World War Z: A Review

World War Z – an Oral History of the Zombie War was written by Max Brooks and published in 2006. The book tells the story of humanity’s war with the zombies in the form of interviews with survivors. It is a gripping story that explores very interesting ideas. Oftentimes the book is focused on the big picture and how the zombies impacted people across the planet. For example, it shows that many leaders and people didn’t take the zombie threat seriously when they first appeared. In America this failure was because greedy corporations sold fake pills to protected people from the ‘human rabies.’ There is so much attention to detail and the book allows you to immerse yourself in the war ravaged world.

The thing that sets the novel apart from other zombie stories is its format. World War Z follows an interviewer who, after society is reestablished, interviews other survivors for his book. This format allows readers to see the events of the book in a grander scope. It allows readers to focus on individual people while still seeing the bigger picture. The interviewer talks to people from many places including America, Cuba, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, and even the people from the international space station.

Themes

World War Z tackles the same theme that many other zombie stories focus on: Humanity. The book shows how oppressive regimes can become even more terrible and how people can be driven to their worst when they have nothing to lose. However, World War Z also plays with the ideas of community, hope, and of coming together.

The interviews show that when mankind is divided we can’t achieve anything. Once the zombies came everyone had to fight. If you could shoot straight you were enlisted. Only when everyone worked together, ignoring discord and old grievances, could the zombies be vanquished. That is a powerful message, especially in these times.

Characters

The writing is, overall, good. Max Brooks manages to get you to care for each character. Each is different and has their own quirks. They really feel alive. However, because there are so many interviews, it can be hard to keep everyone straight. Also, the book can be annoying to those who expected a novel, since it reads more like a collection of short stories. However, since you’re on this site, you are probably no stranger to short stories.

Slight Drawbacks

The main drawback is a lack of stakes. World War Z is the story of how humanity survived the zombie war – told by the survivors. So, if you are a person who expects a plot twist at every turn, this book may not be for you. I will say that there is still value in reading about these situations and events. There is something cathartic in seeing humanity rebuild, in seeing people face the political, social, physical, emotional, challenges, and overcome them. It is important to read these stories of success, especially now, to be reminded that there is an endpoint to each struggle.

So, I would recommend you read this book.

If you’ve read this book and agree, disagree, or just want to start a discussion, leave a comment here