II was very disappointed in reading this (and I only read it because of the upcoming release of the movie adaptation) to find that about 90% of this is actually Jane Austen's canon. There is nothing new as far as the basic plot but Seth Grahame-Smith adds a word, a sentence, a phrase or as much as a paragraph here or there in order to insert something or other about Zombies or what he takes for comedy. And at times these additions are totally outré, out of place and then ignored by the characters. For example: at about 10% we have the scene at Netherfield in which Elizabeth has come down to the drawing room after being with Jane, who has a terrible cold, and Caroline states to Darcy, “You write uncommonly fast.” Darcy: “And you prattle uncommonly much.” More canon from C. and Darcy then says, “And how odious indeed that I should so often suffer to write them in your company.”…etc., etc., etc. These snide little remarks from Darcy are inserted and there is no reaction...from Caroline or from Elizabeth? Then another example of a sentence dropped into place with its adding nothing to the goings-on: at 37% - “Apparently overcome with excitement, Charlotte dropped to the ground and began stuffing handfuls of crisp autumn leaves in her mouth.” No reaction from those around her?
And I have to add these sexual innuendos, and he thinks to get a laugh. I groaned. @63% (Mr. Darcy has shot some zombies on Pemberley grounds while Elizabeth and the Gardiners are visiting.) “She remembered the lead ammunition in her packet and offered it to him. ‘Your balls, Mr. Darcy?’ He reached out and closed her hand around them, and offered, ‘They belong to you, Miss Bennet.’” Out of the blue – Really? And when Jane asks Elizabeth when she realized she was in love with Darcy “…I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing the way his trousers clung to those most English parts.”
Then must you additionally portray Mrs. Gardiner as having adulterous behavior? @ 64% “…she set off in quest of her former acquaintance, and (unbeknownst to the sleeping Mr. Gardiner) her evening was spent in the satisfactions of intercourse renewed after many years’ discontinuance.” Is this really necessary? It, again, adds NOTHING to the plot! The Gardiners have always been favorites of mine and I don't like to see this written of her.
There are so many WONDERFUL variations written in JAFF and if you want to use one with paranormal characters and stories I can easily find others which are not only the author’s own creations but also a better story line; not this man’s simple adding to the best of stories. Oh, I do know why a paranormal tale was selected by Hollywood: what with Twilight, Grimm, Vampire Diaries, Once Upon a Time, etc, being so popular but it seems the fact that this author wrote Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows simply gave him the connection and the Hollywood crowd took the easy way of finding a Jane Austen tale with paranormal shades.
Elizabeth in this tale is a different character: she refers to herself as the bride of death. And she has some grim thoughts when confronted by annoying or even bad behavior: thoughts of chopping off a sister’s head, of both cutting out Darcy’s heart and cutting off his head to present to Jane as revenge for how he separated Bingley from Jane.
The activity with the zombies does not provide a grand adventure, a teaming up of ODC to win a battle, but rather some occasional skirmishes: walking into Meryton, visiting a church, the Netherfield Ball, etc. our characters are beset upon by the undead and they use their skills to dispatch one and all. There is some argument about whether having trained in China or in Japan has provided the best Masters and there is also the matter of the architecture at Pemberley being rendered in the Oriental manner.
So do you have to read this book to anticipate the movie? NO. As most is Jane Austen’s canon you know what to expect. Way over priced as it is not creative at all.
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Paperback – April 4, 2009
by
Jane Austen
(Author),
Seth Grahame-Smith
(Author)
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Seth Grahame-Smith
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Print length320 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherQuirk Books
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Publication dateApril 4, 2009
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Dimensions5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
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ISBN-101594743347
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ISBN-13978-1594743344
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Lexile measure1070L
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Editorial Reviews
From Bookmarks Magazine
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
Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC
From Booklist
This may be the most wacky by-product of the busy Jane Austen fan-fiction industry—at least among the spin-offs and pastiches that have made it into print. In what’s described as an “expanded edition” of Pride and Prejudice, 85 percent of the original text has been preserved but fused with “ultraviolent zombie mayhem.” For more than 50 years, we learn, England has been overrun by zombies, prompting people like the Bennets to send their daughters away to China for training in the art of deadly combat, and prompting others, like Lady Catherine de Bourgh, to employ armies of ninjas. Added to the familiar plot turns that bring Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy together is the fact that both are highly skilled killers, gleefully slaying zombies on the way to their happy ending. Is nothing sacred? Well, no, and mash-ups using literary classics that are freely available on the Web may become a whole new genre. What’s next? Wuthering Heights and Werewolves? --Mary Ellen Quinn
Review
“…a jolly mash-up of Austen’s 1813 classic and the horror tropes of the walking dead…”-Philadelphia Inquirer
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is the ultimate mash-up.” – Newsday
“Because every story is better with zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith's bestselling novel-turned-movie is a must-read for Austen lovers... Pride and Prejudice and Zombies needs to be on every P&P fan's shelf.”–Bustle
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is the ultimate mash-up.” – Newsday
“Because every story is better with zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith's bestselling novel-turned-movie is a must-read for Austen lovers... Pride and Prejudice and Zombies needs to be on every P&P fan's shelf.”–Bustle
About the Author
Jane Austen is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature. Seth Grahame-Smith is the author of the New York Times best seller Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. He also wrote the screenplay for the Tim Burton film Dark Shadows. He lives in Los Angeles.
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Product details
- Publisher : Quirk Books (April 4, 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1594743347
- ISBN-13 : 978-1594743344
- Lexile measure : 1070L
- Item Weight : 10.5 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#206,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #129 in Sibling Relationships (Books)
- #428 in Mashup Fiction
- #677 in Teen & Young Adult Classic Literature
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
1,828 global ratings
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016
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52 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2016
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THIS REVIEW CONTAIS SPOILERS!
After seeing the movie, I decided I should probably read the book. It was dreadful (pun intended).
I understood this to be a re-write of P&P, but with the assumption that zombies existed and Lizzie Bennet engaged in war against them. I expected zombies to be integral to the plot and the quality to similar to Austen’s original work.
Instead, it felt like Grahame-Smith just replaced words in Austen’s story with the word zombie. Most of the time, the mention of zombies made no sense in the sentence or scene. It seemed the zombies where just dumped in without consideration for how they connect to the plot. It ruined the story. The idea of Lizzie as a warrior was fantastic, but the execution was cheesy, amateurish, and ridiculous. The constant references to their time in China and the over-the-top training they supposedly received – seemed ludicrous and stupid. If they were so well trained, Lizzie wouldn’t lose control and nearly behead Darcy just for insulting her. Lame. And zombies weren’t the only thing dumped in. Grahame-Smith also added odd things that had no influence on the story - like Mrs. Gardner having an affair with an old boyfriend. Why would you add that in?
My other main complaint is the inconsistencies in the story. For example, at the time of the story, zombies have been around for 20+ years. So why do they still have zombies coming up from the earth, new, each spring. Why aren’t people cutting the heads off – in particular because it is the law? And after a while, with all the roving bands of militia, the warriors like Elizabeth and her family, and Darcy and his family - do you still have these large packs of zombies? After a while, you’d simply kill all the ones above ground, and dig up and kill all the ones in the graves? The population seems to shift it’s attitudes towards zombies based on whatever suites the plot at the time. This creates characters that change – one page they are ignoring basic zombie safety, the next berating other characters for their lack. There was also a lack of consistency in the supposed British manners – sometimes it seemed society praised the skills of the warrior and others, the girls were shunned and whispered about for carrying sword.
In the end, I had to shift my thinking. By treating it as I would, say, an episode of Power Rangers, meaning, I suspend hope or expectation of consistency or reality, I assume the author is an amateur and the intended the story for a immature audience, was I able to finish this book. It almost was enjoyable once I stopped expecting it to be good. Not sure how this made it to the top of the best-seller list with it being so dreadful…..
After seeing the movie, I decided I should probably read the book. It was dreadful (pun intended).
I understood this to be a re-write of P&P, but with the assumption that zombies existed and Lizzie Bennet engaged in war against them. I expected zombies to be integral to the plot and the quality to similar to Austen’s original work.
Instead, it felt like Grahame-Smith just replaced words in Austen’s story with the word zombie. Most of the time, the mention of zombies made no sense in the sentence or scene. It seemed the zombies where just dumped in without consideration for how they connect to the plot. It ruined the story. The idea of Lizzie as a warrior was fantastic, but the execution was cheesy, amateurish, and ridiculous. The constant references to their time in China and the over-the-top training they supposedly received – seemed ludicrous and stupid. If they were so well trained, Lizzie wouldn’t lose control and nearly behead Darcy just for insulting her. Lame. And zombies weren’t the only thing dumped in. Grahame-Smith also added odd things that had no influence on the story - like Mrs. Gardner having an affair with an old boyfriend. Why would you add that in?
My other main complaint is the inconsistencies in the story. For example, at the time of the story, zombies have been around for 20+ years. So why do they still have zombies coming up from the earth, new, each spring. Why aren’t people cutting the heads off – in particular because it is the law? And after a while, with all the roving bands of militia, the warriors like Elizabeth and her family, and Darcy and his family - do you still have these large packs of zombies? After a while, you’d simply kill all the ones above ground, and dig up and kill all the ones in the graves? The population seems to shift it’s attitudes towards zombies based on whatever suites the plot at the time. This creates characters that change – one page they are ignoring basic zombie safety, the next berating other characters for their lack. There was also a lack of consistency in the supposed British manners – sometimes it seemed society praised the skills of the warrior and others, the girls were shunned and whispered about for carrying sword.
In the end, I had to shift my thinking. By treating it as I would, say, an episode of Power Rangers, meaning, I suspend hope or expectation of consistency or reality, I assume the author is an amateur and the intended the story for a immature audience, was I able to finish this book. It almost was enjoyable once I stopped expecting it to be good. Not sure how this made it to the top of the best-seller list with it being so dreadful…..
25 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2016
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What I love about “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is what Grahame-Green did with the characters. They are free and empowered and, in the case of Miss. Elizabeth Bennet, somewhat psychotic. Charles Bennet trained his daughters in martial arts and the sisters are accomplished fighters. The Bennet sisters are fighters. Even Mary who is somewhat boring in the novel steps up and fights to protect her family and village. When Mr. Darcy is added to the plotline its as an accomplished monster hunter that gets on the wrong side of Lizzie and that’s not a side you want to be on.
Devotees of Austen may think that Grahame-Green took the easy route. He copies whole paragraphs of the original piece but that is part of his charm. He integrates a subplot into the familiar that is both ridiculous and plausible in that he fills in the “off page” gaps. I’m not going to spoil anything but Lady Catherine’s role in the piece is a special delight. If you thought she was evil in the original work, get a look at her in a world in which the ability to defend oneself is a great asset.
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is a quick and interesting whether you know the original work or not.
Devotees of Austen may think that Grahame-Green took the easy route. He copies whole paragraphs of the original piece but that is part of his charm. He integrates a subplot into the familiar that is both ridiculous and plausible in that he fills in the “off page” gaps. I’m not going to spoil anything but Lady Catherine’s role in the piece is a special delight. If you thought she was evil in the original work, get a look at her in a world in which the ability to defend oneself is a great asset.
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is a quick and interesting whether you know the original work or not.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
Duncan from London
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great concept; good book; but not as well-written or likeable as the original.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2016Verified Purchase
It's a great concept. I love Jane Austen and I love the idea of Edwardian ladies trained as Shaolin warriors. The zombie plot uses Jane Austen's turn of phrase where possible; and the juxtaposition of Austen's world and the martial arts training makes for some great humour. The problem is that you can't help comparing it with the original and it doesn't match up. You're reading Austen's writing and the bits the authors have converted effectively (which to be fair is most of it); and then suddenly you're reading a crude joke about balls and the immersion that's been working surprisingly well is broken. Worst of all I don't like Lizzie - I admire Jane Austen's Lizzie and come to appreciate Darcy. But this Lizzie Jeckyll and Hyde - often cruel and out of control. Does she really have to have a warrior code that expects her to execute a man who snubs her when she dances? It's great to break women out of old fashioned stereotypes, but that's old hat, why not think a bit harder about how Lizzie might actually integrate a warrior code into Edwardian society?
Anyway I realise I've written mostly negatives, but actually this is a good book and I enjoyed reading it. If you like Austen and Zombies (or at least Austen and fantasy, as I do) then you're you'll have a good ride ... with the odd bump. So four stars.
Anyway I realise I've written mostly negatives, but actually this is a good book and I enjoyed reading it. If you like Austen and Zombies (or at least Austen and fantasy, as I do) then you're you'll have a good ride ... with the odd bump. So four stars.
4 people found this helpful
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A. Coyne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Far more interesting than the original.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2016Verified Purchase
I bought this several years ago now, but I still remember how much I enjoyed reading the story. My Mum had always tried to get me to read Pride & Prejudice as she is pretty obsessed with it and we'd all have to watch the various period drama adaptations on TV when they were on (even if they were repeats) and I honestly wasn't that big a fan. Regency is not my favourite time period, and in regards to literature, I tend to favour horror, gothic and mystery over sappy romance novels. So for many many years my Mum's pleas for me to read some Jane Austen fell on deaf ears.
Until this book came along. It takes the words of Jane Austen and then instead of having the military aspect there to deal with the battles with the French (yawn) it adds in something far cooler: A zombie invasion threat. Instead of all the girls being insipid characters who can sing and dance and paint and wander out in the cold rain to catch a cold and not much else, suddenly they have been trained in martial arts to fight off the zombie incursion. That relatively minor change makes the story a far more interesting read than the original, despite retaining a lot of the original text.
When I finished, I told my Mum that I had finally read Pride & Prejudice and she was over the moon. So it was a win win situation really. ;)
Until this book came along. It takes the words of Jane Austen and then instead of having the military aspect there to deal with the battles with the French (yawn) it adds in something far cooler: A zombie invasion threat. Instead of all the girls being insipid characters who can sing and dance and paint and wander out in the cold rain to catch a cold and not much else, suddenly they have been trained in martial arts to fight off the zombie incursion. That relatively minor change makes the story a far more interesting read than the original, despite retaining a lot of the original text.
When I finished, I told my Mum that I had finally read Pride & Prejudice and she was over the moon. So it was a win win situation really. ;)
bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2017Verified Purchase
LOVE the original P&P, and love the zombie genre. Putting these 2 together is a dream. Very well written, using the original text mixed with the twist, keeping the general outline of the original plot but with the added bonus of the zombie storyline.
I have also seen the film adaptation which is markedly different from the book with regards to Wickham, however the film itself is a delight and prompted me to reread the book again (mainly because about halfway through I started thinking "this doesn't feel familiar, I don't remember this from the book"!).
Have reread the JA original more times than I can remember and this will definitely be one which will join it on my comfort read list when I'm looking for an old familiar face for a while.
I have also seen the film adaptation which is markedly different from the book with regards to Wickham, however the film itself is a delight and prompted me to reread the book again (mainly because about halfway through I started thinking "this doesn't feel familiar, I don't remember this from the book"!).
Have reread the JA original more times than I can remember and this will definitely be one which will join it on my comfort read list when I'm looking for an old familiar face for a while.
J.R. Barker
1.0 out of 5 stars
NOT THE RIGHT BOOK
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2020Verified Purchase
This is not the correct version, do not buy it. The formatting is terrible, the chapters are not defined and paragraphs are either rammed together, or there are odd spaces in it. There are weird characters in words, wrong words, and once Mr Darcy is called Mr Dairy.
Hannah
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved it so much I immediately bought both sequels (Dawn ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2017Verified Purchase
In terms of classical literature I tend to prefer Gothic books. I tried reading Pride and Prejudice a few years ago with no success, it simply did not grab my attention.
The combination of zombies with Pride and Prejudice managed to keep me enticed in both the survival horror aspects as well as the themes of the original book.
I read this within a few days (purely because I had to physically put the book down and go to work, otherwise it would have been a matter of hours). I loved it so much I immediately bought both sequels (Dawn of the Dreadfuls and Dreadfully Ever After) only to find I loved them even more!
Maybe now I'll try reading the original text again... maybe... or I'll just reread these...
The combination of zombies with Pride and Prejudice managed to keep me enticed in both the survival horror aspects as well as the themes of the original book.
I read this within a few days (purely because I had to physically put the book down and go to work, otherwise it would have been a matter of hours). I loved it so much I immediately bought both sequels (Dawn of the Dreadfuls and Dreadfully Ever After) only to find I loved them even more!
Maybe now I'll try reading the original text again... maybe... or I'll just reread these...
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