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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I expected a straight forward horror story from this book, and I got something much better. The terrifying element of this story is not the undead themselves, or the "reliving" as the government terms them, but instead the cosmology that allowed the dead from two months ago to present to come back from the grave.
I don't want to say too much and spoil this book, but here's some hints: the reliving are not zombies or vampires, out to feed on humans. They also are not the same people that died, not really. They are something else entirely, and that's part of what is so off-putting. The rest of the horror comes from a reworking of what death means, and a rethinking of what happens when we die. Is there a soul? Where does it go? Is there a Heaven and a Hell? Or instead a large, disordered cosmos that honestly doesn't care what happens to us.
You'll have to read to find out.
I don't want to say too much and spoil this book, but here's some hints: the reliving are not zombies or vampires, out to feed on humans. They also are not the same people that died, not really. They are something else entirely, and that's part of what is so off-putting. The rest of the horror comes from a reworking of what death means, and a rethinking of what happens when we die. Is there a soul? Where does it go? Is there a Heaven and a Hell? Or instead a large, disordered cosmos that honestly doesn't care what happens to us.
You'll have to read to find out.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this book because I really enjoyed Lindqvist's Let The Right One In. It isn't a "traditional" zombie story, but rather a study of the psychological and societal impacts of the dead suddenly coming back to life and simply wanting to come home. It encompasses a different kind of horror. While definitely interesting to read, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. I don't think enough of what happened was explained thoroughly. Why did Anna resent Mahler so much? I had a hard time understanding Anna's motivation, she seemed so mean and resentful without any cause or reason. What caused the dead to come back to life? Why could people read each other's thoughts around the undead? What exactly happened in the end? I had to re-read several sections of the book to try and figure out what had just happened, which may have been the fault of the translation. I didn't really care for Elvy and Flora's part of the story, but I found David's to be very touching and real. This was a decent read, but left a few too many unanswered questions for me.
Really more of a philosophical look at the raw emotions regarding the death of loved ones and whether they are alive when they are zombies. It was an interesting exploration of the different responses and coping mechanisms of humans and their "handling of the undead."
This was a remarkable book. Probably the most unique and sympathetic manifestation of zombies I've ever seen in media. No sudden uprising or Armageddon-level violence. Just dead people suddenly rising up and seemingly wanting simply to go home, and how the families and society deal with that.
I was intrigued by the varying supernatural phenomenon around what this book dubs "the reliving." The idea of the undead having some kind of unnerving psychological influence on the living by their mere presence was a nice touch. These relatively slow, docile creatures end up seeming even more sinister, at least compared to other zombies in media, because the typical tropes are all changed. This was the first slow-burn zombie story I've ever consumed.
Even though death is obviously central to zombie mythology, it's usually a secondary aspect of the actual story. Handling the Undead, meanwhile, keeps capital-D Death as central to the plot. Death could be considered a character, a setting, or even just a mood in this story.
It was a great read!
I was intrigued by the varying supernatural phenomenon around what this book dubs "the reliving." The idea of the undead having some kind of unnerving psychological influence on the living by their mere presence was a nice touch. These relatively slow, docile creatures end up seeming even more sinister, at least compared to other zombies in media, because the typical tropes are all changed. This was the first slow-burn zombie story I've ever consumed.
Even though death is obviously central to zombie mythology, it's usually a secondary aspect of the actual story. Handling the Undead, meanwhile, keeps capital-D Death as central to the plot. Death could be considered a character, a setting, or even just a mood in this story.
It was a great read!
A decent read, but not nearly as good as "Let the Right One In".
my goodness! to call this a zombie book would be incorrect, while these creatures are undead, they do not follow any traditional zombie lore. though this novel got grotesque and eerie, it was a lot more spiritual than expected.
one thing I could not wrap my head around, if why everyone seemed to think that the undead world just get better? does it have to do with a difference in a cultural view of death? do Swedes regard death as a condition to be cured?
I also thought the end of Elsy and Flora's story line left something to be desired.
one thing I could not wrap my head around, if why everyone seemed to think that the undead world just get better? does it have to do with a difference in a cultural view of death? do Swedes regard death as a condition to be cured?
I also thought the end of Elsy and Flora's story line left something to be desired.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes