Holly Book 17: World War Z by Max Brooks

Last Sunday I saw World War Z with bean. I had yet to read the book and heard pretty bad reviews of the movie. Seeing the movie before reading the book I have to say I personally enjoyed the film. It wasn't overly gory or scary and I don't mind staring at Brad Pitt for a few hours. On the way home we stopped at Meijer and I decided to pick up the book so I could compare the two.  The book itself  is actually a collection of short narratives from people who survived the zombie war. Through the eyes of the people who lived through the war you learn  how it started, how people survived and died, and ultimately how the zombies were defeated. The book is nothing like the movie, a few of the movie characters seem to have been inspired by the book but nothing very specific. The plot of the movie is also told a completely different way, it is the story of brad pitt and how he ultimately discovered the way to defeat the zombies ( In the book however there is no easy anecdote and the war lasts many years) Honestly, I don't even know how the book and movie can be considered the same story. If the movie had a different name and I had seen it I would never think to myself, of this movie must be based off World War Z the novel. That being said, I think the book is a million times more interesting. It is such an addictive read and it is the first story I have ever read that actually makes a zombie apocalypse seem plausible. For me the author did such an amazing job at creating a scenario that seemed 100% authentic and telling it in a way that let you see how the entire world was affected. You get so many perspectives and insights into what happened, and even though every story is short, you don't feel like there are missing pieces. After I finished the book I continued thinking about it as if the story had really happened. I think the angle I found so interesting was that this story focused more on the politics of what would happen if the world was overrun by the undead, and less on the blood and guts most zombie stories focus on. The fear wasn't created by gruesome imagery but by the idea that  a scenario like this could so easily happen and very few of us would be prepared.

Overall a great summer read 10/10 for me! If you saw the movie make sure you read the book for a completely different and ultimately more interesting and in-depth story.