Apart from a few movies like Häxan (1922) and Hour of the Wolf (1968), Scandinavian horror has never been on my radar. It wasn't until I read Let the Right One In after seeing the movie that I started thinking about paying attention to it more. I probably won't go out of my way to search for it, but I'm definitely not as prejudiced towards it (especially the contemporary side) as much as I was. I've wanted to read more Lindqvist for a while now, so I figured I'd try what his zombies are like.

Although Handling the Undead has a couple of creepy scenes that fit in the traditional concept, there's mostly a heavy underlying sadness to it. Recovering from grief isn't easy, but it's even harder when the loved ones rise from the dead in varying states of preservation. They hover in the world of living like they don't belong anywhere. Sitting, walking, staring at the void. Not after your delicious mushy brains but not great company either. What to do with people like that? Living with them is unrealistic, but it's not like the government can just nuke them.

Zombies aren't generally my favorite thing, but I liked the quietness and realism of Lindqvist's interpretation. It's a real page-turner, too, making me stay up at all kinds of odd hours to steal one more chapter. Not as good as Let the Right One In, but still a nice mixture of macabre and melancholy.