World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Book Review: World War Z on CD
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book on CD to listen to on my last drive from Florida to North Carolina and was so happy I did. The story was great and the fact that each charater (almost) was a different person really made all the difference. After listening to many books on CD with the reader changing their voice for different charaters-sometimes badly- this was a delightful change. I was sorry when it ended!Book Review: A POSITIVE ZOMBIE BOOK :)
Summary: 5 Stars
Max puts the zombie novel shambling down a on a new path with this book. I like the fact that Brooks goes old style with his zombies. These are the old Romero zombies- they don't get you by using machine guns (ugh), or being lightning fast, or magical powers- they get you by sheer numbers. The one spin that Max goes for is how such a monumental disastrous "plague" that almost wipes out humanity actually brings people together. It is one of the few books that actually has a "happier" under lining theme that when it gets down to it people almost everywhere eventually drop what divides them and unite against a common enemy. Not saying this is a silly Hollywood action movie (it would make a fine mini-series) just that some of the zombie fiction has been sooooo bleak it is nice to see how Mr. Brooks takes all the clichés and literally lets us see some light at the end of the dark and scary tunnel. Of course with some social commentary he doesn't forget to have good scares, exciting and well written action, fascinating characters, and good zombie gore ? Highly recommended not just to zombie fans but those who like a good scare and a little more. Book Review: Social Commentary In The Zombie Form
Summary: 5 Stars
World War Z is along the lines of Romero's Dead Series, a horror entertainment with a social commentarial theme. WWZ takes us through the reasons the zombie virus was able to take hold and its really issues that plague our present day society. The War In Iraq, our busy lifestyles, our government's inability to prevent disaster, or at least lessen it's impact, along with the ambiguous attitudes of politicians, and the squandering of public support.
WWZ takes us through the war's history, through the voices of characters from around the world, from China, India, and the U.S. just to name a few, and we are able to see when desperate times really called for some very desperate measures in order for society as a whole to survive, not the attempt to save every single person in any given country. From the Great Panic, to Total War, the Homefront, the eventual reclamation of the world, and the after effects are all chronicled here in the voices of those who bloodied their hands, and devised the plans in order to save humanity.
The book really shows the human condition, our prevelant ability to fight amongst ourselves while the whole world goes to Hell in the literal since, even including the very best in human nature with the very worst, and the alienation of those trying to the very best they can, or the only thing they can to stop the threat, eventhough it may be unpopular.
If your a lover of good Zombie fiction, do not pass this one by, this is a very valid interpretation of an Undead War, well as real as one could get. Hopefully the movie rights have already been decided and this slice of Zombism is on its way to the big screen.
The book rightfully pays homage to the original zombie mind of George A. Romero, who took a clumsy, dimwitted monster and turned it into a horror phenomenon the world had never seen, a vehicle for displaying the wrongs and issues in the world.
Book Review: Fantastic book
Summary: 5 Stars
This was an amazingly good zombie book. I started reading last night at 10 o'clock and finally had to put it down at 3 in the morning. I got up at 8 am, started reading again and didn't go to work until I was finished. Yes, I am a slow reader, and yes this is one of those books that sucks you in from the first page and which you can't put down, not for sleep, work, pets, or family. I knew from the moment I read the first few lines of the introduction that this was going to be a great read. One of my favorite experiences is when a book grabs you by the throat from the first page and this novel delivers that experience in spades.
The story is told as a series of vignettes of personal experiences during the initial plague outbreak, the Great Panic that followed, and the slow recovery over ten years as humanity battles back. If you have ever read any Studs Terkel you already know this is a powerful and compelling way to tell a story. My hat is off to the author because he does something I haven't seen in any other zombie book through these vignettes...he fully explores the how the plague would start, sputter and lurch, and then spread just like all diseases do. He also fully explores world-wide ramifications and tells the stories of individuals from many countries so you see how the zombie plague was dealt with in all areas of the world and on all continents. He deals with political, economic, environmental and military issues in a startling cohesive and plausible manner. This book isn't the typical 'zombies take over the world in two weeks and there are only seven people left' fiction...no, this feels like what it could actually be like in a very believable manner. The sheer realism of this book makes it stand out in this genre.
The individual stories are poignant, convincing, and compelling. I like zombie books but this was by far the best I've ever read. If you're in the mood for reading about zombies then this is the book I would recommend first. It's going on my shelves as an all-time favorite and as one I recommend to others.
Book Review: less fun, more filling
Summary: 2 Stars
i whole heartedly agree with daniel b. below. nowhere near as fun as the zombie survival guide, which i loved. too much left wing politics, not enough zombies.
on the other hand, you have to expect some explanation/point of view from the author as to why he's writing zombie fiction in the first place, and max gives you that, like it or not. at least he took his stand.
i don't care about this book, but i hope they make the 'survival guide' into a movie somehow. maybe a 'crocodile hunter' docudrama type treatment. it was hilarious.