The Humans
Ratings252
Average rating3.9
Interesting read and a funny look at the human race from a different perspective but although at some point I thought there were multiple layers to the book it turned out to be fairly straightforward and disappointing at the end.
To be honest, at first I couldn't get it. The book started very dull, a tall tale that meant to be somehow intelligent and funny but not delivering.
But it gets better. Near the middle and especially at the end. At the end it all makes sense. It stops being so boring and starts being, perhaps what the author intended it to be. A reflection upon ourselves and our existence as species. And I know getting this right is difficult.
So, leaving aside the cheap humor and the poor way of juggling ingenuity, the book is fine. And I would go as far as saying that it's something I would recommend, but that's my romantic side talking :P.
So, for me, it started with 1 and ended with 4 stars.
Cheers.
LOVED this. I definitely would recommend it. It reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Almost too much so, really. But I still enjoyed it once I got past that annoyance.
LOVED this. I definitely would recommend it. It reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Almost too much so, really. But I still enjoyed it once I got past that annoyance.
Great twist on the perspective of ‘The Human Condition' from the eyes of an outsider. I found it insightful and a great read to make you feel the need to be a better person.
Simplistic and predictable, but undeniably effective. A good book to read when you are down and looking for some hope for humanity.
Lo que más me gustó de este libro es que me identifico con el personaje principal y sus reflexiones. Desde el título me llamó la atención, empecé a leer y lo sentí un poco flojo al principio pero luego me enganchó de tal manera que no lo solté hasta terminarlo. Tiene frases muy buenas y lo mejor de todo es que te deja pensando...
Fantastic. This book had it all. Humor, feelings, a little bit of action, life lessons, science, poetry...
I couldn't stop reading. The writing is easy and the chapters small. It flows perfectly.
I laughed out loud more than a few times and felt strongly connected with the main characters feelings.
What makes us human? What's the point of living? Can we love even in the darkest moments? This book has thought provoking opinions on all of this.
A couple of years back, I remember enjoying Haig's [b:The Radleys|7989160|The Radleys|Matt Haig|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1271413639s/7989160.jpg|12458845] about a family of vampires who've stopped feeding on humans, and have (mostly) assimilated into everyday society. It was fun, quirky, and had a lot more to offer than I'd have guessed. So when I stumbled onto this at the library, I had to grab it (and shame on me for not keeping an eye out for more by him).
The concept's pretty simple: a brilliant mathematician has just made a break-through that puts humanity far, far ahead of where an alien race thinks they ought to be in terms of development based on how emotional and violent we are as a race. So, they send one of their own to kill him, take on his form and eradicate any and all people who might have knowledge of this breakthrough. Along the way, said assassin starts to understand and even appreciate humanity's quirks and tries to stop the killing. Along the way we are treated to his observations about humanity. For example,
...I was able to work out that what humans may have lacked in physical attractiveness, they made up for in gullibility. You could tell them anything in a convincing-enough voice and they would believe it. Anything, of course, except the truth.
Basically, the key rule is, if you want to appear sane on Earth, you have to be in the right place, wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and only stepping on the right kind of grass.
Understandably, humans need to know what kind of book they are about to read, because time is money and money costs time and there's no time like the present and all of that. They need to know if it is a love story. Or a murder story. Or a story about aliens. Perhaps the book they have in their hands is a war story. It wouldn't be a surprise.
There are other questions too that humans have in bookstores. Such as, is it one of those books they read to feel clever, or one of those they will pretend they never read in order to stay looking clever? Will it make them laugh or cry? Or will it simply force them to stare out of the window watching the tracks of raindrops? Is it a true story? Or is it a false one? Is it the kind of story that will work on their brain or one which aims for lower organs? Is it one of those books that ends up acquiring religious followers or getting burned by them? Is it a book about mathematics or – like everything else in the universe – simply because of it? And also, of course, there is the ultimate, all-important questions: does it have a dog in it?
[b:Redshirts|13055592|Redshirts|John Scalzi|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348617890s/13055592.jpg|18130445]
[b:Redshirts|13055592|Redshirts|John Scalzi|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348617890s/13055592.jpg|18130445]
Wow! What a book! I began this book due to its mathematical links but as I progressed through it I found it was very much more. It was a moving, thought provoking gem that I highly recommend. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry,it'll make you think.