Handling the Undead

John Ajvide Lindqvist

Sep 2010 · Sold by Macmillan

About this ebook

In his new novel, John Ajvide Lindqvist does for zombies what his previous novel, Let the Right One In, did for vampires.

Across Stockholm the power grid has gone crazy. In the morgue and in cemeteries, the recently deceased are waking up. One grandfather is alight with hope that his grandson will be returned, but one husband is aghast at what his adored wife has become.

A horror novel that transcends its genre by showing what the return of the dead might really mean to those who loved them.

Ratings and reviews

Stockholm is a place known for the cold and the calm. Yet it sweats, yet it pulses with headaches and pains. No one panics, but no one is calm anymore. Tragedy strikes a desperate man and it all stops. And begins. Handling the Undead offers a unique twist on the Zombie genre. Not an apocalypse, but more of a chance. The people of Sweden see an opportunity to right the wrongs of the lives of their recently deceased, and now risen, beloved. A supernatural force beyond our comprehension looms and watches, carefully trying to right the wrongs it has caused. Good read, if a bit disjointed and without real payoff. However, this may just be the nature of the beast.

After loving Let the Right One In, I eagerly anticipated Handling the Undead. As a meditation on the dead coming back to life, it's somewhat interesting I suppose. But overall, it lacked the verve, the gripping characters and storytelling of Lindqvist's previous book. Not the worst book I've ever read, but frankly I kind of wish I had spent my time reading something else.

It is a good book ,will read more of John Ajvide Lindqvist's books.

About the author

John Ajvide Lindqvist is the author of Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead. Let The Right One In, his debut novel, was an instant bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in Norway. The Swedish film adaptation, directed by Tomas Alfredsson, has won top honors at film festivals all over the globe, including Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. An American remake, Let Me In, written and directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, was released in October 2010 to rave reviews. Lindqvist grew up in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm and the setting for Let the Right One In. Wanting to become something awful and fantastic, he first became a conjurer, and then was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. He has also written for Swedish television. He lives in Sweden.