Book Group: The Humans by Matt Haig - Humanist Society Scotland

THERE’S NO PLANET LIKE HOME

After an ‘incident’ one wet Friday night where he was found walking naked through the streets of Cambridge, Professor Andrew Martin is not feeling quite himself. Food sickens him. Clothes confound him. Even his loving wife and teenage son are repulsive to him. He feels lost amongst an alien species and hates everyone on the planet. Everyone, that is, except Newton, (and he’s a dog).

“An alien at Cambridge University? In the body of a distinguished professor of mathematics? Matt Haig‘s hilarious novel puts our species on the spot” – The Guardian

Book cover of The Humans by Matt Haig. Shows a man on a bench silhouetted against a vibrant night sky with a shooting star. There is also a small dog icon on the cover.

Matt Haig said, “This is the book I am most proud of. I have never written anything like it and probably never will again. I have no idea if you will like it. I really hope you do. I am a nervous wreck about this one. I don’t really know why. Well, I do. Because it is personal. I put absolutely everything I had into it so if people don’t like it then they don’t like me, because all the best things I have to offer the world are inside its pages. I don’t want to tell you it is a book that features an alien in it, because you might not like books with aliens in it, and I don’t really. It is a love story and a murder story and a what-are-we-here-for? story. It is about humans. That is why I came up with the title. The Humans. See?”

Humanist Society Scotland’s Book Group meets quarterly online via Zoom, with participants right across Scotland. New members are always welcome! We don’t charge for participation but you do need to register in advance.

Copies of the book should be available from all your usual book suppliers or local library. Another way to support independent bookshops is to order through bookshop.org.

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