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A review by natasha_saidikowski
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
5.0
This. Book. Was. So. Good.
I love that Brooks didn't just write another zombie book. Instead, he used the plot point of a zombie apocalypse to create a geo- and socio-political thought experiment. The story was so masterfully crafted. So many of the references and jargon related to things that a reader from Brooks's alternative universe would immediately get; but he nonetheless had clever ways of letting his uninitiated readers (namely, us here in this universe) know eventually what those references meant. For example, the Hero City. He never tells us outright what that is, but gives us a strong enough context clue at the very end of the book to let us know which city was renamed the Hero City. And at the same time, gives his ending serious resonance. I cannot wait to reread this book - it was disturbing and terrifying, and yet I want to read it through again now that I know what to expect. I get the feeling this is the kind of book that has layers and layers to peel back each time you reread it. As sad as it is that I'll never get to read this book for the first time again, it's also exciting that I get to reread it over and over. This is one of those special books where there's great pleasure in the reread.
The major takeaway I have from this read: The movie seriously fucked up this story. There was so much in the source material, so many extraordinary stories and ideas to bring to life. And the movie just turned it into another zombie apocalypse thrill ride. The movie wasn't bad or anything - but it definitely needs a different title, and it shouldn't be associated with this masterpiece of literature in any way.
I love that Brooks didn't just write another zombie book. Instead, he used the plot point of a zombie apocalypse to create a geo- and socio-political thought experiment. The story was so masterfully crafted. So many of the references and jargon related to things that a reader from Brooks's alternative universe would immediately get; but he nonetheless had clever ways of letting his uninitiated readers (namely, us here in this universe) know eventually what those references meant. For example, the Hero City. He never tells us outright what that is, but gives us a strong enough context clue at the very end of the book to let us know which city was renamed the Hero City. And at the same time, gives his ending serious resonance. I cannot wait to reread this book - it was disturbing and terrifying, and yet I want to read it through again now that I know what to expect. I get the feeling this is the kind of book that has layers and layers to peel back each time you reread it. As sad as it is that I'll never get to read this book for the first time again, it's also exciting that I get to reread it over and over. This is one of those special books where there's great pleasure in the reread.
The major takeaway I have from this read: The movie seriously fucked up this story. There was so much in the source material, so many extraordinary stories and ideas to bring to life. And the movie just turned it into another zombie apocalypse thrill ride. The movie wasn't bad or anything - but it definitely needs a different title, and it shouldn't be associated with this masterpiece of literature in any way.