Title: The Humans
Author: Matt Haig
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 310
Rating: 4/5
I picked up The Humans because my other half is a Matt Haig fan and while I’ve heard good things about him, I’ve never picked up any of his books before. It seemed like it was about time for me to do so.
My first impressions weren’t great, because I found the style of the narrative to be a little annoying. However, I also understand why he took that approach, because it’s kind of the point of the book. We’re essentially following an alien being who’s been sent to earth to stop a vital piece of mathematical knowledge leaking out, and because the story’s being told from his point of view, it’s a little… well, alien.
But once I got over the writing style, there was a heck of a lot to like. It also gives Haig the ability to shine a spotlight on what it means to be human, along with all of the hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance that brings with it.
One of the best things about this book is that as well as having some interesting ideas, it also has a solid story and some excellent characterisation. The result is a book that’s as entertaining as well as thought-provoking, and that makes it one of the better books I’ve read over the last few months as a result.
I still don’t think that absolutely everyone will enjoy this one, but there’s definitely a certain something about it that I think has a universal appeal. If you’re curious then I think you should pick it up if you can, especially if you can get it as cheaply as I did.
All in all then, this was definitely worth reading and I’d recommend picking it up if you can.
