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Friday, April 17, 2009

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies




Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Seth Grahame-Smith


My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
So I caved and ended up speeding through the manners and mayhem in 24 hours. It was an easy read because I know the source material almost by heart.


It was a lot funnier than I expected--the best moments all came from perfectly-timed incongruity or from zombie madness expressed through Regency Euphemism. It's a hilarious idea and very diverting. A classic like Pride and Prejudice could sustain infinite zombie attacks, particularly ones that are so respectful to the original.



MINOR SPOILERS for those who don't know the setup:

England is overrun by a plague of the "silent stricken" undead and Lizzy, Darcy et al. have all undergone the perilous journey to the Orient to study the deadly arts with masters of the form so that they can kill as many zombies as possible. Because of her training Lizzy is forever desiring to kill or behead people who insult her honor, and Lady Catherine has a team of ninjas at her disposal. Each carriage ride from Longbourn to Meryton to Darbyshire to Kent is fraught with peril from mindless zombie armies, but few are a match for Lizzy's skill with a blade.

All very well done--but forgive me for being kind of disappointed that the Zombie plot didn't in any way crescendo along with the romance and intrigue. I mean I actually hoped that just as Darcy and Lizzy are getting friendly at the inn at Lambton and then Lydia elopes, there would be a climactic, vigorous zombie attack and an army needed to combat it. But no, this book really is Pride and Prejudice with zombies sprinkled throughout, though the nasty characters do get rather grizzlier commeuppances the general thrust of the plot remains the same.

A fun novelty read for those, like me, who can't get enough Jane. But it really just makes you love the original even more--because Jane's jokes stand up so well next to jokes about disemboweling and tasty brains.




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3 comments:

  1. I'm reading this now and love it. But P&P is one of my all time favorites anyway, and like you, I know it by heart. I love this this was first though - you know there will be lots of copycats.

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  2. Those pictures cracked me up. I've just got to get my hands on this book!

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  3. I picked this up at the bookstore then set it back down, fearing it was probably just a one-trick pony. Maybe I'll check it out, though if you say it's high-larious.

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