Handling the Undead Paperback – August 30, 2011

I was first exposed to John Ajvide Lindqvist by viewing both versions of the films inspired by his novel, Let the Right One In. I prefer the Swedish version, but they are both excellent. I decided to read the book and was totally mesmerized. It was hypnotic and I became totally engrossed. However, like a lot of people, I wanted to know what happened to the main characters following the end of the book. Then I discovered that Lindqvist had written a brief epilogue that was included in his short story collection, Let the Old Dreams Die. So I ordered that and found the sequel too be brilliant...thoroughly satisfying. Exactly what it needed to be. However, I noticed there was also an epilogue in this collection to another Lindqvist novel, Handling the Undead. OK, I loved Let the Right One In so much, I decided to read this newer novel as well. It's incredible too. In fact I plowed through it faster than I think I have any novel in a long, long time. It's as equally a unique look at the whole zombie apocalypse phenomenon as Let the Right One In was a completely different spin on old vampire legends. No gore and brain-eating mayhem, but rather deep, complex examinations of just what it means to be dead. I couldn't put it down. In fact, I kept getting annoyed at the droopy bedtime eyes because I didn't want to stop, despite knowing the wake-up alarm was set to go off in just a few hours. I'm a true Lindqvist fan now and after I finish reading the aforementioned short story collection (and sequel to Handing the Undead) I'm moving on to yet another Lindqvist novel, The Harbor.

Much like Lindqvist's earlier book, the superb vampire coming-of-age tale  Let the Right One In , Handling the Undead traffics in horror trope, but turns them on their head by focusing on the emotional and psychological ramifications over the pure horror. As the title suggests, Handling the Undead is a zombie novel, one that focuses on a small Swedish town where the recently dead have come to life. As he did with Right One, Lindqvist creates complex characters with their own psychological scars, and watching his characters using the undead as a way of coping and coming to terms with death is fascinating. However, where Right One strode the line between drama and horror perfectly, Handling barely contains any horror elements at all, instead ultimately moving into supernatural events more about a somewhat fuzzy cosmology (and maybe theology) than evil. None of this makes Handling the Undead a bad book, but it's also never quite as gripping as you'd like. The stakes are low, the threats mild, and the ending is ultimately a little unclear and frustrating. That being said, there's something appealing about such a different take on zombies, and there's no denying that Lindqvist's characters are compelling enough to watch develop, much less their perfect thematic pairing with the material. It's just that the book lacks the edge it needs to push it into something truly great.

Derivative of the 2010 DVD "They Came Back" - which stunk as a zombie film - but this book was bought based off the TRAILER for the upcoming movie - and having read it, I'll bet the trailer was all the best bits---and the rest will be stuff I won't care for. The book was a slow read - some points of interest with the one that actually speaks (freshly dead) - and in the end---it is a 1-read book. Don't expect to want to re-read it. I liked "Let the right one in" so had similar hopes here - but very disappointed.

I am a horror book fan. Let the Right One In was amazing. This book was so well written but it is heartbreaking- puts a personal touch on the concept of zombies

As many reviewers have already stated, this is NOT your typical zombie novel. Which is one of the reasons I really enjoyed it. Not so much as his grand slam of a novel, "Let the Right One In", but I'd still define this book as a home run. As a long time fan of Stephen King, since before he was a household name, I've been awaiting his so-called successor with much skepticism. Quite frankly, I think King's most minor works are still head and shoulders above most horror novelists working today. So I was thrilled to finally read a vampire novel that lived up to his "Salem's Lot." And while I was still skeptical Lindqvist could continue to write at that same high level with his subsequent novels, I was very pleased with his effort on "Handling the Undead". Like King, Lindqvist writes in a style that is not only very believable, but highly relateable. Except for some notable instances, the zombies in Lindqvist's book are harmless and sad. The characters orbiting these lost loved ones, even more sad and lost. Like the best zombie movies, this is story about the living, not the dead. If you can suspend your blood lust long enough to give this book an honest shot I don't think you'll be disappointed.

A very original concept on an old trope zombies. How, Who and Why some people come back from the dead original to this story. Told with the experience of mainly four families and their undead family member when they come back. The emotions and feelings of love and loss. As well as how government and society deals with what it means to be dead and alive.Fun and thought provoking at the same time. Lindqvist is always a great read.

I absolutely loved "Let Me In" so "Handling the Undead" was a disappointment as it read somewhat like a Stephen King thriller. It was interesting in terms of exploring what would really happen if zombies were to come into existence - Lindqvist's zombies are not amusing or mock feared but are instead terribly sad half-beings to which relatives cling in an effort to bring lost loved ones back to life. The book has merit and there are flashes of imaginative, emotional and intellectual depth but on the whole the story doesn't quite come together in a convincing way. I think this could have been a better book had he had a really good and gutsy editor. As it is I am sure I will never read this book again and I hesitate to recommend it to others unless they have a zombie fascination thing going.

It was a great read for 7/8ths of the book but fell completely apart at the end. To many unexplained/unconnected events. Reminded me of It turning into a space spider.

I loved this book. I am aware that it is one of his earlier novels (2009), and of course he is famous for the movie "Let The Right One In", which was made twice. Once for the Scandinavian audience and then it got the Hollywood treatment with "Let Me In".He writes his books in his native language of Swedish so there is a lot of pressure on the translator (I presume), to get all the nuances of the language across in context for English speaking readers. This book is magnificent. The set-up is not that original but the characters ... oh the characters is where this book excels. He has been compared to Stephen King, and that is true to a certain extent, but he does not have all those annoying "Americanism's" which plague King's books. This is Scandi/Euro country. The language is much more refined and focused.There is no need to go into the plot of this book. Lets just say that it is a lot more than it seems and far from a conventional horror novel in that you relate to all the characters (who are deeply flawed in one way or another). and you deeply care about how they cope with this totally unexpected event.Read this book. As soon as I finished it I immediately ordered "Harbour".

Die Idee einmal nicht die Killerzombieapokalypse zu beschreiben, sondern größtenteils friedliche Wiederkehrer bei ihrer Rückkehr zu portraitieren und zu zeigen, wie Familie, Regierung und Gesellschaft damit umgehen, klingt sehr viel versprechend. Doch leider zieht sich "Handling the Undead" schrecklich in die Länge und plätschert meist spannungsarm vor sich hin. Das beginnt schon damit, dass das eigenartige Phänomen, das das alles startet wieder und wieder und wieder und wieder beschrieben wird, bis jeder handelnde Charakter es in einem eigenen Kapitel durchlebt hat. Die Charaktere sind schrecklich unsympathisch und bieten kaum Identifiaktionsfläche. Zwar kann jeder die Angst und den Schmerz nachvollziehen, einen geliebten Menschen zu verlieren, aber Lindqvists Protagonisten versinken im skandinavischen Trübsal und enden irgendwo zwischen pathetisch und nervig.Der Funken will einfach nicht überspringen, es kommt weder Mitgefühl, noch Spannung, noch irgendeine Art von Magie auf, die einen in die Geschichte hineinzieht. Statt dessen quält man sich durch deutlich über 400 Seiten und ist am Ende erleichtert, es endlich geschafft zu haben.

C'est le premier livre de Lindqvist que je lis. On y retrouve un peu une ambiance de polar scandinave, mais Handling the Undead est un roman fantastique...le résultat est original : entre la lenteur d'un roman européen et le dynamisme d'un vrai roman de genre américain ( le rythme s'accélère à la fin.). Une lecture sympa.

A much more difficult read then "Let The Right One In" but its fantastic anyway.

...to put down, very cleaver, well written and the translation seems spot on. As with Let the right one in, he makes it all very credible..I haven't finished yet due to moving house and country, but I'm loving it. I love this writer.