30 Second Review: World War Z
September 17, 2007
World War Z, the latest from novelist Max Brooks, is an “oral history” of those who survived a global zombie infestation in Earth’s near future. A super-virus that kills the host but maintains the brain without the need for oxygen and food is let loose across the globe. The book is a chronological collection of interviews with survivors and as such lacks a singular and cohesive narrative. That’s not a detriment, as all the voices turn the book into a cubist painting of sorts - you see the same subject from many sides at once.
Still, the execution is flawed in that it cuts off surprisingly well-written mini-stories to refocus on the less thrilling bigger picture. There’s no better example than the story of an American family escaping through Canada that juxtaposes a deteriorating marriage against the backdrop of zombie hordes as seen by a child and re-told by an adult. Their story is just so rich and engrossing I’m disappointed to have to move on, although the real disappointment is that the book is really short and I burned through the whole thing in just a few hours.
Conclusion? A week after reading this I’m still contemplating how I’d escape from my 4th story apartment if the building was flooded with zombies. Sure, the science is implausible, but the writing, narration and pace are surprisingly top-notch. A perfect read-while-you’re-on-the-subway-book.
A movie is also in the works (scripted by Michael Straczynski!).
World War Z by Max Brooks. ISBN: 9780739340134, Random House, 2006.
Links:
World War Z Official Website
Another reviewer’s take on the book
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Now that is a problem! Good review, thanks for the tip and the analysis, this book may never have hit my radar otherwise.