Zone One in DC Public Library

Feb 29, 2016 Alison rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, dcpl_elibrary

This was a really great post-apocalyptic zombie novel, focused around a man who is part of a sweeper team that's checking Manhattan for any zombies the Marines missed. One thing I liked about this is how fast the bureaucracy was re-built. At the time the novel is set, you slowly get the sense that they're at the tipping point - they're either about to slide over into full-on rebuilding, or slide back into the war. Definitely a great read for anyone into this kind of stuff. ...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Maria rated it liked it

Shelves: dystopia-apocalypse, bit-pretentious

As I read, I vacillated between thinking of this as a five-star book and a one-star book, so three is the compromise.

The Good:
The prose
the depictions of consumer culture that survive the apocalypse
the insights about human culture that I haven't seen in any other zombie apocalypse novel

The Bad:
aggressively glacial pace, like the author is daring you to put this down and pick up something else
a narrative so disjointed it feels forced, like a craft exercise in breaking up a story and fitting it tog ...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Tony rated it it was amazing

Shelves: novels, own-loanable, speculative-fiction, setting-nyc

Where to begin? I suppose I should start by saying that while I come from that tribe of geeks that love all things zombie-related (films, comics, videogames, boardgames, etc.), I ran out of enthusiasm for the genre a few years ago. The template for the zombie story is just too confining, there's not that much new or different to be done with it. However, despite this weariness for the genre, I immediately picked this up because it was a Colson Whitehead book. He's one of the few authors whom I w Where to begin? I suppose I should start by saying that while I come from that tribe of geeks that love all things zombie-related (films, comics, videogames, boardgames, etc.), I ran out of enthusiasm for the genre a few years ago. The template for the zombie story is just too confining, there's not that much new or different to be done with it. However, despite this weariness for the genre, I immediately picked this up because it was a Colson Whitehead book. He's one of the few authors whom I will actually rush out to buy (others include Michael Chabon, Nick Hornby, and George Pelecanos, just to name a few -- Jonathan Lethem used to be on the list, but no longer). That said, my experience with his books has been a slow slide of diminishing returns: I loved (and still love) his debut The Intuitionist, his second book (John Henry Days) is flawed but still fully engaging, the third book (Apex Hides the Hurt) felt like a slight trifle, and his most recent book (Sag Harbor) was just too personal for me to connect with. However, this is an excellent book in which Whitehead combines his controlled freestyling prose with the hard, bleak tone of Cormac McCarthy's The Road or No Country For Old Men, in order to document the downfall of his beloved Manhattan, and indeed, the American empire. Many people (including the publicist who wrote the back cover copy) seem to be mistakenly using the word "satire" to describe the book -- it's not a satire, it's a scathing, raging critique of modern America.

Don't pick this up expecting a literary "take" on the zombie action thriller, a few scenes aside, there isn't much action. The bulk of the book takes place inside the protagonist's head, as he trudges around a mostly-safe part of Manhattan as part of a three-person militia unit "sweeping" the blocks for stray zombies the Marines missed when they secured this part of the island. As they clear Manhattan for the impending resettlement, he mentally documents the pre-"Last Night" world and its ridiculous concerns, ranging from consumer items to real estate to sitcoms, and so on. There are plenty of flashbacks to his year on the run in the wilderness, and we get plenty of stories from other characters about where they were when it all came crashing down. These provide the necessary "what would I do" moments which are integral to the zombie genre (and many other horror genres for that matter), but make no mistake, this book is only headed to one place. There's only three ways a zombie story can end, good, bad, or setup for the sequel, and I'm not spoiling anything by telling you that Whitehead is not interested in building any suspense, because every so often he'll slip in a direct statement that tells you it's not going to end well. The book is told from the perspective of a Sunday, and the "action" mainly unfolds over the previous two days, with lots of flashbacks to earlier times. I suppose this flashback within a flashback chronology might be confusing to some people, but I never had a problem with it.

It's nothing new to use genre forms to tell allegorical tales, and American materialism has been skewered by the zombie-maestro himself, George Romero, in Dawn of the Dead. But the sheer skill at work here makes this well worth reading, whether you're a zombie enthusiast, a fan of Whitehead's, or just a lover of interesting fiction. ...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Claire rated it really liked it

This is so much better than just a zombie thriller...Whitehead's language and descriptions are unique and often surprised me into laughing out loud. The zombies are an interesting blend of horror-movie familiar and realistic, and the main character Mark Spitz is a glimpse inside the mind of someone witnessing the end of the world. ...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Devon Tutak rated it it was ok

I found myself frequently skimming over Whitehead's flowery prose to find the narrative action. While this take on the classic zombie apocalypse is certainly more high brow than most, it lacks the stimulating, pulse-quickening plot that I look for in this genre. ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Sam rated it it was amazing

Oh man was this book a good time read! For all you zombie-pocalypse fans out there, kick the genre up a notch with this post-mod lit take on the topic. A unnervingly possible story!

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