Customer Reviews

Valley of the Dead (The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno)

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Despite talks (within the genre) of zombies being just about "as played out" as vampires, there seems to be a fresh take on them nearly every month . . . but few have been as interesting (or intelligent) as Kim Paffenroth's VALLEY OF THE DEAD, which takes its cue from visions seen in Dante's INFERNO and imagines what he went through during his 17-year exile from Italy (a timeline of his life is provided for us mere mortals!).

The author's prologue itself is worth the cover price and dared me (and will dare any zombie fanatic) to keep reading long into the night.

Besides the uber-cool setup, Paffenroth's writing style here differs from his "Dying to Live" series, and the whole tone of the story seems (at times) like you're reading a lost account of a historical reality. The various characters he encounters (and befriends) along his journey seem quite real, and in their conversations (especially in Chapter 20) we learn nifty bits and pieces about Dante's past (hmmm---seems Dr. Kim set out not only to give his readers the willies, but 'learn 'em a bit, too).

While I truly enjoyed this, I'm not sure how many fans of the standard "shoot-'em-up/gut-munch" zombie tale will; but if you allow yourself to enter Paffenroth's speculative vision with no pre-conceptions, you might find it a hard place to want to leave.

REVIEWED BY THE FUNKY WEREPIG


There are two main things you need to know about Kim Paffenroth's VALLEY OF THE DEAD. It's about zombies. And the book is based on Dante's `Inferno' from his classic poem The Divine Comedy. That's a serious mix of horror gore and incredible intelligence. I doubt very few writers could pull this combo off. But having met and chatted in depth with Mr. Paffenroth, I can also say that I'm not surprised that he nailed it.

With this novel, Paffenroth writes as if it's actual history. He follows Dante during one of the most depressing times of his life, his exile from his native city of Florence, Italy. Not much is known of Dante's life during this period but Paffenroth is more than happy to fill in those blank spots- with a zombie plague that has overrun the lands. And in doing so, his fictional story explains in a very matter-of-fact manner how Dante came upon his inspiration for his greatest and best known piece of work.

Told through Dante's eyes and words, he travels in search of some land that hasn't been overrun by the zombie plague. Along the way he joins a few companions- a soldier, a monk, and a pregnant peasant girl- who he forms unique bonds with as they journey literally through different levels of hell to a `safe' destination they're not sure even exists.

Where Paffenroth makes a brilliant choice is in having the living humans be the real horror. Oh yes, there are zombies all over the countryside, in the woods, the mountains and villages. You never know when they will attack and Paffenroth keeps the tension built throughout like a constant heartbeat. But it's in meeting the people who have survived the plague that offer the greatest threats.

Each chapter almost comes off as its own parable or tale. There's a continual flow of corrupt or immoral or insane or damaged characters that confront Dante's band of travelers at every turn. Each has a different perspective on the zombies and has a different means to handle the plague. Being true to human nature, rarely do these meet with unanimous approval. Dante is often as disgusted with the souls of humanity as he is with the soulless walking dead.

Those who love history and are familiar with Dante will applaud Paffenroth's loyalty to both the time period in general and the specifics surrounding Dante's personal life. Those who aren't as familiar or interested in factual representations will love this book because it's a great zombie story that goes beyond a particular time period. People are eaten. They are turned. And what's left of humanity has gone rogue.

I'm no literary scholar. I'm not a history expert. But I do love good horror. VALLEY OF THE DEAD is the smartest book you'll read all year. And it's quite possible that only a dude as intelligent as Paffenroth could make it a flat out creepy scary zombie novel as well.

Few writers would have the intellect or the balls to attempt to fictionalize elements of the life of Dante Alighieri...and pull it off! But Kim Paffenroth does it with sharp wit, insightful writing and great style. Bravo!

The Divine Comedy by Italian poet Dante Alighieri is, arguably, one of the most studied and celebrated poems of all time. Religious scholars have spent centuries analyzing it for its theological content. Students of literature have sung praises for its prose for just long. On a personal level, Inferno (the volume of The Divine Comedy that deals with Hell) is one of the main things that sparked my dark interest in all things horror. The rhythm of the lines and the utterly macabre subject matter teamed with the violent yet beautiful imagery and I was hooked instantly. Now years later I've just finished Kim Paffenroth's Valley of the Dead, which is his fictional account of the years Dante spent in exile from his native city of Florence, and old horror is fresh again. He explains his influence, ideas, and drive for Valley of the Dead in his prologue. I read the entire book and thoroughly enjoyed it but I have to admit it only really took me the three page prologue to know I was gonna dig this ride.
In this account Dante enters a foreboding valley and is instantly drawn into an unholy adventure as both the dead and an army sent to destroy them ravages the first village Dante comes across. Dante, a man steeped in tradition and customs from his native land, saves the life of a pregnant peasant girl and together they flee the doomed town as the dead feast on its citizens and the army burns its buildings to the ground. The odd duo ride to the next town to warn of the dead and the approaching army but arrive to find the town swept up in frenzy against a supposed witch. One lone soldier, a deserter from the calloused and cruel army, stands against the crazed town folk. Again the walking dead appear and fire burns and Dante has another companion. The three unlikely allies flee the dead and end up seeking shelter at an odd monastery where they acquire a fourth member, a monk, to their motley band of survivors. The monk tells the three of a hidden pass high in the mountains at the end of the valley that leads away from the death and the dead found there. He vows to lead them there and the story kicks it into high gear through a virtual tour of a living hell on earth.
As the four companions travel across the doomed valley and up the dangerous mountains they encounter hordes of the dead and scores of despicable living souls. Each stop they make and every person they meet is a horror story unto itself. The way the people of the valley deal with the plague (which is a re-occurring thing in the valley), the dead, and the other living survivors will make you think as much as it makes your stomach turn. Before the story reaches its end it is hard to tell who the real monsters are in the story, for there are many, many monstrous things our brave and virtuous travelers must face on the path to safety.
Very well researched and very well written Valley of the Dead succeeds on many different levels. As a zombie novel there is enough undead action to appease both novices and die-hards. There are violent dead, hobbled and trapped dead, dead with collars, and dead with tricks to satisfy that craving for rotting flesh-eaters. There are literally enough different zombies that you will feel a rainbow of entirely different emotions for each undead soul Mr. Paffenroth has dreamed up for us. As a piece of speculative dark fiction the story behind the valley is enthralling and imaginative enough to grab your attention and keep those pages turning. Mr. Paffenroth gives each and every character, be they living or dead, a touch of life and realism that further draws you into his words. I am amazed at how well though out and delivered this incredibly original story is. I HIGHLY recommend this to fans of zombies, horror, dark fantasy (I told you it's a sword swinging solider, a hatchet wielding peasant girl, a monk who is a master of the staff, and a poet/apothecary packing a his own blade on this journey, right?), or just great damned fiction. This book should defiantly be on your bookshelf.

Dante Alighieri spent seventeen years of his life in exile from his home in Italy. Scholars do not know where he was or what he did, other than spend that time writing his masterpiece THE DIVINE COMEDY. His most famous part of that epic poem is The Inferno in which Dante paints a truly frightening vision of Hell. VALLEY OF THE DEAD is the account of what Dante experienced that brought him to write Inferno. Travelling through an Eastern European valley with a woman, a soldier, and a monk, Dante eluded and battled the living dead. He was so horrified by what he witnessed and experienced that he turned it into a fantastic fictional account after his escape from the valley.
First off, you do not have to have read The Inferno to read VALLEY OF THE DEAD. Now, to say I liked this novel would be an understatement. I loved it! Kim Paffenroth has done an amazing job translating the events of The Inferno into a novel speculating on the whereabouts of Dante. The main characters, Dante, Bogdana, Radovan, and Adam are very real without too much time having to be spent on development. The secondary characters we meet along the way are much like people you'd find in any crisis taking place. You will either be able to relate to, or at least recognize them. There is definitely a theological question here....aren't zombies also creatures of God? At times you will feel sorry for them, wonder if they feel pain or not and almost come to understand the zombies and their actions while being repulsed at the actions of the people throughout the story. The zombies have no choice but to succumb to their appetites, but what about man? I highly recommend VALLEY OF THE DEAD and I guarantee you it will pique your interest in reading or re-reading Dante's Inferno; I myself will be re-reading it.

Unlike the spliced-together novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Valley of the Dead is an original story inspired by Dante's Inferno (the first volume of The Divine Comedy). Kim Paffenroth, a professor of Religous Studies, best known for his zombie series Dying to Live (third installment coming out in October 2010) and Orpheus and the Pearl, explains in his prologue how he came to the realization that Dante must have actually seen the horrors described in Inferno. Paffenroth presents us with the story of how Dante survived a zombie plague, revealing the lessons that he learned while Dante was in exile.

One of the most disturbing charcteristics of this novel is that the zombies are absolutely not frightening compared to what the living do to one another. I would go so far as to say some of the human survivors lost their souls long before the plague cuaght up with them. It is interesting to note that even back in history the army was of no help to the villagers, and made matters worse.

If you have read any of Paffenroth's work with Permuted Press, don't expect any similarities. The zombies are different; in one instance, some zombies completely disregard Dante's group because they've recently made a fresh kill -- one of them looks right at Dante, and goes back to feeding without giving chase. The writing style is also different; it's reminiscent of great classical literature, and it's the key to tying so many different genres together into one novel. It is a shame that this novel will most likely be labeled horror fiction without a second thought. If there was ever a zombie story worthy of literary acclaim, it would be Valley of the Dead.

Unfortunately, the best zombie novels are the ones that rarely make it into the mainstream view.

This book is amazing though I should not be surprised because every book I have read from K. Paffinroth has been spectacular. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine a writer being able to combine my favorite religious author Dante Alighieri with a zombie invasion. Truly amazaing.

What if Dante Alighieri had been traumatized by real events so horrid they nearly eclipse the horrors he himself shared in the fictitious Inferno?

There's nothing out there like this. A must-read for zombie fans.

I bought Valley of the Dead because it addresses two of my greatest interests -- zombies, and Dante. The novel was a little slow for me to get into because Dante, especially in the early chapters, tends to be a little too modern in his perspectives and values. However, once things take off, this novel is a wild and satisfying ride:

* Emotionally poignant and gut-wrenching
* Graphic and horrific zombie horror
* Breathtaking lyrical passages as Dante reflects on God, humanity, sin, life, and death

The female lead -- Bogdana -- is inspired. And the author, as one might expect of a scholar of religious studies, knows his Dante very well. This is one of the smartest and most emotionally wrenching books yet written in the rapidly developing genre of zombie fiction. If you want a book that will engage and satisfy your head, your heart, and your gut, give this one a try.

I started out highlighting my favorite passages as I read the novel on my Kindle -- but now the whole d**n thing is highlighted.

Daniel Fusch, Ph.D
Author, The Zombie Bible
Editor, Dante's Heart
@thezombiebible

This book is great. I've read Dante's Inferno -- over 20 years ago, so I only remember the rough outlines of it. Based on what I recall, Paffenroth's imagining of how Dante spent his years of exile (part of which was fought fighting zombies) clearly suggests how this experience inspired Inferno. This is so much more than a mash-up of a classic with zombies -- it's a real, solid, stand-alone story that brings something new to the genre.

Edited to add: I just want to clarify that knowledge of Inferno is not necessary to enjoy this story. It can stand alone as a zombie novel. But knowing a bit about Dante definitely adds to the fun.