Jeffrey Lee
asked:
I watched the movie and really enjoyed it. It was very exciting and I couldn't stop watching it. I was pretty excited when I stumbled across this book. Is it similar to the movie? Is this book good? Please give me your suggestions.
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World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,
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Dingo928
The Film did not stay true to the book. The book has so many stories within it, that it is impossible to translate it into a film trilogy let alone one movie. Not even Peter Jackson himself can milk three Long films out of this book. WWZ would have been ideal for a series or even an HBO miniseries. The only similarities that the film has with the book, are some locations/war zones described in the book. Basically the studios that bought the rights from Mr. Brooks paid for the name only which is a shame because this could hinder any future attempts at creating a series that can truly do this book justice. I would have enjoyed the movie more if it had a different title.
Asinimali
I saw the movie first as well. It is a good movie but the book is awesome. Brooks took the format of Studs Terkel's The Good Fight (different and diverse participants recounting their story without any commentary or having the author intervene as the narrator or as a character). It is about the rise of the zombies, how humanity lost, how it survived, how it fought back, and how it is winning from the perspective of participants. The vignettes themselves are not chapters but each tells an important story. Moreover, a lot of these stories end up in a lot of recent zombie movies and shows. Personally, I think it should be required reading for anyone who has to think on their feet and to think their way out of a crisis. If you are into zombie, this is a smart book that you really should read.
Julie Wetzel
The book and the movie aren't really the same. The book is made up of eye witness accounts from the start of the zombie war all the way up to humanity retaking the world from the walking dead. The movie was fun, but the book is amazing. Definitely read the book, but don't go into it expecting to get what the movie presented. And if you don't want to READ it, they did an amazing adaptation on tape, but a few of the stories were left out.
Joe Konczal
I for one would say that the book is much better than the movie. The main character in the is going around the world collecting stories for a post war report for the U.N, so it's written like a giant interview. I also love how this book focuses on the people, and humanities fight for survival more than it does the zombies, and gory battles. But that's not to say that the book has no action and some creepy parts. Over all the book was much better than the movie and I would recommend reading it before seeing it.
Lisa Boone
Ditto what Julie has already said. The book is really nothing like the movie. Both are good, just in different ways. You won't find your typical graphic zombie horror in the book, but for me it was a refreshing change and really good to read something so different than the typical zombie novel. I consider it a must read for zombie fans, but it is also a book that I think people that don't usually read horror fiction can appreciate.
Peter West
This answer contains spoilers…
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Emily
Pretty much nothing is the same except for the fact that they both have zombies in them. The book follows the oral accounts of survivors, so everything is told in past tense. And it doesn't follow just one person like the movie does.
Ilter Yılmaz
the movie is tang, yes it is refreshing but you still know it is not good for you, it tastes good but you get that chemical feeling like licking plastic. the book, is a fresh squeezed orange juice, the kind that makes you want more, and you feel much better knowing what you consumed is good for you. and i think without the draw of brad pitt this movie would be a mediocre zombie flick.
the book is about the peoples first hand experiences of the apocalypse. it is really great to witness how people from different countries and backgrounds took in reacted to it.
just read it, it is good for you.
the book is about the peoples first hand experiences of the apocalypse. it is really great to witness how people from different countries and backgrounds took in reacted to it.
just read it, it is good for you.
Michael Ransom
Agree with all the others (book better, much more encompassing, as well as an incredible accomplishment by the writer to inhabit the hundreds of perspectives in that book)... but I will add this one aspect for any of those who may have read the book but not watched the movie. The movie is excellent too, and that opening scene in Philadelphia (I used to live there) is one of the absolutely best opening sequences in any action/thriller/horror movie ever made, zombie or other. Happy reading/viewing!
Lindsey Albright
I enjoyed the movie too. I read the book first, and the book is excellent. If you enjoyed the movie, you'll likely adore the book. The movie is more like Brad Pitt's fantasy of what the story would be like if he were in it AND the main character. It's like a egotistical re-imagining of the book. It's still really fun to watch and it was really well done. The book is far more interesting because you get involved in a few different perspectives. You yearn for more information, more exposure to these people. You want to know what happened to THEM and not just some random lone hero. It's a book that involves a lot of thought, action, and bravery. Check it out if you haven't already.
Ethan Holtsclaw
Not at all similar to the book. The movie is decent/watchable, and is a good intro to horror for people who haven't experienced the genre, but the book is so much better. However, they are both so different from each other i think that it would be best to ignore that they have the same title, and enjoy them separately. But may I restate, the book is extremely different, and a must read. Not sure if this helps at this point, but for anyone else who has this kind of dilemma, this is your guide. The movie is pretty decent, but the book is basically a separate entity.
Jen
what rating would you give this book? pg, pg13 etc?
Courtney
I've read the book and I love it, it is so realistic and very well written. The book is written like the event actually happened. Then I saw the movie, and I think it is utter crap! Leave it to Hollywood to take a dump on a fantastic book. I do however highly recommend reading the book, I bet you'll love it.
Shad
The book is superior to the movie. It's not just about fighting zombies, it's about politics, business, economics, the military, and human nature - good and bad. It takes place after the Zombie Wars and is a series of interviews with survivors. Max Brooks did a fantastic job thinking about the repercussions of a zombie plague, how it affected everyone from children to the dogs the military used.
Not every chapter was great, but all were well thought out. Clearly, Brooks did his research. Because of the episodic nature of the book, if you don't care for a chapter, it shouldn't affect your overall enjoyment. I feel this could be adapted into a TV show with different stories every week, rather than a movie. That said, I enjoyed the movie, but the book beats it by a mile.
Not every chapter was great, but all were well thought out. Clearly, Brooks did his research. Because of the episodic nature of the book, if you don't care for a chapter, it shouldn't affect your overall enjoyment. I feel this could be adapted into a TV show with different stories every week, rather than a movie. That said, I enjoyed the movie, but the book beats it by a mile.
Jenny
The only thing that the book and the movie have in common is the title.
Cathyand Francisco
I personally think the books is way better than the movie, but I did read the book first so that may influence my opinion. However, I found the book more believable and I love zombie stories that feel real!
Hannah
Oh honey, the movie was exciting, but there were so many stupid implausible crap. The book, while not always "action packed," it is very well thought through.
Jordan
It is very different from the book and I think that you should just stick with the move, as the book is very confusing when it comes to how everything is laid out.
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