A "Zombie" is a person who succumbs wholly and wantonly to another (the "master"), after being abducted and raped by this person. That is, in Quentin's view. The idea of Master vs. Zombie sexually excites Quentin. He is a psychopath and registered sex offender. He tries, numerous times, to give lobotomies to his victims, but fails. The procedure kills them. Quentin's murders go undetected throughout the novel.

Quentin's immediate family, by all accounts, appear to be normal. His older sister is a principal at a middle school, his father is a professor at a University, and mom is a caring wife and mother. However, the family possesses a quiet, yet powerful disfunction - their undefined sexuality. The daughter is more masculine then feminine, Quentin is the opposite. His sister is in control of her life and emotions, Quentin is not. He is homosexual. There are hints that his sister is a lesbian. Neither can openly share their sexuality with their parents or each other.

Quentin's sexual confusion begins with trauma. While a young boy, his father finds homosexual magazines and nude male dolls in Quentin's bedroom. He confronts Quentin and tells him to straighten up, make the right choices, and put together a successful life. They burn the offensive material together. Father states, "We won't tell your mother about this." No further discussion. Quentin becomes a sexually confused young man, filled with anger and resentment that develops into extreme psychosis. The outlet for this is sexual violence. Since he cannot take control of his own life, he needs to take control of others. Creating a Zombie becomes the ultimate goal for Quentin. This being would love him, obey him, call him "Master" until, "death do us part".

Oates takes a dark subject and weaves it into a powerfully disturbing novel. She brings us into Quentin's mad, dark world, while alluding to its possible origins. The fact that Quentin's murders go unsolved and, in some cases, without notice, makes it all the more real and unsettling. Quentin looked for people who would not be missed or thought of as missing. Someone like Quentin himself - unremarkable and lost. There are many people who fit this category, the homeless, a hitchhiker, etc. Oates successfully brings these realities to the forefront and covers them with depth. It is a small, successful and dark novel. ( )

Just a quick clarification. Several people have mentioned that this book is based on Dahmer but the author has said otherwise.When asked if the character was modeled on Jack the Ripper :

"...I was living there and there was a serial killer who began to operate in the very affluent northern suburbs of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and Franklin Hills. Altogether, he took about eight young teenagers and children, sometime in broad daylight. They'd be missing for several days, and each caused an uproar of hysteria and terror. He was never apprehended. I had wanted to write a novel about the terror and the despair of living in the community where this was going on and being so helpless. But time went on, and months went by, and finally, he simply ceased to operate"

http://www.salon.com/06/departments/l... ( )

This had been on my reading list for a long time before I finally found a copy of it. I've never read anything by Joyce Carol Oates, but I came across a source listing Zombie as a disturbing book based off the life of Jeffrey Dahmer. Having read it, I have to say that I really hope this isn't a cornerstone of Oates' work because I was not impressed.

I've heard Zombie described as something along the lines of, 'a shocking look into a serial killer's mentality.' I wasn't particularly shocked. The mentality of Quentin (Oates' name for her Dahmer-esque creation) is rather depthless, truth be told. He has two sides to him: the normal man he shows to the world and the heartless killer that only comes out when he's alone. Never seen that one before! Of course, this book was published in 1995 and for all I know that could have been a novel concept back then. And I wouldn't have been too bothered by it if the two sides shown were fleshed out beyond 'good' and 'evil'. I never really caught any insight into his personality other than, 'He's a serial killer. He kills people. There you go.'

And I wouldn't really have had a problem with just reading about a serial killer if this book hadn't been marketed as something psychologically riveting. (The reviews seem to suggest this, as does the back of my copy which states, "Joyce Carol Oates manages to put us inside the mind of an outcast--a serial killer--and so to disturb us deeply.") Will you find it psychology riveting if you've never taken a half a second to fathom the mentality of a killer? Probably. Otherwise, no.

My other complaint with this novel was the lackluster writing style. I realize it was probably written this way give insight into Quentin's mind but I just wasn't feeling it. The random capitalization and ampersands frustrated me and I never really figured out why he refers to himself as Q__ P__ and not just Quentin. It wouldn't really be an issue if I could figure out a reason as to why these things are relevant to Quentin's mindset, but I only saw it as an attempt to be innovative. The only thing that didn't bother me was the stream of conscious narration--it amplified the 'psychotic' voice. The other things, not so much. I got the feeling that Zombie was supposed to be Quentin's diary, but unless I'm mistaken--and I very well might be--the story itself never suggests that Quentin keeps any kind of record or journal.

And the ending...what was up with that? The story hits what I guess was supposed to be the climax, then goes into some random exposition, and then just ends on the most obscure note possible. I honestly thought that there were pages missing from my book and I went to scour the internet for an exact page count.

I do have to compliment Oates on the angle she took with Jeffrey Dahmer--I hardly ever see anyone tangle with his desire to create a zombie. It was a commendable idea, the execution just left something to be desired.

So all in all, I'm not happy with my first sampling of Joyce Carol Oates. I will be trying more of her work though since I am an adamant believer that you can't judge an author based on one book. Two stars: I didn't dislike it enough to rate it a one star, and it was a fairly quick read. But I wouldn't recommend it. ( )

This is not a book you enjoy, but I do think it's an important book. I am a believer that some people cannot be reached. Some are so far removed from humanity that there is no connection; they have no conscience, no sense of rights or morals. This book takes you on a horrifying journey inside the mind of one of these individuals, a psychopath. ( )

http://radiergummi.wordpress.com/2009... ( )