The Humans by Matt Haig is a witty and poignant novel that delves into human nature and relationships through the eyes of an alien who takes over the body of a Cambridge professor.
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Book Blurb
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 realise 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.
About the Author
Matt Haig is an author and journalist who has sold more than a million books in the UK. He’s passionate about mental health and his books often reflect that.
Matt Haig has written several nonfiction books, as well as fiction novels aimed at both children and adults. He has won the Blue Peter Book Award, the Smarties Book Prize and been nominated three times for the Carnegie Medal for his stories for children and young adults.
What to read next
If you enjoyed this novel, I would also recommend reading more Matt Haig books such as The Labrador Pact and The Radleys.
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