If you haven’t yet had the privilege of reading The Humans by Matt Haig, then you may find the central concept to be a little blah. An alien that is sent to Earth? you’ll scoff. Like that hasn’t been done before! But then, hopefully, you’ll actually read the book, and find it to be completely different from what you expected.
The Humans follows an unnamed narrator, who is a member of an intelligent life form far more advanced than we are. He is sent to Earth to destroy information that humanity as a species is not equipped to handle. The narrator takes over the body of Professor Andrew Martin, a somewhat reclusive and cold mathematician, and must adapt to human nature and life in order to fit in.
The way in which Haig handles the endlessly complicated issue of human nature and emotion is effortless. We follow the narrator as he goes from being a detached, hateful outsider to a complex, well-rounded character that is essentially no different from any other human. What I found particularly interesting was the third person outlook on humanity; how we can be capable of both intense cruelty and stunning beauty all at the same time. The narrator may have a flat, one-sided view of humanity, but once the layers of prejudice start to peel away, that is where things start to get interesting. The prose is simple yet stunningly effective, and is easy to read but hard to understand, which was one of my favourite things about the book.
I can honestly say that The Humans is the first book that changed the way I see people completely – how we are always more complicated than we seem, and how our lives are a catastrophe and a miracle all at once. I can’t really describe how it made me feel, but it was so funny and painful and true that I found myself empathising with not only the main character, but his long-suffering wife Isobel and their angsty teenage son, Gulliver. They were all so beautifully written and developed, I couldn’t help but love each of them, flaws and all.
Although I can safely say that I am not a part of an alien species, I found myself identifying with the main character more than I thought. Alienation, confusion, a sense of being overwhelmed- these aren’t exclusive to little green men, but are an integral part of what makes us – well, human.
I can’t explain how much I love this book, my favourite book. That would require something beyond words. But it gave me a sense of understanding, of belonging and hope when I was lost - and if that’s not enough to convince you to read The Humans, then I don’t know what is.
- Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
