wondrous nature of humans. This book will resonate with you long after you read it. (if not, we can’t be friends.) You will be convinced the author himself is from another world, sent here to give us some wisdom, but perhaps also fearful if we can handle it. I liken it to “Illusions – The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” by Richard Bach

Yes, I loved this book and I am a better person for it. A beautiful book that made me cry. At times I feared it would become predictable, but there was just enough variance and certainly more than enough genius. A wonderful range of emotions. The prose was both beautiful and simple. How many times have we all wondered, “What would an alien think if they came to Earth and experienced this?” Well, this book provides an illuminating answer.

Highly recomended. Get ready to highlight on your kindle or dog-ear your paperback.

III. The Humans Quotes by Matt Haig

The Humans Quotes by Matt Haig

The best book quotes from The Humans by Matt Haig

“Basically, the key rule is, if you want to appear sane on Earth, you have to be in the right place, wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and only stepping on the right kind of grass.”

“Some humans not only liked violence but craved it, I realized. Not because they wanted pain, but because they already had pain and wanted to be distracted from that kind of pain with a lesser kind.”

“Maybe that is what beauty was, for humans. Accidents, imperfections, placed inside a pretty pattern. Asymmetry. The defiance of mathematics.”

“Listening to music, I realized, was simply the pleasure of counting without realizing you were counting.”

“The best way to measure the worth of a person is by the amount of love they give and receive.”

“Being human means experiencing a wide range of emotions, both good and bad.”

“Sometimes, the smallest acts of kindness can have the greatest impact.”

“I realized that if getting drunk was how people forgot they were mortal, then hangovers were how they remembered.”

“Humans, as a rule, don’t like mad people unless they are good at painting, and only then once they are dead. But the definition of mad, on Earth, seems to be very unclear and inconsistent. What is perfectly sane in one era turns out to be insane in another. The earliest humans walked around naked with no problem. Certain humans, in humid rainforests mainly, still do so. So, we must conclude that madness is sometimes a question of time, and sometimes of postcode.
Basically, the key rule is, if you want to appear sane on Earth you have to be in the right place, wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and only stepping on the right kind of grass.”

“Make sure, as often as possible, you are doing something you’d be happy to die doing.”

“No one will understand you. It is not, ultimately, that important. What is important is that you understand you.”

“A paradox: The things you don’t need to live—books, art, cinema, wine, and so on—are the things you need to live.”

“It’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.”

“If getting drunk was how people forgot they were mortal, then hangovers were how they remembered.”

“This was, I would later realise, a planet of things wrapped inside things. Food inside wrappers. Bodies inside clothes. Contempt inside smiles. Everything was hidden away.”

“So love is about finding the right person to hurt you?”
“Pretty much.”

“Knowledge is finite. Wonder is infinite.”

“We are all interconnected; what we do affects others, and what others do affects us.”

“The single biggest act of bravery or madness anyone can do is the act of change.”

“Let’s not forget The Things They Do To Make Themselves Happy That Actually Make Them Miserable. This is an infinite list. It includes – shopping, watching TV, taking the better job, getting the bigger house, writing a semi-autobiographical novel, educating their young, making their skin look mildly less old and harboring a vague desire to believe there might be a meaning to it all.”

“Don’t aim for perfection. Evolution, and life, only happen through mistakes.”

“And I knew the point of love right then.
The point of love was to help you survive.
The point was also to forget meaning. To stop looking and start living. The meaning was to hold the hand of someone you cared about and to live inside the present. Past and future were myths. The past was just the present that had died and the future would never exist anyway, because by the time we got to it the future would have turned into the present. The present was all there was.”

“Advice for a human.
81. You can’t find happiness looking for the meaning of life. Meaning is only the third most important thing. It comes after loving and being.
82. If you think something is ugly, look harder. Ugliness is just a failure of seeing.
86. To like something is to insult it. Love it or hate it. Be passionate. As civilisation advances, so does indifference. It is a disease. Immunize yourself with art. And love.
87. Dark matter is needed to hold galaxies together. Your mind is a Galaxy. More dark than light. But the light makes it worthwhile.
88. Which is to say: don’t kill yourself. Even when the darkness is total. Always know that life is not still. Time is space. You are moving through that galaxy. Wait for the stars.
90. But know this. Men are not from Mars. Women are not from Venus. Do not fall for categories. Everyone is everything. Every ingredient inside a star is inside you, and every personality that ever existed competes in the theatre of your mind for the main role.
91. You are lucky to be alive. Inhale and take in life’s wonders. Never take so much as a single petal of a flower for granted.”

“You don’t have to be an academic. You don’t have to be anything. Don’t force it. Feel your way, and don’t stop feeling your way until something fits. Maybe nothing will. Maybe you are a road, not a destination. That is fine. Be a road. But make sure it’s one with something to look at out of the window.”

“Laughter, along with madness, seemed to be the only way out, the emergency exit for humans.”

“It was, of course, another test. Everything in human life was a test. That was why they all looked so stressed out.”

“Everyone is a comedy. If people are laughing at you, they just don’t quite understand the joke that is themselves.”

“To experience beauty on Earth, you needed to experience pain and to know mortality. That is why so much that is beautiful on this planet has to do with time passing and the Earth turning. Which might also explain why to look at such natural beauty was to also feel sadness and a craving for a life unlived.”

“To be a human is to state the obvious. Repeatedly. Over and over, until the end of time.”

“In every life there is a moment. A crisis. One that says: what I believe is wrong. It happens to everyone, the only difference is how that knowledge changes them. In most cases, it is simply a case of burying that knowledge and pretending it isn’t there. That is how humans grow old. That is ultimately what creases their faces and curves their backs and shrinks their mouths and ambitions. The weight of that denial. The stress of it. This is not unique to humans. The single biggest act of bravery or madness anyone can do is the act of change.”

“Human life, I realized, got progressively worse as you got older, by the sound of things. You arrived, with baby feet and hands and infinite happiness, and then the happiness slowly evaporated as your feet and hands grew bigger. And then, from the teenage years onward, happiness was something you could lose your grip of, and once it started to slip, it gained mass. It was as if the knowledge that it could slip was the thing that made it more difficult to hold, no matter how big your feet and hands were.”

“Don’t ever be afraid of telling someone you love them. There are things wrong with your world, but an excess of love is not one.”

“Dogs are geniuses of loyalty. And that is a good kind of genius to have.”

The best book quotes from The Humans by Matt Haig

Excerpted from The Humans by Matt Haig

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