World War Z: Read it or Watch it?

It is not that often that I watch a movie and then read the book, (The Hunger Games Trilogy was another read inspired by the movie) however I enjoyed the Zombie Flick so much, reading the book seemed like the next logical move.

'World War Z', by experienced 'Zombie author' Max Brooks, is almost unrecognisable as the inspiration for the movie.
Oddly enough, this is not a bad thing for the reader, rather it allows them  to experience 'World War Z' from a different, yet completely absorbing, angle.

Book vs Movie; how both come out on top:

• Watch the movie to see Brad Pitt. There I said it, I just love looking at the man and as a bonus he is a rather fine actor.
• The book is narrated 15 years after the end of 'World War Z'; where a series of key interviews have taken place to determine the political and cultural failings that allowed the near extinction of the human race. While this might sound dry, it is actually fascinating. In the absence of actual Zombies, Brooks leaves the reader with the feeling that society is teetering on the edge of disaster.
• Fantastic use of CGI leaves you gasping in scenes of mass chaos as the Zombies take hold (literally.... with their teeth). Refreshingly though, while the movie is scary it is not excessively gory (how that was managed in a Zombie movie I will never know).
• Personal stories told to a nearly invisible narrator make the book version of 'WWZ' seem dreadfully real. Stories of government misinformation, inaction and intentional genocide mixed in with personal heroism and in some cases dumb luck hit home hard.
• The movie does have some clever links to the book, without providing a spoiler, the Israel approach being the most obvious of these. The book is clever and the movie draws on enough detail to seem clever too. The floating sanctuaries, the variation in national responses all seem logical enough to be real.

If I had to choose I would say this: 

The book is better as an intriguing and unique look at the Zombie apocalypse, focusing less on gore (though there is plenty of that) and more on the human response. 

The movies is better for sharing the experience, as I did with my significant other, eyes glued to the screen, shuffling a bit closer with each passing scene.

So all in all, good news! Feel free to read the book and watch the movie in any order, you won't be disappointed!

Both the book and the movie can be purchased through Amazon.com via the following link:

'World War Z'

'Little Bee': A poignant tale, with a very dark 'sting'

I purchased 'Little Bee' from a Balinese book store while on holidays, imagining,  for some reason, that it would be a relaxing diversion for one of my eyes, while the other one watched my children splashing in the pool....

Now, there is unquestionably more than one way to be 'wrong' in this world, for example you could be;

Wrong in a way that causes nasty and unwanted consequences to wreak havoc on your life, or

Wrong in that your expectations were 'wrong' and you have ended up with a different kind of benefit, unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome.

When it came to my choice of book, I was wrong, very wrong; happily though, my mistake fell into the second category of error.

'Little Bee'  (also published under the name 'On the other hand'), was NOT a relaxing holiday read, rather it is an upsetting and brutal tale where two worlds (one civilised and safe, one desperate and violently misogynistic) collide, sparking a series of events possessed with the unstoppable momentum of a runaway train.

While, the cover of the book rather coyly insists on not giving the plot of the story away, I think some details are required before the decision is made 'to read, or not to read'; especially for younger readers:

Little Bee: read this, before you read that...

• 'Little Bee' centres around the life of a Nigerian Refugee, Little Bee. Little Bee lives in fear of 'The Men Coming'. In her world, when the men come, it is better to be already dead.
• Little Bee's life entwines with that of Sarah, a hopelessly (if temporarily) sheltered English woman whom she meets on Beach in Nigeria. Horror (and no, there is no other word for it) accompanies Little Bee to the beach for that fateful meeting.
• Cleave alludes to this horror for much of the book, but be warned, an unflinching, graphic and shattering description of the events on the beach is eventually given. For me, I found reading these pages difficult and upsetting, I also found myself thinking; 'If only more people would read this book. How could people remain 'cold' to the plight of so many refugees when faced with this reality?' 

You might be wondering, where exactly is the benefit to be found in reading a book like this on a holiday, or anywhere, for that matter? Again, while not giving the plot away I say this; Cleave has produced a powerful and thought provoking novel, highlighting with a terrible clarity the plight of the dispossessed and helpless in our world. He has shown us their fear and desperation, while shining a light on our own indifference and, ironically, our own fear.

Read it to challenge your thinking and world view, though perhaps don't make it your first choice for a relaxing pool side read!

Little Bee is available for purchase through amazon.com via the following link:

'Little Bee' by Chris Cleave