I was going to post a picture of the book cover for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but the technology isn't cooperating right now. Instead, here's the opening sentence:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
How could you not want to keep reading?
Seriously, this was a really entertaining spoof that still managed to stay true to the original novel. Okay, so there's the zombie invasion subplot and Elizabeth Bennet as an expert zombie killer (so's Darcy; how could they not be made for each other?). I love the playfulness. To give you more of a feel, here are selected "book group discussion questions" from the back of the book:
Some critics have suggested that the zombies represent the authors' views toward marriage-- an endless curse that sucks the life out of you and just won't die. Do you agree, or do you have another opinion about the symbolism of the unmentionables?
Does Mrs. Bennet have a single redeeming quality?
Some scholars believe that the zombies were a last-minute addition to the novel, requested by the publisher in a shameless attempt to boost sales. Others argue that the hordes of living dead are integral to Jane Austen's plot and social commentary. What do you think? Can you imagine what this novel might be like without the violent zombie mayhem?
Hmm . . . can you imagine the novel without zombies? Maybe I think this is funny because I'm an English teacher geek, but give this book a try!
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7 comments:
Ooooh, I want to read it!!!
You would LOVE this, Jen-- as in laugh out loud love it. I forgot to mention in the post that Lolli's kids thought the cover was nasty. Izzy made me turn it over so she wouldn't get nightmares.
I'm adding this to my list! Thanks!
Maybe down the road a few months we can have a book review blog entry from guest readers.
Okay, literaqueen, we read this for our August book lunch and I have to say to you, "Really? What is there to recommend?" I am actually interested in what about this book appealed to you. It wasn't painful to read (except for a couple of particularly gross organ-eating moments), and I did laugh aloud a couple of times, but I just didn't love it. I'm a pretty compulsive finisher, but I wouldn't have finished this had I not had the book lunch to attend.
I thought it worked well as a parody. It was purposely taking Austen out of her typical highbrow status and into B movie territory, which I found amusing. Maybe not witty or clever in an intellectual sense, and this certainly isn't a book that I'm going to claim fed my inner soul in the way a lot of books do, but it was a light-hearted read for me. I spend way too much time reading "stuff with substance," so maybe that's why I was drawn to this book: as a contrast. I don't think it would work as a book group book, and I purposely haven't recommended it to either book group I'm in because of that. Not much to really discuss-- but I bought it in the Portland airport on vacation and it was a nice airplane read.
Fair enough. Thanks for the response.
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