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Book 20 - Matt Haig "The Humans"
Mar. 21st, 2018 02:55 amMatt Haig "The Humans" (Canongate Books)
What a lovely, funny and different novel this is! Andrew Martin is a mathematics professor in Cambridge. He is one of those math geniuses who is set upon solving the Riemann hypothesis. On the day that he succeeds, he is killed by "the hosts" and an alien takes over his body. This alien's mission is to destroy all evidence that the Riemann hypothesis was solved: both physical and material evidence.
As the novel progresses, we get to see the world and us humans through the point of view of an alien species who is highly evolved and has never come into contact with human beings. We are stripped naked and the author manages to sneak in a couple brutal truths about our existence and human nature.
The Vonnadorians wish to prevent humans from gaining knowledge before they are psychologically prepared for the advancements that would ensue. The invader inhabits the body of Andrew Martin, the arrogant and selfish mathematician who discovered the proof to Riemann's hypothesis; at first disgusted and confused by his human shell, the alien is eventually transformed, and the more time he spends with Andrew's wife and son, the more he comes to doubt his mission. Haig (The Radleys) 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.
Refreshing, informative, stimulating! The nameless Vonnadorian emissary undertakes his mission with the facility of an alien Inspector Clouseau. His asides are jewels scattered throughout the novel--he describes the family dog (Newton) as a "hairy domestic deity". After studying Cosmopolitan in an early attempt to assimilate, "Andrew" infers from the intricate architecture of Cambridge University buildings that they are "temples to the orgasm". He informs his superiors that since the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is aimed at humans, the question is rhetorical.
There is much to love about Mr. Haig’s The Humans. Andrew Martin’s growth from superior alien to human-phile is simultaneously funny, dark, and poignant. Andrew’s commentary about human characteristics is sharp and all too true, making it the type of novel that amuses and unsettles as it holds up an unflinching mirror to humanity’s hypocrisy. However, as Andrew grows to love Earth and humans, he reminds readers of the truly important things in life, making it a surprisingly feel-good novel about what it means to be human.
Highly recommended to all humans and aliens.
What a lovely, funny and different novel this is! Andrew Martin is a mathematics professor in Cambridge. He is one of those math geniuses who is set upon solving the Riemann hypothesis. On the day that he succeeds, he is killed by "the hosts" and an alien takes over his body. This alien's mission is to destroy all evidence that the Riemann hypothesis was solved: both physical and material evidence.
As the novel progresses, we get to see the world and us humans through the point of view of an alien species who is highly evolved and has never come into contact with human beings. We are stripped naked and the author manages to sneak in a couple brutal truths about our existence and human nature.
The Vonnadorians wish to prevent humans from gaining knowledge before they are psychologically prepared for the advancements that would ensue. The invader inhabits the body of Andrew Martin, the arrogant and selfish mathematician who discovered the proof to Riemann's hypothesis; at first disgusted and confused by his human shell, the alien is eventually transformed, and the more time he spends with Andrew's wife and son, the more he comes to doubt his mission. Haig (The Radleys) 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.
Refreshing, informative, stimulating! The nameless Vonnadorian emissary undertakes his mission with the facility of an alien Inspector Clouseau. His asides are jewels scattered throughout the novel--he describes the family dog (Newton) as a "hairy domestic deity". After studying Cosmopolitan in an early attempt to assimilate, "Andrew" infers from the intricate architecture of Cambridge University buildings that they are "temples to the orgasm". He informs his superiors that since the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is aimed at humans, the question is rhetorical.
There is much to love about Mr. Haig’s The Humans. Andrew Martin’s growth from superior alien to human-phile is simultaneously funny, dark, and poignant. Andrew’s commentary about human characteristics is sharp and all too true, making it the type of novel that amuses and unsettles as it holds up an unflinching mirror to humanity’s hypocrisy. However, as Andrew grows to love Earth and humans, he reminds readers of the truly important things in life, making it a surprisingly feel-good novel about what it means to be human.
Highly recommended to all humans and aliens.
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