Handling the Undead
Ratings10
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings10
Average rating3.7
In his new novel, John Ajvide Lindqvist does for zombies what his previous novel, Let the Right One In, did for vampires. Across Stockholm the power grid has gone crazy. In the morgue and in cemeteries, the recently deceased are waking up. One grandfather is alight with hope that his grandson will be returned, but one husband is aghast at what his adored wife has become. A horror novel that transcends its genre by showing what the return of the dead might really mean to those who loved them.
Reviews with the most likes.
This is a story about the psychological and issues of dealing with the dead coming back, centering on three different families who recently lost a loved one and are in different stages of the grieving process.
It is a “came back wrong” type of story in which the dead create a phenomenon where the living can hear each other's thoughts in their presence. Having no emotions of their own, the dead act as a channel, taking on the emotions of any living people near them.
As far as horror content, this is more about emotions and relationships rather than action, conflict, or visceral thrills. There are some disturbing moments and gore but mostly I found this book to be strange and sad as opposed to scary.
I like that there is no reason given for the beginning or abrupt end of the happening. It is about the effects not the cause. It's an interesting read that I'm not entirely sure I've fully wrapped my head around yet. The three storylines dwindle away rather than coming to a sharp point, reminiscent of “not with a bang but a whimper.”
