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The moment, Monster-lit mash-ups. 'Its a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead.' So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Los Angeles screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith, in which Jane Austen's Regency prose is drenched in human gore and spiked with Shaolin ninja moves...Scholars think it's a bloody travesty, and the fans agree - the bloodier the better. --The Times magazine, April 18, 2009...The new trend for adding a touch of blood and gore to the genteel world inhabited by the likes of Elizabeth Bennett and the Dashwood sisters is set to reach grisly new heights next month with the publication of a series of books which will indulge the public's apparently insatiable thirst for horror "mash-up" literature. ...Two weeks later, the US-based creators of the best-selling publishing phenomenon Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are due to unleash their follow-up, which brings a bit of aquatic horror to Austen's debut with Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.
... Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has sold over 700,000 copies and is to be made into a film'
--The Independent, 13 August 2009--Name the best science fiction titles.Speculative fiction has produced some of the most intriguing story titles ever. But which are the best of the best?
You should never judge a book by its cover, but should you judge a story by its title? If the recent success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is anything to go by, then for many readers today the answer is yes. Seth Grahame-Smith's bestselling mash-up of Jane Austen and George A Romero became one of the most pre-ordered titles this side of The Lost Symbol, based solely on a zeitgeist-surfing title. And if those readers came to the story expecting an obvious joke stretched thin over 316 pages too many, they were not disappointed. --The Guardian, 20 November 2009
A quirky twist. Wannabe novelists looking for a marketable idea can settle on an already successful literary classic that is a surefire seller, add a twist and put it out there all over again. That appears to be the way forward for some, including a version of 'Pride and Prejudice', published by Quirk Books in which the original text is enhanced with new scenes of zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith--The Independent, November, 2009--There's a whole new genre of Jane Austen works. While most adaptations pride themselves on loyally adhering to the original, a recent version of Austen's most famous novel by writer Seth Grahame-Smith has introduced a new element. His book is entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and is an example of the increasingly popular 'mash-up' genre. Grahame-Smith's interpretation sees a household of 18 people slaughtered and consumed by the living dead, and endows the Bennet sisters with martial arts skills to keep the creatures off their crinolines. 'I tried to space through the book sequences of gratuitous gore, so it would be more breezy than the original,' said Grahame-Smith--Pride and Prejudice and Zombies uses some clever genre plot devices to spice up the original novel, including the Bennett sisters substituting reading and playing music for sparring with martial arts experts in the far east and becoming trained assassins, with the sole purpose of defeating the zombie army waiting to attack--Eatmt Brains dot com, Nov, 2009--Jane Austen is quintessentially British, and her novel Pride and Prejudice has been one of the most cherished love stories in classic literature. But what would happen if you were to combine Pride and Prejudice with gore, senseless violence, and the undead? You get the exciting and entertaining Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by --Jane Austen's World, November, 2009
A quirky twist. Wannabe novelists looking for a marketable idea can settle on an already successful literary classic that is a surefire seller, add a twist and put it out there all over again. That appears to be the way forward for some, including a version of "Pride and Prejudice", published by Quirk Books in which the original text is enhanced with new scenes of zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith. --Seth Grahame-Smith
There's a whole new genre of Jane Austen works. While most adaptations pride themselves on loyally adhering to the original, a recent version of Austen's most famous novel by writer Seth Grahame-Smith has introduced a new element. His book is entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and is an example of the increasingly popular 'mash-up' genre. Grahame-Smith's interpretation sees a household of 18 people slaughtered and consumed by the living dead, and endows the Bennet sisters with martial arts skills to keep the creatures off their crinolines. 'I tried to space through the book sequences of gratuitous gore, so it would be more breezy than the original,' said Grahame-Smith. --Grahame-Smith --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
... Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has sold over 700,000 copies and is to be made into a film'
--The Independent, 13 August 2009--Name the best science fiction titles.Speculative fiction has produced some of the most intriguing story titles ever. But which are the best of the best?
You should never judge a book by its cover, but should you judge a story by its title? If the recent success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is anything to go by, then for many readers today the answer is yes. Seth Grahame-Smith's bestselling mash-up of Jane Austen and George A Romero became one of the most pre-ordered titles this side of The Lost Symbol, based solely on a zeitgeist-surfing title. And if those readers came to the story expecting an obvious joke stretched thin over 316 pages too many, they were not disappointed. --The Guardian, 20 November 2009
A quirky twist. Wannabe novelists looking for a marketable idea can settle on an already successful literary classic that is a surefire seller, add a twist and put it out there all over again. That appears to be the way forward for some, including a version of 'Pride and Prejudice', published by Quirk Books in which the original text is enhanced with new scenes of zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith--The Independent, November, 2009--There's a whole new genre of Jane Austen works. While most adaptations pride themselves on loyally adhering to the original, a recent version of Austen's most famous novel by writer Seth Grahame-Smith has introduced a new element. His book is entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and is an example of the increasingly popular 'mash-up' genre. Grahame-Smith's interpretation sees a household of 18 people slaughtered and consumed by the living dead, and endows the Bennet sisters with martial arts skills to keep the creatures off their crinolines. 'I tried to space through the book sequences of gratuitous gore, so it would be more breezy than the original,' said Grahame-Smith--Pride and Prejudice and Zombies uses some clever genre plot devices to spice up the original novel, including the Bennett sisters substituting reading and playing music for sparring with martial arts experts in the far east and becoming trained assassins, with the sole purpose of defeating the zombie army waiting to attack--Eatmt Brains dot com, Nov, 2009--Jane Austen is quintessentially British, and her novel Pride and Prejudice has been one of the most cherished love stories in classic literature. But what would happen if you were to combine Pride and Prejudice with gore, senseless violence, and the undead? You get the exciting and entertaining Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by --Jane Austen's World, November, 2009
A quirky twist. Wannabe novelists looking for a marketable idea can settle on an already successful literary classic that is a surefire seller, add a twist and put it out there all over again. That appears to be the way forward for some, including a version of "Pride and Prejudice", published by Quirk Books in which the original text is enhanced with new scenes of zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith. --Seth Grahame-Smith
There's a whole new genre of Jane Austen works. While most adaptations pride themselves on loyally adhering to the original, a recent version of Austen's most famous novel by writer Seth Grahame-Smith has introduced a new element. His book is entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and is an example of the increasingly popular 'mash-up' genre. Grahame-Smith's interpretation sees a household of 18 people slaughtered and consumed by the living dead, and endows the Bennet sisters with martial arts skills to keep the creatures off their crinolines. 'I tried to space through the book sequences of gratuitous gore, so it would be more breezy than the original,' said Grahame-Smith. --Grahame-Smith --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Review
A quirky twist. Wannabe novelists looking for a marketable idea can settle on an already successful literary classic that is a surefire seller, add a twist and put it out there all over again. That appears to be the way forward for some, including a version of "Pride and Prejudice", published by Quirk Books in which the original text is enhanced with new scenes of zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you look at all the reviews, you'll see that this monster mash-up of the beloved novel has totally split opinions of those who have read it. I'll tell you mine after a bit of explanation.
Zombies have been plaguing the English countryside for years. It's no longer safe to venture out alone; you need to be either armed to the teeth, or have safety in numbers. The Bennets are well equipped to deal with the undead, for Mr Bennet and his daughters have been trained in the deadly arts in China and are warriors all with swords and feet alike, having their own dojo at home to keep their skills honed.
The Zombies and martial arts are all shoe-horned into Austen's novel, most of which is left in tact - it's usually pretty obvious which are the additions and adaptations, although not having read the original for many years, I kept it by me so I could compare and contrast if needed. I am also an expert in the BBC's wonderful P&P series from 1995, which enriched this reading immensely - imagining Colin Firth as Darcy swashing and buckling against zombies...
... Sorry, where was I? The novel starts off really well, it had me chortling loud enough to have to read the first few lines out to my other half:-
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead.
"My dear Mr Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is occupied again?"
Mr Bennet replied that he had not and went about his morning business of dagger sharpening and musket polishing - for attacks bt the unmentionables had grown alarmingly frequent in recent weeks."
Even from just this small quote you can see already that it mixes the new and old and rewrites other sentences to fit. Some of the adaptations are witty, and there is the added frisson of a little double-entendre introduced between Lizzie and Darcy. There's nothing like a little smut to remind you that this mash-up is intended to entertain - some of the other write-ups I've read seem to have expected a more serious shock-horror treatment, but the comedy approach was fine by me.
The only problem is, that with one notably sad exception, the zombies are a mere nuisance, seemingly there to prevent travel and explain the high turnover in servants - there are missed opportunities for more zombie mayhem in more elevated circles. It's mostly a class thing - the rich can afford warrior training and/or servants to do the zombie killing for them, unlike the working class who get devoured with relentless monotony. There is one real highlight though, appended at the end of the novel which, if you decide to read it, you too must save for the end - in which the author's comedic credentials are exploited to the full. A neat finish, but I can't tell you more.
So what did I make of it all? It was a great concept, (with a fantastic cover). It was fun, but not sustained all the way through. Did I enjoy it enough to read the next title from Quirk Books - Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - well maybe! (6 .5 out of 10)
Zombies have been plaguing the English countryside for years. It's no longer safe to venture out alone; you need to be either armed to the teeth, or have safety in numbers. The Bennets are well equipped to deal with the undead, for Mr Bennet and his daughters have been trained in the deadly arts in China and are warriors all with swords and feet alike, having their own dojo at home to keep their skills honed.
The Zombies and martial arts are all shoe-horned into Austen's novel, most of which is left in tact - it's usually pretty obvious which are the additions and adaptations, although not having read the original for many years, I kept it by me so I could compare and contrast if needed. I am also an expert in the BBC's wonderful P&P series from 1995, which enriched this reading immensely - imagining Colin Firth as Darcy swashing and buckling against zombies...
... Sorry, where was I? The novel starts off really well, it had me chortling loud enough to have to read the first few lines out to my other half:-
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead.
"My dear Mr Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is occupied again?"
Mr Bennet replied that he had not and went about his morning business of dagger sharpening and musket polishing - for attacks bt the unmentionables had grown alarmingly frequent in recent weeks."
Even from just this small quote you can see already that it mixes the new and old and rewrites other sentences to fit. Some of the adaptations are witty, and there is the added frisson of a little double-entendre introduced between Lizzie and Darcy. There's nothing like a little smut to remind you that this mash-up is intended to entertain - some of the other write-ups I've read seem to have expected a more serious shock-horror treatment, but the comedy approach was fine by me.
The only problem is, that with one notably sad exception, the zombies are a mere nuisance, seemingly there to prevent travel and explain the high turnover in servants - there are missed opportunities for more zombie mayhem in more elevated circles. It's mostly a class thing - the rich can afford warrior training and/or servants to do the zombie killing for them, unlike the working class who get devoured with relentless monotony. There is one real highlight though, appended at the end of the novel which, if you decide to read it, you too must save for the end - in which the author's comedic credentials are exploited to the full. A neat finish, but I can't tell you more.
So what did I make of it all? It was a great concept, (with a fantastic cover). It was fun, but not sustained all the way through. Did I enjoy it enough to read the next title from Quirk Books - Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - well maybe! (6 .5 out of 10)
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, this is Austen's original text with some excisions and a zombie plot-line inserted: so if you hate Austen's measured and leisurely style this might not be the book for you. I think this is a really clever idea which both subverts the genteel world that Austen creates and, yet, exploits the potential which already exists in the text.
Elizabeth's 'wildness' which Miss Bingley attributes to her after she struggles through the rain to see Jane is here turned into a ninja warrior's skill; and Charlotte's decision to settle for domestic un-bliss with Mr Collins becomes something both darker and funnier. Austen nearly always keeps the darker side of her historical world hidden (although it sometimes seeps through with the number of militia men around, and the battles at sea that enable Captain Wentworth in Persuasion to be promoted) and the zombie theme reinserts this sense of a society at war back into the main story, albeit in a humourous manner.
Plenty of reviewers have pronounced that Austen fans will hate this - well, I'm a fan and I love it. It's certainly possible to read this as a straightforward parody/burlesque/spoof, but actually it also reveals interesting things about genre and the way the Austen text is able to blend with something very different and yet still maintain its core values.
Elizabeth's 'wildness' which Miss Bingley attributes to her after she struggles through the rain to see Jane is here turned into a ninja warrior's skill; and Charlotte's decision to settle for domestic un-bliss with Mr Collins becomes something both darker and funnier. Austen nearly always keeps the darker side of her historical world hidden (although it sometimes seeps through with the number of militia men around, and the battles at sea that enable Captain Wentworth in Persuasion to be promoted) and the zombie theme reinserts this sense of a society at war back into the main story, albeit in a humourous manner.
Plenty of reviewers have pronounced that Austen fans will hate this - well, I'm a fan and I love it. It's certainly possible to read this as a straightforward parody/burlesque/spoof, but actually it also reveals interesting things about genre and the way the Austen text is able to blend with something very different and yet still maintain its core values.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Recently I wrote the following statement while reviewing a book - I have often suspected any novel can only be enhanced by the addition of rampaging hordes of undead. The publisher Quirk Books, originators of the mash-up novel, were obviously listening and sent me some books that would allow me to test that theory. Over the next few days I'll be posting reviews of a few of them.
The first novel I read is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith. Before I begin, I have an admission to make, I have to be honest and admit that I have never read any of Jane Austen's work.
After discussing the book at length with my wife, who has read Austen, I am assured that the majority of the plot remains the same as the original text. The five Bennet sisters are all of marriageable age and their mother is keen to ensure that they all marry well into wealthy, well to-do families. The second eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is headstrong and independent. She refuses to bow to convention and very much knows her own mind. Enter a darkly brooding Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. Initially he appears prideful and standoffish but as the novel develops Darcy and Elizabeth realise their feelings for one another. The additional plots strands regarding Elizabeth's other sisters and her friend Charlotte Lucas also remain largely intact.
Lots of stiff upper lips and starched collars are still in evidence here but tempering that with horror works well. In typically British fashion most characters consider the zombie menace little more than an inconvenience. This is where the Regency setting really works. It's clear that Grahame-Smith has made a supreme effort to blend his text with Austen's original. The best example of this is in the terms used to describe the undead. Zombie is considered a decidedly uncouth phrase when describing the unfortunate deceased so many different names are used. My personal favourite being `manky dreadful`.
The addition of action scenes don't feel forced. They are peppered throughout the novel at sensible points. The Bennet sisters have been trained in the deadly arts of the warrior, and are as comfortable dispatching Satan's servants as being demure and lady like. The darkly comic descriptions of ladies attacking zombies with katanas and flintlock pistols while in full evening dress will certainly stay with me.
My main concern, before reading the book, was always that I would get bogged down in flowery, difficult to read language and be ultimately bored by the experience. I'm glad to say that this was not the case. The witticisms and verbal sparring between the characters, seen by many as an Austen hallmark, are still present but I was able to follow these vocal gymnastics without much difficulty.
So does the inclusion of zombies enhance this particular novel? In my opinion the answer is a firm yes. The motivations of characters like Darcy and Elizabeth are only strengthened by having an additional, and in this case undead, burden to bear. I felt that the amendments made by Grahame-Smith have been handled in as a respectful manner as is possible.
I have heard talk of a movie version of this novel in the offing. I hope this happens as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a fun re-invention of an extremely popular story and would be great to see on the big screen.
The first novel I read is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith. Before I begin, I have an admission to make, I have to be honest and admit that I have never read any of Jane Austen's work.
After discussing the book at length with my wife, who has read Austen, I am assured that the majority of the plot remains the same as the original text. The five Bennet sisters are all of marriageable age and their mother is keen to ensure that they all marry well into wealthy, well to-do families. The second eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is headstrong and independent. She refuses to bow to convention and very much knows her own mind. Enter a darkly brooding Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. Initially he appears prideful and standoffish but as the novel develops Darcy and Elizabeth realise their feelings for one another. The additional plots strands regarding Elizabeth's other sisters and her friend Charlotte Lucas also remain largely intact.
Lots of stiff upper lips and starched collars are still in evidence here but tempering that with horror works well. In typically British fashion most characters consider the zombie menace little more than an inconvenience. This is where the Regency setting really works. It's clear that Grahame-Smith has made a supreme effort to blend his text with Austen's original. The best example of this is in the terms used to describe the undead. Zombie is considered a decidedly uncouth phrase when describing the unfortunate deceased so many different names are used. My personal favourite being `manky dreadful`.
The addition of action scenes don't feel forced. They are peppered throughout the novel at sensible points. The Bennet sisters have been trained in the deadly arts of the warrior, and are as comfortable dispatching Satan's servants as being demure and lady like. The darkly comic descriptions of ladies attacking zombies with katanas and flintlock pistols while in full evening dress will certainly stay with me.
My main concern, before reading the book, was always that I would get bogged down in flowery, difficult to read language and be ultimately bored by the experience. I'm glad to say that this was not the case. The witticisms and verbal sparring between the characters, seen by many as an Austen hallmark, are still present but I was able to follow these vocal gymnastics without much difficulty.
So does the inclusion of zombies enhance this particular novel? In my opinion the answer is a firm yes. The motivations of characters like Darcy and Elizabeth are only strengthened by having an additional, and in this case undead, burden to bear. I felt that the amendments made by Grahame-Smith have been handled in as a respectful manner as is possible.
I have heard talk of a movie version of this novel in the offing. I hope this happens as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a fun re-invention of an extremely popular story and would be great to see on the big screen.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
don't waste your time.
It felt like a joke that got stretched until it became unbelievably tired. The concept sounds fun, but in reality it became very droll. Rehashes/retellings etc. Read more
Published 23 days ago by A.Casey
Got boring quickly
A friend bought me this as a joke, because I love the original. I found it amusing to begin with but the premise got boring very quickly. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SJ
Jane Austen would turn in her grave, or maybe even rise from it!
Jane Austen's tedious tale of pretentious people and their over-blown senses of Pride and Prejudice is rendered at least tolerable by the inclusion of the Living Dead.
Published 3 months ago by A. Buttle
A HAPPILY RECEIVED GIFT
I purchased this book as a Christmas present for my Daughter and she was delighted with the gift. Having since read the book she has recommended it to like minded friends. Read more
Published 4 months ago by STEVE
Undead manners
This was a bit of a one joke book. It did have its enjoyable moments. However I felt that it was a bit of a lost opportunity. It could have been so much better. Read more
Published 5 months ago by The Emperor
not very good
I guess this could be called one of the original mash-ups, but I didn't find it to be very entertaining. The zombie element wasn't worked into the plot very well. Read more
Published 5 months ago by w james
Not as good as I hoped
I have wanted to "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" for a long time as a fan of zombies. When I came a cross a used copy at my favorite used bookstore, I was very excided. Read more
Published 8 months ago by M. E. Newell
Jane meet Tarzan
I have been on a zomie kick lately and had never read Jane Austin before this book but I must say that if you read this two things will happen; first you will enjoy the literary... Read more
Published 10 months ago by H. Bingham
Keeping with the core values of the original with a quirky twist!
Like most other reviewers, I generally enjoyed the quirky twist to the classic Austin novel. However, there are some parts of the text we seem to be sliced in unsuccessfully, and... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Louise Roberts
Very entertaining
A fun read with highly improbable social habits developing due to the presence of the "sorry stricken". Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ivana Bye
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