Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

First of all, I want to say that I avoided reading this book for a very long time, but I am so addicted to Pride and Prejudice - in every single way I can get it - that I finally relented and purchased this book.

It lay on the coffee table for at least a week before I took it up in earnest. My husband was shocked when he saw the cover because zombies and the like are not my thing at all - and, just for the record, neither are vampires....more about that later. *ahem*

First of all, I found myself laughing at this book. It was also, very obviously, written by a guy. It has snippets from the Guy Manuel all over it. Honestly, you would think that would ruin if for a girl, but it didn't. It was a fun read....gross, but fun.....and rather hilarious in parts. The notion of Elizabeth Bennet being a trained ninja is ridiclous, but SO funny at the same time. Elizabeth is also no someone to mess with in this book. She would just as soon kill you as look at you at times. Upon meeting Mr. Darcy, she wants to slit his throat and do other horrible and shocking things....which could be interpreted for just what they are on the surface - or as sexual double entendre. It's up to the reader to decide. Very clever in that regard.

The purist Janeites are not going to like this book one iota - so if you aren't prepared to read with an open mind, take a pass. Most of the text is Miss Austen's original writing, but the 'subplot' of unmentionables wandering the countryside is just the tip of the iceberg of a myriad things that purists will hate about this rendition of a most beloved novel.

Plus, there are illustrations! The book is totally worth buying for the handful of illustrations in it alone! Basically, the following synopsis from Amazon says it all:

From Amazon:

It’s difficult to tell if critics’ reactions to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies should be characterized as praise or astonishment. Some reviewers treated the book as a delightful gimmick. Others found that, beneath the surface, the book actually constituted an interesting way of looking at Austen’s novel. Zombies answer certain puzzling questions: Why were those troops stationed near Hertfordshire? Why did Charlotte Lucas actually marry Mr. Collins? (She had recently been bitten by zombies and wanted a husband who could be counted on to behead her—of course!) But critics also pointed out that this parody shows that Austen’s novel has remained so powerful over time that even the undead can’t spoil it.

Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

Jen's rating: 7 out of 10 stars. A totally fresh take on Pride and Prejudice that your boyfriend would love to see on the big screen....and I daresay Miss Austen herself would enjoy it too!