Sunday 6 October 2013

Book ~ "The Humans" (2013) Matt Haig

From Goodreads ~ It's hardest to belong when you're closest to home ...

One wet Friday evening, Professor Andrew Martin of Cambridge University solves the world's greatest mathematical riddle. Then he disappears.

When he is found walking naked along the motorway, Professor Martin seems different. Besides the lack of clothes, he now finds normal life pointless. His loving wife and teenage son seem repulsive to him. In fact, he hates everyone on the planet. Everyone, that is, except Newton. And he's a dog.

Can a bit of Debussy and Emily Dickinson keep him from murder? Can the species which invented cheap white wine and peanut butter sandwiches be all that bad? And what is the warm feeling he gets when he looks into his wife's eyes?

Professor Andrew Martin had solved a mathematical riddle.  Because of the ramifications of doing so, he was killed and replaced by an alien who must also kill everyone who knows that Martin had solved the riddle.  At first the alien was repulsed by being on Earth ... by the humans' looks, rain, eating meat, etc.  He soon discovered that he loved peanut butter.  As time goes on, he also got attached to the professor's wife and son, and even the family dog, Newton, which started to affect the decisions he made.

I don't usually read books about aliens but since Gord had loved it, I thought I'd check it out.  While I thought it was okay, I didn't love it.  The story was interesting and unusual.

This is the first book I've read by this author.  I thought the writing style was okay ... I think it could have been a bit tighter, though.  It is written in first person from the alien's point of view.

I liked the characters.  I thought it was funny when the alien first arrived on Earth and was trying to figure out how to do things and remarking on how primitive humans are.

1 comment:

Masshole Mommy said...

This sounds like a fun book to read.