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Dawn of the Dead
First printing. Center section of color movie stills.
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
137 people are currently reading
2042 people want to read
About the author
George A. Romero
89 books244 followersGeorge Andrew Romero was an American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse, beginning with Night of the Living Dead (1968). He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
April 17, 2024
Fantastic Remake of the 80s Cult Classic
I loved watching Dawn of the Dead as a kid (when it first came out in the 1980s), and the euphoric feeling it gave me as I sat glued to the screen. Now, with the audio edition, I also sat glued as I listened to narrator Jonathan Davis flawlessly bring it to life yet again for my imagination. Only this time I got a lot information about the characters backstories and who they were as people before the outbreak. This was much appreciated as it helped me understand why each acted as they did when trapped in the shopping mall for months. The character development was excellent and I also appreciated more details into the various settings in which they found themselves - both in the mall and the helicopter. The audiobook was one epic and highly satisfying listening indulgence.
I loved watching Dawn of the Dead as a kid (when it first came out in the 1980s), and the euphoric feeling it gave me as I sat glued to the screen. Now, with the audio edition, I also sat glued as I listened to narrator Jonathan Davis flawlessly bring it to life yet again for my imagination. Only this time I got a lot information about the characters backstories and who they were as people before the outbreak. This was much appreciated as it helped me understand why each acted as they did when trapped in the shopping mall for months. The character development was excellent and I also appreciated more details into the various settings in which they found themselves - both in the mall and the helicopter. The audiobook was one epic and highly satisfying listening indulgence.
February 20, 2024
This is the first time I’ve read a book of a movie. I was pleasantly surprised on the level of depth it added to the characters. It really made going though an old favorite story fun in a whole new way. All the things I like from the movie were still just as good, and I found the book held a more serious tone which I liked.
The writing style choices were sometimes rough, but it didn’t stop the enjoyment of this book. It was everything I was hoping it would be.
The writing style choices were sometimes rough, but it didn’t stop the enjoyment of this book. It was everything I was hoping it would be.
August 6, 2022
"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩." 🧟♂️
A fast-paced novelisation of the movie, which delves in deeper with the characters and is more descriptive.
It captures the spirit of the movie and its four main characters really well, while also adding the sort of insight into characters' thoughts and past that are only alluded to or hinted at in the movie.
Definitely worth reading for fans of the movie.
A fast-paced novelisation of the movie, which delves in deeper with the characters and is more descriptive.
It captures the spirit of the movie and its four main characters really well, while also adding the sort of insight into characters' thoughts and past that are only alluded to or hinted at in the movie.
Definitely worth reading for fans of the movie.
August 28, 2024
Title: Dawn of the Dead
Author: George A. Romero
Genre: Horror / Zombies
Publication Year: 1978
Review: I confess that this is my second favorite horror movie. My little brother and I went to a New York City convention where George Romero introduced the movie and after watching it, special effects master, Tom Savini demonstrated an explosive FX. Marc and I never forgot that night. My brother is no longer around so that will always be a special memory. This book is a reminder.
It was awesome to read the story that is so familiar to me. Descriptions of the scenes and the horrifying situation elucidated with salient, gory detail. I am most assuredly a fan especially of the zombie apocalypse sub-genre. Blood, gore, grotesqueries, yum. I wholeheartedly recommend the e-book and if you can get it on audible, even better.
Author: George A. Romero
Genre: Horror / Zombies
Publication Year: 1978
Review: I confess that this is my second favorite horror movie. My little brother and I went to a New York City convention where George Romero introduced the movie and after watching it, special effects master, Tom Savini demonstrated an explosive FX. Marc and I never forgot that night. My brother is no longer around so that will always be a special memory. This book is a reminder.
It was awesome to read the story that is so familiar to me. Descriptions of the scenes and the horrifying situation elucidated with salient, gory detail. I am most assuredly a fan especially of the zombie apocalypse sub-genre. Blood, gore, grotesqueries, yum. I wholeheartedly recommend the e-book and if you can get it on audible, even better.
November 27, 2022
Dawn of the Dead is #2 on my Top Ten List for Horror Movies. Little did I know that George Romero had written the story and published the movie in book form. I wanted to get the movie novelization on audible and I binge listened. The narrative was extremely cinematic, almost beat-for-beat with the original movie. One of the interesting things that I found is that I have often heard that this story is symbolically supposed to signify modern society’s consumerist tendencies. We are zombified by our need to own and buy, buy, buy. Here in the book, it is no longer metaphoric. The concept is made overt and exploited as a storytelling device. The zombies are us, and we are attracted to the mall, because it is there where we go to find joy by buying stuff. The book is read in creepy tones with an animated voice when necessary. Not just well-performed, but to my mind (who has watched this movie a dozen times easily at horror cons) there was pathos and horror and humor. Good read and for the purposes of Audible, a fun listen.
August 21, 2025
An entertaining way to revisit the film, but not a patch on it. It makes you realise what a visual filmmaker Romero is.
January 6, 2024
Pretty much a straightforward novelization of the movie. It does provide some deeper background on the characters a slightly more insight on their motivations. All in all a great read and companion the Romero’s masterpiece of zombie cinema, so much better than the bloated travesty of the Living Dead novel that was released in 2020. This is the maestro at the top of his game.
July 8, 2016
“When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”
There isn’t a more iconic line than this in all of the zombie world. I have to admit that I have done this backward. I saw the movie many, many years ago and have finally gotten around to reading the book. In my opinion, George A Romero reinforces his title as the “Godfather of all Zombies”.
I love what zombies do, and zombie books are never really about the zombies, but their effects on human nature and society. Zombies reset the playing field and put our moral compasses back to zero. They make us question what is right and what is wrong. Is it morally right to kill a person who is dead, but walking? Is it illegal to take something from someone who may or may not be dead so that you can survive? George A. Romero made us ask ourselves these questions when he unleashed his undead hordes upon the earth.
Enough about the big picture stuff, let’s get down to the book, Dawn of the Dead. I loved it! I felt like I was part of the story, going through the same turmoil as Roger, Peter, Stephen and Fran. I was brought back to a time when I was sitting in my parents’ basement watching a movie I wasn’t supposed to be watching, and yes, nostalgia does count for a lot. The tension was high and the monsters were simple, allowing the focus to truly rest on the characters.
I don’t care if you think that you know the story or that you’ve read too many zombie books. Dawn of the Dead is a must-read for any zombie lover.
There isn’t a more iconic line than this in all of the zombie world. I have to admit that I have done this backward. I saw the movie many, many years ago and have finally gotten around to reading the book. In my opinion, George A Romero reinforces his title as the “Godfather of all Zombies”.
I love what zombies do, and zombie books are never really about the zombies, but their effects on human nature and society. Zombies reset the playing field and put our moral compasses back to zero. They make us question what is right and what is wrong. Is it morally right to kill a person who is dead, but walking? Is it illegal to take something from someone who may or may not be dead so that you can survive? George A. Romero made us ask ourselves these questions when he unleashed his undead hordes upon the earth.
Enough about the big picture stuff, let’s get down to the book, Dawn of the Dead. I loved it! I felt like I was part of the story, going through the same turmoil as Roger, Peter, Stephen and Fran. I was brought back to a time when I was sitting in my parents’ basement watching a movie I wasn’t supposed to be watching, and yes, nostalgia does count for a lot. The tension was high and the monsters were simple, allowing the focus to truly rest on the characters.
I don’t care if you think that you know the story or that you’ve read too many zombie books. Dawn of the Dead is a must-read for any zombie lover.
June 25, 2012
I did not enjoy the writing style of this book... this is one instance where I wish I just watched the movie instead because I feel like I would have gotten the same experience without investing as much time.
The book was tough to follow - I had to reread several passages because it transitioned from one scene to the next without any warning. There were occasionally breaks in the page to indicate a new scene within a chapter, but they were random and inconsistent.
The story was good, and it was quite intense, but the lack of organization and the lackluster writing style overshadowed the rest.
The book was tough to follow - I had to reread several passages because it transitioned from one scene to the next without any warning. There were occasionally breaks in the page to indicate a new scene within a chapter, but they were random and inconsistent.
The story was good, and it was quite intense, but the lack of organization and the lackluster writing style overshadowed the rest.
June 16, 2024
After a bit of a rough start… I loved it. I came around about chapter 3, or 50ish pages in. Those first couple chapters were rough. A little different than the movie - the book kind of gives slightly more in depth about the characters which I appreciated.
December 17, 2015
It wasn't a bad novel per se, just perhaps a little bit unloved. Novelizations are byproducts by nature and it shows here despite Susanna Sparrow's best efforts. The book follows a very narrow path of precise events, doesn't take any chances with the initial product and the quality of writing take a nose dive about halfway through which is symptom of tight deadlines.
Dawn of the Dead wasn't bad, though. It's one lengthy action scene with very little character development and Susanna Sparrow is quite competent at telling a gripping tale with very little tools to her disposition. She writes action scenes much better than most people on the market and it is one things that is pretty difficult to write. Dawn of the Dead has a trashy, pulpy charm (it was written in its heyday after all), but it cannot escape its fate of being a supplementary experience.
Dawn of the Dead wasn't bad, though. It's one lengthy action scene with very little character development and Susanna Sparrow is quite competent at telling a gripping tale with very little tools to her disposition. She writes action scenes much better than most people on the market and it is one things that is pretty difficult to write. Dawn of the Dead has a trashy, pulpy charm (it was written in its heyday after all), but it cannot escape its fate of being a supplementary experience.
October 30, 2015
As the story is completely familiar to anyone who's seen the movie dozens of times, there are not a lot of surprises in this novelization, but it is a good quality adaptation of the original film screenplay and it's clarified for me some of the back stories and motivations of some of the main characters. Reader Christopher Ragland does a good job evoking the original iconic characters of the film, but doesn't waste time trying too hard and the reading is smooth and clear. A great Halloween seasonal read and a fun way to re-experience an old classic.
December 23, 2015
My original ***Dawn of the Dead audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
George A. Romero is the grandfather of the zombie genre, and perhaps the most influential filmmaker of all-thing zombies. His influence has shone down upon pop culture in the nearly-forty years that followed the release of his movie, Dawn of the Dead. You can see it all around you right now with The Walking Dead in comics and on TV, Jonathan Maberry’s terrific Rot & Ruin series, Brian Keene’s The Rising, and Stephen King’s Cell. I doubt that without Romero any of these latter stories would measure up quite as well. They are each a product of a very prolific history that traces back to the Romero movies.
So, it’s more than a bit of a shame that I found the novelization of Dawn of the Dead to be so tepid. While Romero is a fine filmmaker, his work as a novelist, along with co-writer Susanna Sparrow, leaves quite a lot to be desired. Originally published in 1978, the narrative holds up rather well and there are only a few anachronistic elements to remind you how many decades have passed since it was written. We get a brief nod to President Carter and, later, a “huge” twenty-one inch TV set that our survivors have to “lug” up the stairs. My primary issue boils down to the writing itself, though. Stylistically, it’s a mess. Character viewpoints shift on a whim, as if to capture the frenetic nature of a zombie apocalypse – however, the prose is fairly languid and wordy, which slows things down tremendously. And this being a zombie novel, we get plenty of references to the undead but with nary a change in descriptors, and I lost count of how many times the authors referred to them simply as ‘ghouls.’ It’s a lot, though. A lot.
With a seven-hour run time, this audiobook recording feels overly longer and much too ponderous. For a story about the fall of humanity and a quartet of survivors seeking shelter in a shopping mall overrun with zombies, it really should be a lot more energetic and punchy. There are only a few really good confrontations between the living and the walking dead, but too often I felt like the human characters existed in this novel mostly to just talk about the zombies. And we get a lot of talk about zombies. We get way more talk about zombies than we get actual zombies. By the time the finale rolls around and the survivors are confronted with a band of bikers/scavengers, the sudden conflict finally gives the book a bit of life, only far too late.
Production-wise, the quality is terrific and the recording comes through crisp and clear. This is an Audible Studios production, and, frankly, I expect it to be good. Jonathan Davis’s narration is solid, and he delivers a great reading of the material. Characters were presented well and with enough differentiation to keep track of dialogue. I don’t really have any qualms about Davis’s work here, and he does a serviceable job with the material he’s been given.
I’m hesitant to recommend this title for anyone other than die-hard fans and Romero completists. While the film version of Dawn of the Dead is perfect bit of zombie cinema, the novelization is a lackluster affair that oftentimes descends into pure boredom. As far as zombie books go, though, there are many other better offerings out there. Otherwise, stick with the film version on this one.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
George A. Romero is the grandfather of the zombie genre, and perhaps the most influential filmmaker of all-thing zombies. His influence has shone down upon pop culture in the nearly-forty years that followed the release of his movie, Dawn of the Dead. You can see it all around you right now with The Walking Dead in comics and on TV, Jonathan Maberry’s terrific Rot & Ruin series, Brian Keene’s The Rising, and Stephen King’s Cell. I doubt that without Romero any of these latter stories would measure up quite as well. They are each a product of a very prolific history that traces back to the Romero movies.
So, it’s more than a bit of a shame that I found the novelization of Dawn of the Dead to be so tepid. While Romero is a fine filmmaker, his work as a novelist, along with co-writer Susanna Sparrow, leaves quite a lot to be desired. Originally published in 1978, the narrative holds up rather well and there are only a few anachronistic elements to remind you how many decades have passed since it was written. We get a brief nod to President Carter and, later, a “huge” twenty-one inch TV set that our survivors have to “lug” up the stairs. My primary issue boils down to the writing itself, though. Stylistically, it’s a mess. Character viewpoints shift on a whim, as if to capture the frenetic nature of a zombie apocalypse – however, the prose is fairly languid and wordy, which slows things down tremendously. And this being a zombie novel, we get plenty of references to the undead but with nary a change in descriptors, and I lost count of how many times the authors referred to them simply as ‘ghouls.’ It’s a lot, though. A lot.
With a seven-hour run time, this audiobook recording feels overly longer and much too ponderous. For a story about the fall of humanity and a quartet of survivors seeking shelter in a shopping mall overrun with zombies, it really should be a lot more energetic and punchy. There are only a few really good confrontations between the living and the walking dead, but too often I felt like the human characters existed in this novel mostly to just talk about the zombies. And we get a lot of talk about zombies. We get way more talk about zombies than we get actual zombies. By the time the finale rolls around and the survivors are confronted with a band of bikers/scavengers, the sudden conflict finally gives the book a bit of life, only far too late.
Production-wise, the quality is terrific and the recording comes through crisp and clear. This is an Audible Studios production, and, frankly, I expect it to be good. Jonathan Davis’s narration is solid, and he delivers a great reading of the material. Characters were presented well and with enough differentiation to keep track of dialogue. I don’t really have any qualms about Davis’s work here, and he does a serviceable job with the material he’s been given.
I’m hesitant to recommend this title for anyone other than die-hard fans and Romero completists. While the film version of Dawn of the Dead is perfect bit of zombie cinema, the novelization is a lackluster affair that oftentimes descends into pure boredom. As far as zombie books go, though, there are many other better offerings out there. Otherwise, stick with the film version on this one.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
December 21, 2016
If you've seen Dawn of the Dead in movie form then you won't be getting anything new by reading the book - but you will be losing the cheesiness and most of the lameness.
Usually when a book spawn's a movie, 9 times out of 10 the book is better. This time I have to say that even though they're virtually scene for scene exactly the same, the book is still better.
I never really got with the program on the Dawn of the Dead cult movie fandom. The acting was lame and the zombie's were hysterical and overall it just had a really, really bad 'B' movie feel to it. I know, I know...that's what makes it cult...I just didn't buy into it. The book wasn't that bad though, all things considered.
The characters don't seem so cardboard and the zombies seem a 'tiny' bit more menacing, somehow, and I think that if this book was the first of its kind (as the movie was) then this would be great, but it's not the first and it's far from the best. The characters get a bit of an upgrade and have more of a 'zombie apocalypse survivor' feel to them. They're a bit more savvy and hardened to the situation and they're given a bit of backstory each, which makes them a little more fleshed out but you'd still recognise them from the film.
I don't know why I was hoping for a better ending this time, since I knew what was coming but still I hoped for a bit more closure this time around. I was left hoping...
If you've seen the film it's worth reading for the little bits of 'what's going on in their head' moments, and if you haven't seen the film then it's still worth reading as it's actually an OK zombie book. Consider it written at the same time as the film and you'll have an idea of what to expect. It's a 1970's zombie book. That's pretty much the size of it.
Usually when a book spawn's a movie, 9 times out of 10 the book is better. This time I have to say that even though they're virtually scene for scene exactly the same, the book is still better.
I never really got with the program on the Dawn of the Dead cult movie fandom. The acting was lame and the zombie's were hysterical and overall it just had a really, really bad 'B' movie feel to it. I know, I know...that's what makes it cult...I just didn't buy into it. The book wasn't that bad though, all things considered.
The characters don't seem so cardboard and the zombies seem a 'tiny' bit more menacing, somehow, and I think that if this book was the first of its kind (as the movie was) then this would be great, but it's not the first and it's far from the best. The characters get a bit of an upgrade and have more of a 'zombie apocalypse survivor' feel to them. They're a bit more savvy and hardened to the situation and they're given a bit of backstory each, which makes them a little more fleshed out but you'd still recognise them from the film.
I don't know why I was hoping for a better ending this time, since I knew what was coming but still I hoped for a bit more closure this time around. I was left hoping...
If you've seen the film it's worth reading for the little bits of 'what's going on in their head' moments, and if you haven't seen the film then it's still worth reading as it's actually an OK zombie book. Consider it written at the same time as the film and you'll have an idea of what to expect. It's a 1970's zombie book. That's pretty much the size of it.
December 14, 2023
"A temporary victory was better than none at all"
2.5 ⭐️
I never heard of this book before but I bought it from a second-hand store solely because it was a storyline in the zombie apocalypse setting. It was an okayish book; chill but intense in some parts. It gave me the zombie apocalypse dosage but nothing more.
note: I just discovered there is an actual movie based on this book. I shall give it a shot.
2.5 ⭐️
I never heard of this book before but I bought it from a second-hand store solely because it was a storyline in the zombie apocalypse setting. It was an okayish book; chill but intense in some parts. It gave me the zombie apocalypse dosage but nothing more.
note: I just discovered there is an actual movie based on this book. I shall give it a shot.
November 1, 2014
I'm officially calling DNF on this. I've tried all month, but every time I pick it up it feels like a punishment.
Like I said before, this should be PERFECT for me. I love zombies. The movie is a classic. It has a foreword by Simon Pegg! To be fair the foreword was fine. The rest was just badly written.
I was bored, I just wanted it to end, and two thirds of the way through I hated pretty much every character. I'm so disappointed :(
Like I said before, this should be PERFECT for me. I love zombies. The movie is a classic. It has a foreword by Simon Pegg! To be fair the foreword was fine. The rest was just badly written.
I was bored, I just wanted it to end, and two thirds of the way through I hated pretty much every character. I'm so disappointed :(
August 20, 2020
This is a surprisingly good adaptation of Dawn of the Dead; the tone of the film is maintained whilst we are given a bit more insight into the characters motivations and thoughts. The film is still the best way to experience the story, but this is a worthwhile read for fans of the series.
October 27, 2016
See zombie, kill zombie. See zombie, kill zombie. The book is very bare-boned. Just watch the movie instead!
June 2, 2020
This is one of those rare cases where the movie is substantially better than the novelization. Giving it three stars (as opposed to fewer) because the underlying story is a fun, gore-fest.
This is pretty much a blow by blow of the movie with some distracting "character building" awkwardly thrown in. The character building is so out of place it serves more as an annoyance than adding any real depth to the characters. Luckily most of it is very brief but it's as if someone came along after the initial manuscript was written and just inserted it here and there to meet some contractual obligation.
It also, unfortunately, comes with a wealth of poor or flat out incorrect word choices that repeatedly snapped me out of the story.
Just a few examples:
You may want to read this book if you're a completist or for the nostalgia of a "huge" twenty-one inch TV that relies on broadcast signals because this was even before video tapes but, honestly, I'd recommend just watching the movie. It does a much better job of telling the same story.
This is pretty much a blow by blow of the movie with some distracting "character building" awkwardly thrown in. The character building is so out of place it serves more as an annoyance than adding any real depth to the characters. Luckily most of it is very brief but it's as if someone came along after the initial manuscript was written and just inserted it here and there to meet some contractual obligation.
It also, unfortunately, comes with a wealth of poor or flat out incorrect word choices that repeatedly snapped me out of the story.
Just a few examples:
"The elevator door closed like a shark's mouth." Really? Why are we bringing an utterly jarring shark metaphor into a story of a zombie epidemic that has nothing to do with the ocean? Can an elevator door that 4 people calmly walk into really close anything like a shark's mouth? Especially when the next sentence has them arriving safe and sound on the next floor?
"...they jumped into the trailer" when two bikers jump into the front of a tractor-trailer rig. They definitely did not start the engine and drive from within the trailer.
Several cases where it refers to a "holster" being strapped around someone's waist or a holster holding ammunition and strapped across someone's chest. It's clear the author meant a belt, but based on the number of times this mistake was repeated it's also clear the author doesn't know the difference between a belt and a holster. There were several similar mistakes where the author clearly didn't understand the words s/he was using. How these made it through editing baffles me.
You may want to read this book if you're a completist or for the nostalgia of a "huge" twenty-one inch TV that relies on broadcast signals because this was even before video tapes but, honestly, I'd recommend just watching the movie. It does a much better job of telling the same story.
July 24, 2015
When it comes to movie adaptions of books, the literary version usually trumps the screen version every time. This is often attributed to the fact a movie can only present so much in an allotted timeframe, whereas a book can present just about anything it wants. I often read the book prior to seeing the movie because this allows me to create my own images of each character, instead of picturing the actor/actress in each scene. DAWN OF THE DEAD is a unique scenario for me because I didn’t even realize a book version existed. Therefore, when I read it, I couldn’t help but picture the cast of the film in my head as each scene played out. But even so, the book is just as entertaining as the film, and I suggest fans of Romero’s celluloid classic snatch up a copy of this one as soon as possible.
I love how Simon Pegg was picked to write the introduction. SEAN OF THE DEAD is a hilarious horror-comedy, but it’s also a silent homage to the terrifying world Romero created. As such, Pegg makes the perfect person to set the foundation of the book.
DAWN OF THE DEAD is written well and flows nicely, just like its screen companion. The prose is not overdrawn or lengthy, but reads quickly instead, allowing the action and the intensity to mesh into the story. I like this attribute, as it makes the book a quick read and an adrenaline-fueled trip into terror.
The story is very much like the film, however we get much more backstory. I found some reviews from readers who did not like this aspect, saying it bogged the story down; I disagree. I think the deeper exposition gives us a broader picture of the characters as well as the plot. This grants a more fulfilling experience with the story.
DAWN OF THE DEAD is a definite literary win for me. I recommend it to fans of the film and anyone looking for an introduction into Romero’s dark world. The book is available now in a variety of formats, so give it a look.
I love how Simon Pegg was picked to write the introduction. SEAN OF THE DEAD is a hilarious horror-comedy, but it’s also a silent homage to the terrifying world Romero created. As such, Pegg makes the perfect person to set the foundation of the book.
DAWN OF THE DEAD is written well and flows nicely, just like its screen companion. The prose is not overdrawn or lengthy, but reads quickly instead, allowing the action and the intensity to mesh into the story. I like this attribute, as it makes the book a quick read and an adrenaline-fueled trip into terror.
The story is very much like the film, however we get much more backstory. I found some reviews from readers who did not like this aspect, saying it bogged the story down; I disagree. I think the deeper exposition gives us a broader picture of the characters as well as the plot. This grants a more fulfilling experience with the story.
DAWN OF THE DEAD is a definite literary win for me. I recommend it to fans of the film and anyone looking for an introduction into Romero’s dark world. The book is available now in a variety of formats, so give it a look.
October 5, 2015
I have only myself to blame. I am a huge fan of DotD. It is the movie that put me on the path to the career I am on currently (zombie author). It is easy to see the movie as you read or listen to the audio version of this adaptation. There are a couple of instances where a sliver of something is added to give you perhaps a new insight, but for the most part, this is the movie redone.
Just about anybody could have sat in front of their DVD player and written this scene-for-scene adaptation and then threw in the possible thoughts of Steve, Roger, Fran and Peter. This did make Peter seem less likable than in the movie. Also, Steve comes across as a bit of a wimp and Fran sort of toughens up and adopts a hard shell. Not sure if I agree with those choices in the narrative. Anyway, if you are a mega-fan, you will probably add this just to have it, but don't expect much that you don;t already know from watching the movie all those times.
It was still a nice gift from somebody who knew I love zombies, and this movie in particular.
Just about anybody could have sat in front of their DVD player and written this scene-for-scene adaptation and then threw in the possible thoughts of Steve, Roger, Fran and Peter. This did make Peter seem less likable than in the movie. Also, Steve comes across as a bit of a wimp and Fran sort of toughens up and adopts a hard shell. Not sure if I agree with those choices in the narrative. Anyway, if you are a mega-fan, you will probably add this just to have it, but don't expect much that you don;t already know from watching the movie all those times.
It was still a nice gift from somebody who knew I love zombies, and this movie in particular.
October 17, 2022
I was hoping for a little more in-depth. What I got was pretty much a word-for-word of the cult classic movie. I'd take the masterpiece movie over this book every day.
Side note. The best line of the movie did make it into this book. "We got this by the ass!"
Side note. The best line of the movie did make it into this book. "We got this by the ass!"
August 29, 2017
While very similar to the movie, this story gives us greater detail as to who the people are, what their real motivations may be, and just how the world has gotten this way.
March 8, 2023
Classic genre stuff. Zombies. Human relations and behaviors under extremes of scarcity and threat, as imagined by a Hollywood writer.
September 2, 2012
In my opinion George A Romero is the "Grandfather" of Zombie fiction and of course films. Dawn of the Dead was the first Zombie film I watched probably around the early 1980's on VHS tape from a local video shop just before Margaret Thatcher's government of the time decided to ban what were dubbed "video nasties" and included the masterpiece that is Dawn of the Dead. I have watched the film many times since it was "allowed" an 18 certificate in Britain around the early 1990's, it has and always will have a profound effect on me, leading on to a lifetime interest in horror and zombie fiction. The setting of a middle America shopping mall in the 1970's and the juxtaposition of modern consumerism versus the walking dead is wonderfully curious and is still relevant today.
So, it was with great interest when I saw that the novel version had been re-released with a special introduction by Simon Pegg (he of Shaun of the Dead fame) that I wanted to give it a try. Well I enjoyed it but not enough to warrant five stars, I guess I was expecting a little bit more than the film version but what I got was an exact cut down version of the film, I'm not saying this is wrong but just I was a little bit disappointed not to get a little bit more back story.
So, it was with great interest when I saw that the novel version had been re-released with a special introduction by Simon Pegg (he of Shaun of the Dead fame) that I wanted to give it a try. Well I enjoyed it but not enough to warrant five stars, I guess I was expecting a little bit more than the film version but what I got was an exact cut down version of the film, I'm not saying this is wrong but just I was a little bit disappointed not to get a little bit more back story.
April 13, 2024
It's a great read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The zombies are..... well, they're zombies. Slow, methodical and relentless. If you kill one; there's always plenty more to take their place. I'm a huge fan of Romero's zombies, instead of this new generation of gold-medal winning parkour experts that Hollywood insists on presenting to us. (Is there something about dying that turns people into elite athletes, that I'm currently unaware of?)
February 24, 2013
Three stars is being generous because the writing is bad ... there's too much unannounced flitting from scene-to-scene, I had to re-read parts to make sure I was following who was doing/saying what, but it is a genre classic, so it gets an extra star, but there's far better zombie fiction around these days.
March 15, 2012
AWESOME!! TOTALLY AWESOME!! ALMOST LIKE THE MOVIE, THE OLD VERSION OF DAWN OF THE DEAD WITH A MUCH BETTER ENDING!! LOVED IT!!
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