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grouchomarxist's review against another edition
4.0
Hemon is a writer who routinely breaks my heart. In 2011, I discovered his stunning New Yorker piece "The Aquarium" (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/06/13/the-aquarium) and I read everything he had written up to that point in one fevered week. But in his different works, one finds different kinds of heartbreak.
With all of his books, the promise and the fury of language often overcomes the limitations of the prose. This was the case with ZOMBIE WARS as well. This book has a very different voice from Hemon's other work, and the first 20 or 25 pages were a slog for me. In fact, I put it aside for a good 8 months. Yet when I restarted reading it, it grabbed me again. After a while I felt like I understood what he was doing. This is the same heteroglossic Hemon who brought us THE LAZARUS PROJECT - but I think this book marks an advance in the development of his ability to create realistic narrative voices.
ZOMBIE WARS follows a cast of truly unlikable characters. There is seriously not one single likable character in this entire book, including the cat. Once you get over that hurdle, however, the book has a lot of rewards. Even when the plot is weak, the prose is full of beautiful chestnuts and philosophical turns that just stopped me in my tracks (well, I was reading sprawled out on my bed, but you know what I mean). I was surprised by how quickly I got drawn in and found myself curious about the plot. This is what Hemon does best, and this is why I'd pay to read even his grocery lists. Definitely recommended.
With all of his books, the promise and the fury of language often overcomes the limitations of the prose. This was the case with ZOMBIE WARS as well. This book has a very different voice from Hemon's other work, and the first 20 or 25 pages were a slog for me. In fact, I put it aside for a good 8 months. Yet when I restarted reading it, it grabbed me again. After a while I felt like I understood what he was doing. This is the same heteroglossic Hemon who brought us THE LAZARUS PROJECT - but I think this book marks an advance in the development of his ability to create realistic narrative voices.
ZOMBIE WARS follows a cast of truly unlikable characters. There is seriously not one single likable character in this entire book, including the cat. Once you get over that hurdle, however, the book has a lot of rewards. Even when the plot is weak, the prose is full of beautiful chestnuts and philosophical turns that just stopped me in my tracks (well, I was reading sprawled out on my bed, but you know what I mean). I was surprised by how quickly I got drawn in and found myself curious about the plot. This is what Hemon does best, and this is why I'd pay to read even his grocery lists. Definitely recommended.
thinkspink's review against another edition
2.0
Joshua is a downtrodden loser guy with a crappy job, and no discernable talent, but he has a problem - beautiful women keep wanting to have sex with him. This causes him angst, and he ends up acting like a dick to everyone he meets. So, well written as this book was, all the time I was reading it, I was hating the main character. I think this is sort of the point, but he's just so annoying I think the book suffers for it, as you can't understand why all these characters would even put up with him for a few minutes. Worth sticking with if you do start it though as the ending is good.
iancarpenter's review against another edition
2.0
I love his writing and loved the first third of this book but the story became more and more simple and plodding and I just didn't care about anyone by the end of it. I'm convinced there's a book of his that I'm going to love.
beccajdb's review against another edition
I read the bad reviews of this book and thought people were being a bit prissy, because the writing is sharp and smart at first. But that disappeared under a swamp of laddishness, awful and absurdly fantasised characterisation of the few women, and foul-mouthed silliness (his women have rustling stockings and curves, for crying out loud!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, and Cannibalism
Minor: Cancer
ajkhn's review against another edition
3.0
There is a chance – a very good chance, I'd add – that I just don't really like funny jokes. The Hemon pacing, the beauty and horror of his work is still there. And it was nice to see him choose a protagonist from the North shore, for nothing if not the sheer difference of it.
But the Zombie Wars script never really did it for me, and of course the Bosnians are the scene stealers — I'm fascinated by Bega's denouement compared to other Hemon characters, and indeed Bega is the most interesting character in the book. Except for maybe Ana.
I'm glad I read it, and there are beautiful passages, but it's not my favorite work by Hemon. I'm simply not sure if that says more about me or him.
But the Zombie Wars script never really did it for me, and of course the Bosnians are the scene stealers — I'm fascinated by Bega's denouement compared to other Hemon characters, and indeed Bega is the most interesting character in the book. Except for maybe Ana.
I'm glad I read it, and there are beautiful passages, but it's not my favorite work by Hemon. I'm simply not sure if that says more about me or him.
crystalnoir's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
ileniazodiaco's review against another edition
3.0
Joshua Levin è un bambinone mai cresciuto, frustrato dall’impossibilità di realizzare il sogno di diventare uno sceneggiatore, anche se ha appena attraversato la soglia dei trenta si sente sull’orlo del fallimento e scorrazza per tutta Chicago alla ricerca di sentimenti più alti della sua ricerca incessante di sesso facile.
Un protagonista così vittimista e piagnucoloso, deprecabile e fastidioso al livello dei personaggi di Jonathan Franzen, non poteva che infilarsi – per colpa sua principalmente – in un vespaio (con sommo godimento del lettore che assiste allo scatafascio). Hemon si diverte quindi a ricreare scene esilaranti che riflettono il profondo disagio emotivo e l’ansia sociale di Joshua, ma soprattutto la sua assoluta incapacità di comprendere emotivamente gli altri. A suo modo, questa storia gli servirà per farlo crescere, o almeno soffrire. È vero, tutti possiamo rispecchiarci nell’immaturità di Joshua, tanto più che certe situazioni ricordano vagamente la spassosa genuinità di Zerocalcare. Se non fosse che Joshua è molto più ossessionato dal sesso (pesantemente influenzato da Philip Roth, che viene anche citato) ed è così assorbito dai suoi stupidissimi problemi da:
- oggettificare qualsiasi donna gli capiti a tiro, appiattendo qualsiasi personalità femminile a una maggiore o minore procacità e disponibilità sessuale
- non rendersi conto di essere patetico e che i suoi problemi insignificanti sono nulla in confronto a quelli della comunità di immigrati bosniaci che frequenta.
In fuga dalla guerra, i bosniaci hanno una filosofia completamente opposta a quella dell’americanissimo Joshua: molto più pragmatica, rischiosa ed efficace. Ed è qui che il demenziale incontra il politico. Lo scontro culturale rende Joshua il vero straniero, la persona incapace di parlar chiaro e di farsi comprendere. Ancora più paradossale il fatto che faccia il professore di lingua inglese e insegni proprio ai bosniaci la lingua per integrarsi.
Irriverente e un filo provocatorio, Hemon riesce a colpire l’America post 11 Settembre con una storia arguta e scorrevolissima ma forse andava letto a suo tempo (non vi dico da quanto tempo giace nella mia libreria) perché di manic pixie dream girl e Scott Pilgrim ne abbiamo già letti e visti troppi.
Un protagonista così vittimista e piagnucoloso, deprecabile e fastidioso al livello dei personaggi di Jonathan Franzen, non poteva che infilarsi – per colpa sua principalmente – in un vespaio (con sommo godimento del lettore che assiste allo scatafascio). Hemon si diverte quindi a ricreare scene esilaranti che riflettono il profondo disagio emotivo e l’ansia sociale di Joshua, ma soprattutto la sua assoluta incapacità di comprendere emotivamente gli altri. A suo modo, questa storia gli servirà per farlo crescere, o almeno soffrire. È vero, tutti possiamo rispecchiarci nell’immaturità di Joshua, tanto più che certe situazioni ricordano vagamente la spassosa genuinità di Zerocalcare. Se non fosse che Joshua è molto più ossessionato dal sesso (pesantemente influenzato da Philip Roth, che viene anche citato) ed è così assorbito dai suoi stupidissimi problemi da:
- oggettificare qualsiasi donna gli capiti a tiro, appiattendo qualsiasi personalità femminile a una maggiore o minore procacità e disponibilità sessuale
- non rendersi conto di essere patetico e che i suoi problemi insignificanti sono nulla in confronto a quelli della comunità di immigrati bosniaci che frequenta.
In fuga dalla guerra, i bosniaci hanno una filosofia completamente opposta a quella dell’americanissimo Joshua: molto più pragmatica, rischiosa ed efficace. Ed è qui che il demenziale incontra il politico. Lo scontro culturale rende Joshua il vero straniero, la persona incapace di parlar chiaro e di farsi comprendere. Ancora più paradossale il fatto che faccia il professore di lingua inglese e insegni proprio ai bosniaci la lingua per integrarsi.
Irriverente e un filo provocatorio, Hemon riesce a colpire l’America post 11 Settembre con una storia arguta e scorrevolissima ma forse andava letto a suo tempo (non vi dico da quanto tempo giace nella mia libreria) perché di manic pixie dream girl e Scott Pilgrim ne abbiamo già letti e visti troppi.
codexmendoza's review against another edition
1.25
At a certain point I passed from grim disgust into just pure and total indifference. Hemon is clearly knowingly writing an unpleasant and gormless creature, but there really needs to be something within this sort of book beyond jokes about bodily emissions. I’ve been told he’s better than this, but this book is genuinely off-putting enough that I’m not sure I can even muster the energy to try.
shawntowner's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a zombie novel, despite the publicity stuff that declares it filled with sex and violence. There is some sex and a little violence, but this is really the story of a struggling writer trying to cope with his life falling apart. It's literary fiction wearing a genre fiction t-shirt. But it's Aleksander Hemon, so it's pretty damn good.