Comments on: Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth

By: LiteraryMinded

LiteraryMinded — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:25:46 +0000

It’s one of the few books I have read about 4-5 times and will revisit again and again despite the groaning book pile Oh, and now I feel like watching Gods and Monsters again!

By: latebreaker

latebreaker — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:42:44 +0000

Agreed, the monster is far too sentient to be considered a zombie – he actually has needs beyond hunger and can articulate them (I should have considered this last night but that’s what posting at 2 am does to you). Frankenstein is one of my favourites too, I’ll need to re-read it again soon. In the meantime I’ve got the two Whale films to tide me over.

By: LiteraryMinded

LiteraryMinded — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:05:03 +0000

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of my all-time favourite novels – perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to some of these new genre reads (ChompLit as opposed to BitLit we decided on Twitter last night ). But though Frankenstein’s monster is made from the body parts of the dead (and is ‘undead’ when awakened) he is not really within the realm of the zombie, as he can’t convert others. He does have the urge to create more of his kind though (out of heartbreaking loneliness), and tries to get Victor to create a female. Frankenstein’s monster is a sympathetic character, a victim as opposed to a tormentor – though he becomes that through loneliness, desperation, and misconception. The first James Whale 1930s film got him half-right, and it’s a gem in its own right, but after that he often was portrayed just as a frightening beast, without as much dimension.

By: latebreaker

latebreaker — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:53:19 +0000

Interesting you mention The Village, as that was the first thing that came to mind reading through the synopsis; sounds like it was equally as disappointing as that film. Which is a shame really, I wouldn’t mind seeing more serious attempts at zombie fiction. Does Frankenstein count? I have yet to approach Pride and Prejudice and Zombies…