Thursday, January 27, 2011

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War


Another post-apocalyptic tale, this one by Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.  Reminded me a great deal of McCarthy’s The Road, at least some of the story line.  The novel is structured as interviews (Q and As) of first hand experiences of the war.  Brooks, the narrator plays the role of a member of the UN Postwar Commission.  Brooks interviews people who served in the war, lived through the war, and barely escaped death.  Each story gives a horrific view on the Zombies, the cannibalism, the role of religion, technology, artillery, economics, politics, and disease.   Some of the stories are actually pretty engaging, while others, to be honest, had me falling asleep.  I think the concept was good, though the execution was not consistent throughout the novel.  You really have to be a fan of thinking the world is going to end to like this type of book.  Brooks certainly has feelings about the various ideologies (isolationism, democracy, communism, etc.) and is played out as we span the globe and hear how each is affected by the World War Z.  Not totally consistent as some parts of the world had the zombies and others seemed unscathed except for the weather.  Highly political.  Maybe timing for this read, when one thought the world was great, a SNOW DAY! So thinking end of the world didn’t seem to fit!  OK read….

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