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... ( )

Americans seem to be fascinated with psychopaths. They're all over the movies and TV, and when real psychopaths make the news, it's a big story. For me, part of this fascination is in wondering just how these people who are so different from me see the world. I can't imagine what their inner life is like or what brings about such an alien world. In Zombie, Joyce Carol Oates managed to get inside the head of a psychopath and drag us along, and it astounds me that she could do this with such authenticity. Everything about the book evokes the sense of the truly foreign and inhuman.

I didn't enjoy Zombie. It's hard for me to imagine how someone could enjoy it in the sense that one could enjoy a great action thriller or fantasy book - the character and the point of view are just plain disturbing. But I couldn't put it down. The writing and the storytelling was that good. Would I read it again? Maybe, but it'll be a bit. Would I recommend it to others? Depends. If someone wants to look into the mind of a psychotic killer, this is a great way to go. But only with full disclosure! ( )

Imagine a sort of Breakfast of Champions Serial Killer novel, yeah it's based on Dahlmer but it's so much more. ( )