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The Rising (The Rising #1)

by Brian Keene (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 4,021 ratings · 286 reviews

In this Bram Stoker Award-winning novel, a father must travel cross-country to find his son after a plague has turned nearly all of Americas population into zombies.

Mass Market Paperback, 321 pages

Published January 1st 2004 by Leisure Books (first published 2003)

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Jun 12, 2012 Caryn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, zombies

I'm sorry - zombie fish? I kind of lost it after that...

13 likes · like · see review

Oct 24, 2009 Zybahn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

There are too many things wrong with this book. Despite some original ideas and a few worthy tense moments, it is most of the time laughably bad, and embarrassingly badly written.

The amount of typos and the atrocious grammar was shocking. Someone needs to tell Keene, the copyeditors and publishers that the past tense of "to spit" is "spat" and you don’t tell a person to "lay" but to "lie" down. You also shouldn’t use the word "again" (or any word) again and again three times in a single sentence

...more There are too many things wrong with this book. Despite some original ideas and a few worthy tense moments, it is most of the time laughably bad, and embarrassingly badly written.

The explanation of what is causing the zombie epidemic is absolutely ridiculous (I won’t spoil it, though it’s revealed early on... no suspense here). The zombies are supposed to be intelligent yet act like hyper teenage boys and make absurd decisions that do little in advancing their cause; part of becoming a zombie in Keene's world is to suddenly & intensely hate humanity, & to drop several notches on the IQ pole. Moreover, Keene appears uncertain as to the extent of the epidemic. He can’t seem to decide whether insects are infected or not, and changes his mind more than once. If you plan to read this book, keep your eyes out of this. Maybe he clears this up in its sequel? I won’t know since I won’t be reading it.

The characters are two-dimensional and Keene’s image of America is a white-washed suburbia where Hispanic and black people can only be preachers, drug dealers or prostitutes. And as mentioned in other reviews here, the dialogue is bad. And I mean effin’ bad, man. Holy mother-effin’ stinkin’ bad like.

Finally, I was troubled by the amount of emphasis on rape in the book. I don’t need the details. Maybe one brief instance to illustrate the morally decayed post-epidemic world, but not again and again. It is just inappropriate. I know I’m supposed to be angry with the "bad guys" but the constant exaggerated rape just has me angry at the author.

I can go on but won’t since really there’s no need...

(less)

17 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2008 Rob rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people I hate

Recommended to Rob by: Stupid forum user.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

16 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2007 Pam rated it 1 of 5 stars

Zombified goldfish? Nah.

9 likes · like · see review

Apr 25, 2008 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

This was the First Brian Keene book that I picked up, and to be honest... I wasn't expecting much. I enjoy a good Zombie film as much as the next person, but had never read a zombie book before. I was pleasantly surprised while reading this book. The characters were (for the most part) very real, engaging, and the type of people the reader cares about.

The zombies were not your stereotypical zombies; they were far more mobile, and capable of using tools, weapons, and setting traps to catch the f...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2008 Eric rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not many people

Shelves: tossed

There were so many things wrong with this book that I couldn't even finish it. Some people will be angry at me for this, but I have my reasons. Firstly, the book was WAY too gory. Some people may be cool with that, but not me. Secondly, WAY too much swearing. Third, the characters seem to be heading to an improvement in their lives, characters like the drug addict Frankie, the scientist Jim, etc. but I can't get to where I like any of them. They just don't have anything that appeals to me. In sh...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Trev Twinem rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everyone, at some time in their lives, should have the pleasure of reading a good zombie novel. Unfortunately there are many poorly written examples of this genre (refer to my review of "Night of the Nazi Zombies" http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ) It is therefore most enjoyable to read and review "The Rising" by horror supremo Brian Keene. Zombie books, to be fully appreciated, must contain certain essential ingredients; first and foremost we have a world in meltdown and a population de...more Everyone, at some time in their lives, should have the pleasure of reading a good zombie novel. Unfortunately there are many poorly written examples of this genre (refer to my review of "Night of the Nazi Zombies" http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ) It is therefore most enjoyable to read and review "The Rising" by horror supremo Brian Keene. Zombie books, to be fully appreciated, must contain certain essential ingredients; first and foremost we have a world in meltdown and a population devastated by the surprisingly well named Y2K virus turning ordinary upstanding citizens into demented, bloodthirsty, murdering, stinking!... blobs of leaking, reeking flesh!! (I'm enjoying this reivew :) Our hero Jim Thurmond is travelling to New Jersey in the hope of finding his son Danny who he believes is still alive. As he journeys we are introduced to a host of characters just doing their best to survive in a world of chaos and bloody murder....Frankie a prostitute, Jason and his dad Delmas, Worm a retarded youth, Martin the preacher man still believing that God will always shine a positive light and that his will..will always be done. If we add to the mix a renegade group of mercenary soldiers, led by the thoroughly evil Colonel Schow looting, pillaging and raping their way from city to city...then we have a sure fire winning recipe horror feast. In one memorable scene Col Schow takes a traitor aloft in a helicopter, attaches a bungee to his ankles throwing him mercilessly to the flesh ripping zombies below, and as he falls to earth and bounces skyward, in true horror fashion, he is ripped to pieces and consumed with relish (and I don't mean the sauce)....nice! The Rising is a great fun read that never takes itself too seriously, the zombies being the real stars...in the words of zombie leader UB "Your kind must learn that your time is over. You are food. Meat. Transport. Nothing more. Your time here is over"...so join UB and his evil smelling pals for a tour de force horror fest of ginormous, bloodthirsty portions...if you dare..................(less)

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Mar 09, 2010 MK (Consultant, Corporal Therapist) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of survival/zombie horror, smart horror

Shelves: top-5-re-reads, horror-zombies

Multiple characters are trying to survive in a world being overrun by zombies. Jim's fight to survive involves trying to save his son Danny that is across the from WV to NJ. Part 1 of 2. Next City of the dead. Last read in 2007. Read again Dec 2008.

I learned you have to enjoy the story as told by the author and know that they probably would want to write it lots of different ways but only have so much time to finish. Rating a book badly based on grammar is too anal and could maybe account for 1/...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2008 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

This was my very first "zombie" book. And I'll have to say I was a bit disappointed in his explanation of the zombie phenomenon. That aside, the plot ebbed and flowed. Sometimes it seemed well-paced and other times it was stagnant. I also had a problem with the ending. Either kill them off or let them live, or at the very least, lean one way or the other and let the reader decide. But to have an ending that is completely going to leave the reader hanging doesn't sit well with me. It makes me fee...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2009 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was thoroughly enjoying myself until I read a sentence pairing which drove me up the wall and seemed to bring all of the faults of the book to the forefront making my continued enjoyment a bit more difficult. I don't have the book with me so I can't relate exactly what it was but it was something along the lines of "A great eagle slammed into the glass, once a symbol of freedom and liberty, it was now a symbol of corruption and decay."

I rolled my eyes at that and through out the rest of the bo...more

I was thoroughly enjoying myself until I read a sentence pairing which drove me up the wall and seemed to bring all of the faults of the book to the forefront making my continued enjoyment a bit more difficult. I don't have the book with me so I can't relate exactly what it was but it was something along the lines of "A great eagle slammed into the glass, once a symbol of freedom and liberty, it was now a symbol of corruption and decay."

I rolled my eyes at that and through out the rest of the book, I noticed more poor word choices along those lines things which could have been cut back a bit by an editor.

A few other things that I didn't like were the pacing. At about page 150, the story picks up to such a degree that it doesn't stop and most of the nice touches of characterization which make the first parts of the story so enjoyable are kind of tossed out for numerous interchangeable nasty national guardsmen whose sole pleasures in life are raping and pillaging lead by a colonel who could have been made to be more menacing by fleshing him out a bit more. It would have been the perfect opportunity to paint him in a bit more sympathetic light to make his actions far more reprehensible.

The latter half of the book has some absolutely wonderful flourishes though, like the return to science facility which spawned the whole situation, the redemption of Frankie and the establishment of her humanity, the preacher Martin (who I feel becomes the strongest character in the book).

There is one thing which may annoy many readers in that the book doesn't end, but rather it just stops. I was absolutely fine with the ambiguity of the original end, but I also picked up City of the Dead (the book's sequel) and read the opening paragraphs to see what happened.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I liked the mythology, I liked two of the three main characters, there are some excellent set pieces and some neat ideas that are handled well. I'd have loved to had stronger characters from the National Guards and particularly their commander. I also would have liked about 50 more pages to break up the pacing problems. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 16, 2013 Kris Lugosi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I realllly enjoyed this book. It's a zombie book and to be honest the genere has been done over and over with very little variation, but Mr. Keene brings a new voice (yes that's right voice) to the way you perceive zombies. There is no virus or outbreak that causes the people in this book to turn. It's possesion. The details of how the demons posses the dead human body are intricate without being confusing. Keene paints an awesome picture of how and why these demons are possessing the bodies of...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Having been a fan of zombie fiction since I was a child, I've struggled to find great novels relating to the walking dead. To date, the only ones to impress me have been Stephen King's "Cell" and Max Brooks' "World War Z." Today Brian Keene's "The Rising" joins those favorites.

This isn't your typical take on the zombie genre; the newly risen dead don't shamble and they aren't stupid. Instead, these zombies put an entirely new fear behind the concept of our dead coming back to life - they're inte...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 22, 2012 Scott Rhee rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love the zombie genre, although sometimes I think it's kind of reached a point where there is very little new to add. It is, after all, just reanimated corpses that feed on the living, right? I mean, when they are making zombie comedies starring Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin, for God's sake, you know the genre's tired. Then again, AMC's TV show "The Walking Dead" (and the comic book series it is based on) is enormously popular, so what the hell do I know? Occasionally I come across a new...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 06, 2012 B. Pope rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Rising is a novel based squarely in the genre "Zombie Apocalypse". It follows characters from differing backgrounds and with a number of different motivations struggling in a zombie-infested East Coast. The three main characters, a construction worker dad, a junkie hooker and a scientist, provide a wide range of insights and opinions that keep the story interesting and different.

Jim, the construction worker, is driven entirely by the hope that his son is alive. He is willing to travel hundre...more The Rising is a novel based squarely in the genre "Zombie Apocalypse". It follows characters from differing backgrounds and with a number of different motivations struggling in a zombie-infested East Coast. The three main characters, a construction worker dad, a junkie hooker and a scientist, provide a wide range of insights and opinions that keep the story interesting and different.

Jim, the construction worker, is driven entirely by the hope that his son is alive. He is willing to travel hundreds of zombie-ridden miles and brave any obstacle to get to his child. He is the emotional hook in the book. It is easy to empathize with him and his plight. You can't help but cheer for him at every turn. He is a solid and believable character.

Baker, the scientist, provides a number of elements that are welcome in a zombie novel. For one, he is the scientific mind beset on all sides with demonic beings inhabiting the bodies of the dead. Also, as one would expect, he is a rational thinker. He makes decisions in a logical way, but not devoid of emotion. He is also haunted by the fact that he might be to blame for the whole thing, providing some exposition in the novel.

Then there is Frankie. She is a recovering herion addict and prostitute. When she was first introduced I expected that I would not like her character at all. I couldn't have been more wrong. Where Jim is the heart, and Baker is the brains, Frankie is the "nerve". She fills the need for "badass" in the novel. Plus her character development is top notch. She is a woman who is normally weak and used, but in the worst possible situation, she is the best possible chance.

What about the zombies? First of all, the undead in the story have many characteristics that are similar to Romero-style zombie and many characterists that are not. Similarities include: eating flesh, slower than humans (though not quite a Romero "shambler"), and brain-shot kills. The major differences: a dark wit and humor, higher intelligence and perhaps theo-centric origin. They are definitely a high point in the novel (good thing too, cause they are everywhere).

Finally, what of the style and form of the novel. The writing is good and Keene tells a solid story. The style is fast and not-overly descriptive,but descriptive enough to to be effective. It does read more like an action or adventure novel in most places, rather than a horror. It is far more of an Aliens than an Alien.(less)

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Dec 16, 2011 Curtis Butturff rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The key element in my opinion that makes a work of fiction and especially say science fiction or horror a good read is whether the author manages to inspire a suspension of disbelief. This is true of movies, theater, opera, and other assorted genre of course but it is in my opinion a failing in this book.

On the other hand I must say that the author has created a plethora of elements you just don't see in other zombie media such as The Walking Dead or the Living Dead franchise.

That to me is part...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars

First off, this isn't a 'Zombie' novel because the protagonists aren't zombies, rather they're Evil Dead style demons who inhabit the bodies of the dead, re-animating them. Brian Keene does seem to be undecided as to how mobile and intelligent his living dead are but every single one of them is a cackling wiseacre, straight from the curious school of thought which suggests that nothing is more evil than a baddie with a black sense of humour.
Keene's demons don't restrict themselves just to posses...more

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Jul 27, 2011 L. Chambers-Wright rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-horror, typical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 21, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oh please, this is not literature. It's a zombie book. I'm not even going to waste too many words on this review because it's just a simple story. If you're looking for prose, you most certainly wouldn't pick up this book based on it's cover, right?

Merely entertaining, the book equivalent of a B movie, I read it while on vacation. It's the kind of book you can read while also watching your kid go down waterslides. (And kind of make the other parents near by look at you a little funny, which is...more

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Mar 24, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

The Rising was just one big rip-roaring zombie carnival ride! I found this book to be a lot of fun-- much better than the last Brian Keene book that I read (Castways). A bit vulgar, grossly violent, but what else could be expected from this genre?

It seems the "end of the world" has come, but this zombie story has a slight twist. Whenever reading a zombie story, you always wonder what the plot will be that will explain how the zombies are created. The common storyline usually involves an errant v...more

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Jun 01, 2009 Filamena Young rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one

So to be perfectly honest, I’ve been going back and forth on whether on not I actually wanted to write this review. It basically came down to ‘not burning bridges’ in a very small universe, or being honest with my readers. (I know, all three of you.)

When I weighted it out, I decided a bad review treated fairly and note based on gut reaction might be better for the internet as a whole then a blank space. Plus, that way, as new readers show up, (I’ll welcome you, reader number four,) they can feel...more

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2011 Sonya rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 13, 2011 Damian rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 17, 2012 Izamari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

¿Alguna vez le ha pasado que cuando ve una peli, saben que algo malo va a pasar pero aun así no pueden dejar de ver?
Pues fue justo eso lo que me paso con este libro. Me estaba comiendo las uñas y alguna veces me daban ganar de cerrar el libro pero por más que lo intentara, no pude dejar de leer.

El libro comienza presentándonos a Jim, quien ha paso semanas aterradoras solo en su bunker, mientras que arriba de él, docenas de muertos vivientes –Entre ellos su segunda esposa– se esfuerzan por llegar...more ¿Alguna vez le ha pasado que cuando ve una peli, saben que algo malo va a pasar pero aun así no pueden dejar de ver?
Pues fue justo eso lo que me paso con este libro. Me estaba comiendo las uñas y alguna veces me daban ganar de cerrar el libro pero por más que lo intentara, no pude dejar de leer.

El libro comienza presentándonos a Jim, quien ha paso semanas aterradoras solo en su bunker, mientras que arriba de él, docenas de muertos vivientes –Entre ellos su segunda esposa– se esfuerzan por llegar hasta él. Cada día que pasa, la muerte se hace más tentadora para Jim pero entonces una llamada lo cambia todo.
Decidido a encontrar a su hijo, Jim sale de su bunker y durante el trayecto no solo le encuentra con el padre Martin, ni no que también descubre que los zombis no son como en las películas.
Paralela a la historia de Jim y de Martin, nos encontramos con el profesor Baker. Un torturado científico que se siente responsable de traer a la vida a los muertos. El profesor está encerrado solo en su base de estudios con un muerto viviente que se hace llamar Ob, quien le cuenta que ellos, ahora van a gobernar del mundo, que para ellos es que los humanos existen.
Y aunque Jim y Baker so los personajes centrales, también nos encontramos con fragmentos narrados desde el punto de vista de Frankie, una ex prostituta que esta decida a sobrevivir y de algunos militares, que más que ayudar a la humanidad, no hacen más que joderla más.

Mi visión hacia los zombies ha cambiado, Keene, no nos muestra a esos zombies tontos y lentes a los cuales se les puede eliminar con facilidad. Los zombies de Keene son astutos y malvados, realmente malvados y no solo se conforman con habitar a los humanos, ellos quieren que cada sr vivo en el planeta sea uno de ellos. Desde un pequeño gusano hasta un león son los cuerpos que estos seres habitan.

La historia está llena de suspenso. Cada página está cargada de sangre, terror y… si, entrañas. La historia de cada personaje te hace pensar. Pongamos por ejemplo a Frankie, quien antes de que todo el mundo se fuera al traste, no era más que una prostituta yonqui que no se preocupaba por nada más que lo que iba a esnifar, pero después, cuando vio la muerte de cerca, decidió que quería vivir e hizo cosas realmente fuertes para lograrlo.
Y aunque sé que son los malos, en todo el libro no pude dejar de maravillarme con el sentido del humor acido que los zombies mostraban.

El Alzamiento es la historia más espantosa pero fascinante que ha caído en mis garras

–Le diré una cosa, reverendo: desde que todo esto empezó, he visto cosas retorcidas de cojones, pero nunca había visto a alguien mordiendo a un zombi. ¿A qué sabe?(less)

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Mar 06, 2010 Steven Darrall rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalyptic, horror

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. meh. A somewhat different take on zombie fiction, this succeeds on some levels and fails in a number of others. If you're looking to avoid spoilers, DON'T READ THE BACK COVER. Keene is an enthusiastic Reaper, cutting characters down left and right. He'll introduce a character and then kill them off a page or two later- if you think they'll make an interesting secondary character, wave goodbye. I think he's trying to make a comment about the unpredictability of this apocalypse, in that anyone can...more meh. A somewhat different take on zombie fiction, this succeeds on some levels and fails in a number of others. If you're looking to avoid spoilers, DON'T READ THE BACK COVER. Keene is an enthusiastic Reaper, cutting characters down left and right. He'll introduce a character and then kill them off a page or two later- if you think they'll make an interesting secondary character, wave goodbye. I think he's trying to make a comment about the unpredictability of this apocalypse, in that anyone can die at any time, but he's so consistent with this you come to expect it. If you've read the back covers, you know who makes it and who doesn't.
I will say this- the zombies in this novel are not your typical zombies. Instead, though we don't really learn their origins this time around (sequels, kids!) we know they're not the mindless, shambling horrors we know and love. Instead, these are walking, talking, thinking eating machines. Not just people, either. Dogs, cats, birds, and even a groundhog all appear from beyond the grave. Initially, i was put off by this- the odds were so stacked against the heroes, it should've been a short story. But, the reality of how quickly we'd be overrun by zombie animals is set aside in favor of the story. Also, I liked the brevity of the novel- it felt like it was put together from a cliff's notes version of The Stand. Keene blows through events the way King would obsess over laying out one scene after the other. For this story, for the effect Keene was going for, it works really well. I only read off and on this week, and still finished it quickly.
I enjoyed the main characters for the most part, though i found the lead, Jim, to be a little too one-dimensional. We spend the most time on him, which is sad, as i liked the other characters, particularly Frankie, and found them to be more interesting. None of the other charaters are worth mentioning- strictly stereotypes and cannon fodder.
As expected, all the characters are pulled together for the big finish- the weakest part of the book, i think, and felt too much like a movie treatment rather than the finale of a novel. it ends on cliffhanger, but that's okay- there's a sequel waiting on the bookshelf. And yes, I'll read it- I'd already picked it up before i'd started reading this one.
I won't tell you to stay away- i did mostly enjoy it, and like the overall plot- but it's no World War Z.
One last note: if you're a nitpicker like me for grammar and spelling, this book might drive you crazy. it get's better as the book goes on, but the beginning is pretty rough. You do not stop you car by applying the breaks.(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Christine Jandreau rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love zombie books, or apocalypse survival books. But something about this just didn't work for me. There were enough strays from traditional zombie tales that I was bummed out by it. I liked the plot of Jim trying to get to his son a few states away. But the second a zombie spoke, I was a little less interested in the book.

However, I found something interesting. While I didn't like that they talked, shot guns, and drove (not to mention hunted and collaborated), it made for a scary twist. Norm...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Traci rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Although I liked this book enough to give it three stars I'm so glad to be done with it and I don't know if I could've handled it being any longer. It's a well written ugly little book. With ugly things that happen to good characters by ugly people. The more I read I felt like crap. And I felt no hope for humanity.
The good points, there were a few I do agree the man can write a certain type of horror. I loved the orginality of what the zombies here were. You find out pretty quickly so I don't c...more

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Oct 03, 2010 William Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, during-the-apocalpyse

I have begun reading more modern horror novels as of late. I have been thoroughly disappointed by their lack of quality as well. More often they rely on gruesome scenes of gore rather than frightening a reader and building suspense. They would rather shock us than terrify us. Most times these shocks come off as cartoonish and self-indulgent. There are no more Richard Mathesons, no more innovators within the genre making horror literary.

There is, however, Brian Keene. Although he most certainly s...more

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Oct 20, 2009 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rising is a zombie apocalypse novel. The story begins in West Virginia with the apocalypse already in progress and the dubious hero, Jim, in a survivalist shelter watching zombies roam his neighborhood. Among the dead is his pregnant wife, Carrie. He is perplexed by the zombies; not only are they freaking zombies, but they seem to have the ability to reason and work tools even as their bodies rot. Jim is pondering suicide when his nearly dead cell phone gets a voice mail. His young son Danny, wh...more

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May 02, 2012 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really struggled over 3 or 4 stars.
I really liked this book, all of it till the ending.
The last book I read, Darkness on the Edge of Town he wrote with a open ending. But writting that in a 1st person narrative it seemed a fitting way, still... I didn't care for it.
The Rising, Ugh He is so descriptive about all details, the animal zombies, *Which I don't understand why others hated the idea of them?? I'm a zombie movie freak! I've often wondered on scenes, and there aren't many but they h...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Jakub Nowak rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stay away! Absolutely terrible.
_____

As in: http://forum.cdaction.pl/blog/qbus/in...

Pierwszy kontakt wzrokowy nie zapowiadał tragedii. 'Blurb' standardowy, okładka niczego sobie, a autor to laureat nagrody Brama Stokera. Schody (do piekła) zaczęły się w zasadzie od tytułu. Na pierwszy rzut oka wszystko gra, ale tytuł oryginału to 'The Rising'. Nawet osoba, która z angielskim miała do czynienia tyle, co ja z Mercedesami (czyli nic) zobaczy, że coś się nie zgadza. Ale, ale... Słowo 'rising' oznacz...more Stay away! Absolutely terrible.
_____

As in: http://forum.cdaction.pl/blog/qbus/in...

Pierwszy kontakt wzrokowy nie zapowiadał tragedii. 'Blurb' standardowy, okładka niczego sobie, a autor to laureat nagrody Brama Stokera. Schody (do piekła) zaczęły się w zasadzie od tytułu. Na pierwszy rzut oka wszystko gra, ale tytuł oryginału to 'The Rising'. Nawet osoba, która z angielskim miała do czynienia tyle, co ja z Mercedesami (czyli nic) zobaczy, że coś się nie zgadza. Ale, ale... Słowo 'rising' oznacza 'powstanie', a po polsku brzmiało by to nie do końca wyraźnie. Pewnie więc tłumaczenie ma się jakoś do treści książki... Pewnie nie. Noc nie odgrywa tu specjalnej roli, ba, początkowo jest sprzymierzeńcem ludzi, bo mogą łatwiej się chować i unikać nieumarlaków.

Tytuł tytułem, ale dalej wcale nie jest lepiej. Nie przepadam za książkowymi horrorami, nie czytałem żadnym książek o zombie (poza ew. Komórką Kinga) - nie znam więc nomenklatury i obowiązujących reguł. Może dlatego odrzuciło i jednocześnie rozśmieszyło do łez główne założenie fabularne - okazuje się, że zombie to biblijne demony, które przejmują nasze (oraz zwierzęce) ciała dzięki przejściu między wymiarami, które zostało otwarte w wyniku uruchomienia akceleratora cząsteczek. Nie dość, że głupie, to jeszcze zaszczepia strach przed nauką.

Do tego dorzucić należy sztafaż postaci wyciętych z szablonu. Ojciec Który Szuka Syna, Pastor Którego Wiara Wystawiona Jest Na Próbę, Prostytutka Zaczynająca Nowe Życie, Naukowiec Który Chce Odkupić Swoje Winy, Zdegenerowany Porucznik Brutal. Jedyną ciekawą postacią jest Ob - szef wszystkich sze... znaczy zombie. Uber-demon, inteligentna bestia. Szkoda, że pojawia się tylko na chwilę na początku i na końcu. Książka nie jest straszna - jest śmieszna w niezamierzony sposób. Opisy bywają przesadnie brutalne i popadają przez to w komiczną groteskę. Przykładowo - polująca nieumarła anakonda zaprezentowała się dobrze, ale stadko jeleni urządzających zasadzkę na myśliwego to już niemal jak majaki po LSD.

Poza tym problemy z tłumaczeniem nie kończą się na tytule. Mam dla Was eksperyment psychologiczny - wyobraźcie sobie, że jesteście czarnoskórym handlarzem narkotyków. Jakaś niewdzięczna dziwka ukradła Wam torbę z heroiną. Nagle napotykacie wózek z nieumarłym niemowlakiem. Co powiecie w takiej chwili? Proszę o odpowiedź w ankiecie. Dla ścisłości dodam, że pierwsze dwie opcje to wkład tłumacza lub korektora w dorobek literacki. Dotąd byłem przekonany, że cierpią na tę przypadłość cierpią tylko tłumaczenie lektorsko-filmowe. Myliłem się.

Wisienką wieńczącą ten zgniły tort jest zakończenie. Osią fabularną jest dążenie OKSSa do odnalezienia syna. Na końcu udaje mu się dotrzeć na przedmieścia New Jersey. Wpada do domu... PKWWJNP i PZNŻ słyszą krzyki. I koniec.

Rozumiem otwarte zakończenia. Rozumiem niedomówienia. Rozumiem zapowiedź części następnej. Ale to jest zwyczajne kur... zaprzaństwo!

I tym radosnym akcentem zakończę tę litanię marudną. Odradzam każdemu sięganie po tę książkę.(less)

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About Brian Keene

BRIAN KEENE is the author of over twenty-five books, including Darkness on the Edge of Town, Take The Long Way Home, Urban Gothic, Castaways, Kill Whitey, Dark Hollow, Dead Sea, and The Rising. He’s also written comic books such as The Last Zombie, Doom Patrol and Dead of Night: Devil Slayer. His work has been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French and Taiwanese.

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