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Z For ZachariahAuthor: Robert O'Brien
Publication Details: Victor Gollancz Ltd; Great Britain; 1975 - 1987 Rating: 5 out of 5 |
You know, I'm actually a bit divided as to whether this book is Science Fiction or Horror. Although nuclear events on this scale thankfully remain Science Fiction, there are elements of this book that are so gripping and suspenseful that it is almost horrifying! Anne Burden is the sole survivor of the nuclear war in Burden Valley, yet one day Anne notices a small line of smoke on the horizon and begins to prepare for the arrival of a stranger into her valley by moving her essential belongings to a secret cave and erasing any trace of her existence. Anne watches him for days until a turn of circumstances requires her intervention. After Mr Loomis recovers, the question of who he is and what kind of person he is remain mysterious.
Written in a first person narration in a diary format, Z For Zachariah is a gripping story, while the allegory offered is complex and worth much discussion. Is Burden Valley is a type of Eden and 16 year old Anne Burden, Eve? Does Z for Zachariah refers to the last man on earth and is Loomis that man? Z For Zachariah is a classic read which is definitely worth a re-print in the near future, but in the meantime we have an e-book version available through the library's catalogue. Get into it and prepared to be shocked and a little bit frightened too!
by Rebecca Keshwar
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