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The Beginning of the End
- Apocalypse Z
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
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Publisher's Summary
The dead rise…
A mysterious incident in Russia, a blip buried in the news - it’s the only warning humanity receives that civilization will soon be destroyed by a single, voracious virus that creates monsters of men.
Humanity falls…
A lawyer, still grieving over the death of his young wife, begins to write as a form of therapy. But he never expected that his anonymous blog and journal would ultimately record humanity’s last days.
The end of the world has begun…
Governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called Safe Havens are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Armed only with makeshift weapons and the will to live, this survivor will give mankind one last chance against…Apocalypse Z.
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What listeners say about The Beginning of the End
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lesley
- 05-10-14
Meanwhile, in Spain...
Most zombie apocalypse stories I've read were set in the USA. Apocalypse Z takes place in Galicia, a rainy region in Northwestern Spain best known for the historic area of Santiago de Compostela. It's a refreshing change that makes for an exciting zombie yarn.
A widowed lawyer and his cat, Lucullus, watch nervously as things go bad in Russia, then the EU, then everywhere. The lawyer blogs his struggles at first, and then is forced to change to paper when the Internet finally dies. He and Lucullus leave home and bravely traverse Galicia, taking out "those THINGS," as he calls them, searching desperately for any kind of safety.
All the regular zombie tropes are present here, but the story is made exciting by the fact that our hero is just some guy--sometimes brave, other times terrified, but able to use the knowledge he has to get by and survive. If you're at all familiar with Spanish culture, another dimension is added: the lawyer is a definite Spanish "type," so the story becomes more of a question of what would this average guy, the guy you see every morning on the train going into the city, what would he do if there were an apocalypse?
Some sections of the story didn't go fast enough for me--our hero was a little waffly at times, agonizing too much over decisions. But he is a lawyer, so maybe the overanalysis is a kind of professional hangover from normal times. Mostly, I was hooked--I had to find out what was going to happen next. And as an animal lover, not listening all the way through wasn't an option: would Lucullus make it? There was no way I could skip the answer to that question!
I can't say enough about the narration, beautifully done by Nick Podehl who did such a fantastic job on The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Podehl makes the fear, disgust, and sadness really come through. His Spanish pronunciation is pretty good, too.
If you're looking for a zombie story that's a little different, this one is a great choice: a little less John Wayne and a lot more guy-next-door, Apocalypse Z will keep you listening through to the end. I can't wait for the next volume in this saga!
30 people found this helpful
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- Sam
- 05-11-13
Good, but.... really bad
Any additional comments?
Fun, a lot of fun, pure story! Very fast paced. It's also bad but in a not so bad way. Have you ever watched Land of the Lost? (1970's television) Chaka is just so cute, you want to pat him on the back and can imagine feeling the costume zipper as you do. Then you wonder if the slesstacks were grumpy by nature or if it was simply the combination of those rubber suits and the hot stage lights.
The show is horrible! But we love it right? Yes sir, every bit. Technical problems and everything, we love it. (Well, at least I did.)
This book felt the same. I think the technical problems were huge. My friends have chided and reminded me that the book is TRANSLATED. Well, sorry but translation does not stop me from cringing when I hear about setting the safety on a Glock. (Maybe in Spain Glocks have an external safety????? Uh, no.)
I got the feeling this guy was writing about things he really did not know about. (Guns, sail boats, scuba diving, car parts.) The biggest whammy went something like, "The SUV's battery was completely dead. Good thing I had an extra in the bottom of my backpack. We picked it up in the..." WAIT WHAT?!! Was the battery lost between your chapstick and your gum? Did you know that a car batter is a wee bit larger than say a flashlight battery? For those that don't know: Car batteries are large, very heavy and full of lead and acid. It would take both a large backpack and a small car battery just to get one to fit inside the other. But, don't tip it or it might spill acid all over. Carrying one of these for an average guy means grunting and groaning. Don't tell me you just happen to have an extra in the bottom of your backpack! That would be as logical as suddenly remembering that you had an extra skunk in your back pocket.
Am I being mean? I hope not too mean because I was able to get past all this and enjoy the book despite the problems. I will read the next if comes out here on Audible and in English.
I bought this because I had long drive I had to get up very early for. It kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Lots of fun. Zombyriffic!
26 people found this helpful
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- Keith
- 11-14-12
Just For Pleasure
I have to confess that I secretly love last person on Earth books. This book was no exception. It was told from the first person and that was one of the things that made it good. From beginning to end the book was just plain good.
Nick Podehl complimented the book better than any one else I can think of. His voice brought the book alive and you felt what the main character felt. In one place the main character was talking about the loss of his family, and I swear you could hear his voice crack and see the tears rolling. Apocalypse Z was written well and the narration made it even better.
50 people found this helpful
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- gary
- 06-04-13
My Second Favorite Zombie Book Behind WWZ.
Would you listen to The Beginning of the End again? Why?
YES! I will listen to it again. This story captured me from the first 10 minutes. The story is one of the better of the genre. Next to WWZ it's going to be difficult to find a better zombie book and I love zombie stories.
The performer was excellent. He has a very distinct voice that works for the listener. He captures you with his performance and makes you feel as though you are there.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Luculus the Cat! That poor little guy.
Which scene was your favorite?
I actually loved the beginning of the book when things were falling apart.
Any additional comments?
It's my second favorite Zombie book behind the master classic World War Z.
6 people found this helpful
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- crazybatcow
- 11-17-13
Wonder cat saves the day... again...
I enjoyed the first half of the book quite a bit: a story about how a well-prepared man faces the development/existence of a zombie horde. Sure, the main character was a bit too prepared for a guy with his background and job, but still, it was believable. And the way information on the initial sickness was shared (or not) felt very realistic. (Oh, I am pretty sure the technical aspects of, say, diving, guns, or solar panels, etc, were creatively interpreted, but I didn't mind, since I don't really care what size bullet goes into what type of gun anyway.)
About halfway through, the story took a little turn from a survivalist story to a "spy-thriller" wannabe. Which might have been okay - if this aspect had been more than a "let's have the main character get caught up in some spy-ops in order to show him facing zombies". This entire thread is sorta wrapped up, but the reader is never given any information as to the point behind these events. Perhaps it is a thread intended to be brought up in the next book in the series, but, as it is here, it is just a huge red herring put into the story for no purpose other than to have an excuse for the main character to meet a sidekick and venture into zombieland.
There were some other weak points that became more noticeable as the story progressed: especially in regards to the main character's cat. Even if you assume that the main character would risk his own life to save that of his cat... why would he take it out of its cage and tie it to a string with the plan that it would walk beside him during a thunderstorm/zombie attack... hey, I can suspend disbelief and accept zombies, and even that silly spy-ops thread, but a) what cat would walk beside you as if it were on a leash and b) what cat would walk beside you in a thunderstorm, leash or not c) and why would anyone think a cat would come to them when they called it (regardless that it is during a thunderstorm/abandoned building/zombie attack)?
The ending left even more to be desired. I think it is intended to set up the next installment of the series, but the way the main character "found" other survivors was just a smidge beyond believable (another installment of wonder-cat adventures here). And I really hope that the "love interest" hinted at in the next book is not the same one hinted at in this one because I am really tired of male authors assuming that 17 year old girls would be as interested in 30 year old men as these men are in teenage girls.
It isn't overly gory, there is no sex, and I don't recall any excessive swearing. The narration is good and I think the translation to English was accurate enough. Overall it is a reasonable/average entry in the zombie genre. I won't, however, be reading the next in the series since the best part of this book was how the virus/information spread, and how the world initially dealt with this spread.
41 people found this helpful
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- David Redding
- 08-06-14
I didn't care...You might
I have to start by saying that I'm not a fan of the first person "Journal" type of book. I just think that it takes a special story and a special author to pull it off and this story isn't special.
I don't want to put anything on the author because this book is a translation, it was originally written in spanish so the mistakes I spotted could be a result of the translation. In the end, it's just an average zombie book with nothing that really sets itself apart for all the rest.
A few people have complained about Nick Podehi's narration. I can see what they may not have liked, but I kind of liked it...he tries to put life into the story. It doesn't always work and Nick does "over act" it a few times...but over all I enjoyed his performance.
4 people found this helpful
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- Rolando
- 03-05-13
Overly dramatic
What would have made The Beginning of the End better?
The narrator is reads every sentence as if it is the end of the world. Please pardon the cliche and pun. The problem is that the narrator doesn't give the listener a chance to rest. Everything is "gripping" or "shocking" or "unforgettable". I know that you can blame it on the author, however, I am reading the book along with the narration via Whispersync and reading the book is much more enjoyable and makes it easy to forgive some of the author's flaws. Halfway through the book I decided to stop listening to it and just read it. The narration made it unbearable.
16 people found this helpful
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- C. S.
- 02-27-15
Not Bad
This was not my favorite book. There are certainly enter post apocalyptic stories out there such at Mark Tufo, After AmericaI, and Ted Dekker's The Circle Series. I did like the premise. I did like the international plot. But the main thing was too much histrionics and I had a really hard time buying a man running around fighting zombies while holding a cat carrier.
3 people found this helpful
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- Anne
- 02-09-15
So Bad on So Many Levels
About an hour and a half into this, I was almost laughing and thinking, "This had to have been written by a 16-year-old boy with a lively imagination."
It starts with the coincidence of the storyteller's installation of two freezers, solar panels and storage batteries in his house. The house is in a new housing development in which the streets don't even have names, but the house is - ready for this? - surrounded by a 10 foot stone wall. TEN feet. Uh huh.
The main - and only - character starts hearing about an epidemic in Russia that is either West Nile Virus or a mysterious hemorrhagic fever like Ebola ... or both. The author doesn't seem to know what either is so they are used interchangeably and as if nobody else knows the difference either.
Almost from the first few minutes of the book, with no character development at all, civilization begins to break down and what follows in the story is simplistic, childish and poorly written that nothing could persuade me to devote any more time to this.
The narration was OK. He only has one voice to do and he mostly does that breathlessly. All emotions have only one expression. But I can't blame him because the story is so thin and the characters - such as they are - have the depth of potato chips.
This is just so bad. I'm giving it back to Audible.
3 people found this helpful
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- JacobC
- 06-24-14
Something just didn't click
What did you like best about The Beginning of the End? What did you like least?
The story was okay, a bit contrived from the start, but not bad. Every now and then, though, the author would say something that made no sense, or even contradicted something else he said. An armored car that couldn't run down zombies because the main character has "seen what bodies do to cars?" Meh.
What do you think your next listen will be?
Not the rest of this series.
Have you listened to any of Nick Podehl’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I haven't listened to the narrator's other performances, but he did a fine job. A little trouble with some of the Spanish place names, but no real problem.
Could you see The Beginning of the End being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
No.
Any additional comments?
What was in the darn case that burned up?! He spends half the book going after this case and...nothing??
3 people found this helpful
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- Mr. A. J. H. Jackson
- 01-23-13
Some lazy writing but very enjoyable story...
A very enjoyable story with lots of interesting elements and plenty of suspense though it has IMO an overly dramatic and at times odd narration. In terms of the writing there are lots of obvious things which could have been corrected with a decent Editor - silly stuff like "the corridor was pitch black" followed by a detailed description of the corridor, "I was paralyzed with fear" then immediately "strangely calm", "I had grown used to the hideous sights" though "bile rose in my throat and I wanted to throw up", he realizes that he needs to be quiet so as not to attract attention yet shouts with joy, fires automatic weapons and kicks steel doors multiple times with gay abandon - these things may have sounded OK with a different narrator. Because the main character apparently has the learning curve of a plank you kind of want him to die but that still didn't stop me enjoying this listen!
4 people found this helpful
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- Neil
- 01-14-13
Need more
There are two more in this series, neither are available in English, audio or print. You may want to consider this fact before you read this one.
It is indeed a cracking read, right from the start you love the main character and his faithful feline companion. I like the fact that his sidekick is a cat, cat's are unpredictable, they cannot be trained and in a tricky situation they can be relied upon to disappear in an instant. In an apocalypse situation, I would imagine a cat would be a constant source of annoyance and greatly add to the already considerable danger of everyday life and in this story, the narrator is determined to look after his cat [Lucullus] come what may. This adds a real human touch to the story and adds much interest and danger to the story. he has to keep him fed, carry him around, call him, without actually making any noise, comfort him and talk to him to keep himself sane. It could so easily be a dog, a dog could be a hindrance too but would have many plus points like warning when it senses danger and protecting his master, maybe even laying down his life for him, with a cat, this is never going to happen. If he want's to keep his cat, he has to work at it and he does.
I have read in other reviews about this books predictability. Once you know the story is about the Zombie apocalypse, surely you expect certain things to happen. Most people die and return as the walking dead right? That's not a spoiler and certainly not unexpected is it? Stay in one place, you eventually run out of food & water and the Zombies will almost certainly find you, you will have to move on. You will have to do things out of character, you will learn new skills, you will do anything to survive and the Zombies WILL keep coming. Predictable or simply expected?
If you like Z stories, there is nothing here that will disappoint you. I highly recommend this one.
2 people found this helpful
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- Sussman
- 12-23-12
Tackling Zombies using Scuba gear
As reviewers have already commented this tale unfolds in the form of one man's blog that is kept in a diary and, while the internet is live, via a web blog. The language is relatively simple, but never preambles. The narrative follows, at times a predictable formula. There is a terrorist attack on a secret military base slash research facility. What follows is a tumbling of the dominoes as secrecy and governmental ineptitude leads to a worldwide pandemic of the un-dead who behave very much like the flesh eating Zombies.
Our protagonist is a lawyer by trade; he is widower who lives alone in Galicia Spain, except for his cat who figures heavily in his life. Through his blog/diary we see how society begins to unravel as the pandemic spreads from a remote zone in the Russian Federation until it reaches Spain and finally his front door. Not wishing to give spoilers, our lawyer and cat are forced to leave their fortress home and embark on journey to find some safe haven. On this `road trip' from hell our hero will meet both the best, worst, and profoundly stupid of humanity.
This novel has been translated from Spanish, and appears to be the first of what sounds like a `series', containing his travels and experience's. I just want clarify I was listening to the unabridged version and have not read the book, but I am sure they are one in the same. I found the story entertaining, and it was refreshing to have a story based in mainland Europe as opposed to North America, where most of the novels and films I have seen, seem to be played out. This book is not going to win any literary prizes - but this is not one of those books. Some rather interesting Horror fiction has been coming out of Spain lately and this story is one of them. In summation then this is an interesting and entertaining book, which is cat friendly to boot and I recommend it.
2 people found this helpful
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- Hoopers Oak
- 03-14-13
One of the worst books ever read/listened to
I could not finish listening to this. If a teenager had the determination to write a sci-fi/horror novel, this is what they would come up with. This book takes suspension of disbelief to a whole new level. Not only is the main premise ridiculous, but the details: transformers blow up because the electricity supply has failed, his freezer defrosts almost instantly, he listens to the police on short-wave radio, his car engine fails catastrophically because he drives along a bumpy road....it's just ridiculous. To cap it all, the narrator has a whiny American voice and I lost count of the number of times he said: 'life is a bitch'. Sorry, puerile rubbish.
8 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 02-05-18
not a bad read. worth taking the time out.
I'm going to check out the next in series. good book. good translation. try it
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- martin
- 10-25-13
LOST IN TRANSLATION
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
ZOMBIE FANATICS
Would you ever listen to anything by Manel Loureiro again?
I dont think so, maybe it was the translation but it didnt really grip me in any way.
Would you be willing to try another one of Nick Podehl’s performances?
Id give him a seond chance though his reading was a bit over dramatic at times.
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
It was set in Spain and Russia, not the US...which made a refreshing change
Any additional comments?
ending was a big anti climax
1 person found this helpful
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- chloe
- 04-07-13
Zombie Tangle
The author tells the story of the Zombie Apocalypse through his journals which removes a lot of dramatic tension because you know when he announces the start of another entry, obviously he has survived the events to be able to tell the story. I got tired of being told how frightened he had been, how horrible the zombies were, how gruesome the scene was. After saying the same thing about 10 times, it started to get annoying. I think the editing is poor which is a shame because it's quite a good story - Apocalypse Z is solely told through one man's experience and is very much his tale of day to day survival. Like World War Z, this tries to put some logic into how you might actually survive. The voice is good, the American accent is a bit off-putting but he does put a lot of personal angst into the events. I think he should have eaten the cat, though!
1 person found this helpful
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- Noel Marshall
- 04-25-22
Excellent
Really glad I found this audio book its an excellent zombie story well narrated with a believable storyline and likeable characters. Now onto book 2!
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- Pat Hannigan
- 02-25-20
exciting
pages of a diary come to life. had me on the edge of my seat in parts. brilliant narrator
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- toni
- 02-11-14
A bad story read well.
What did you like best about The Beginning of the End? What did you like least?
This book is really poorly written, Day By Day Armageddon isn't the best series of books ever but I have would really recomend it over this if you like the idea of a first person narrative Zombie story. This seems to hinge on descriptions that try really hard to be graphic.
There are some really really great ideas in this book. The fact that the protagonist is an average dude. The fact that the question of sanity and PTSD is explored and setting a book like this europe was an interesting way to handle it. However the story doesn't carry them off well at all. I feel like this may be because it's translated into a second language but that doesn't help those of us who don't speak spanish sadly.
The second half of the book is frankly agonising, if this is a conscious choice on the part of the author then considering the content ( I will avoid spoilers) then it's fair, but I found it incredibly hard to listen to.
Has The Beginning of the End put you off other books in this genre?
I wouldn't stop reading Z-fiction but I think I'm pretty happy to let this series go. Like I said, some good Ideas, and a sold narrator but overall it's a poor retelling of other Ideas from better stories.
Any additional comments?
Listen to DBDA and the new Version of WWZ if you feel like some zombie stories. If you're looking for another DBDA then please keep looking, this isn't it.
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- Jo
- 02-05-15
Slow start but picks up around chapter 25
This was hard going to finish. But it got better towards the end. Wouldn't recommend unless you are really into zombie stories. Good narrator though