Helpful Score: 2
Since I love Jane Austen books and get a kick out of zombie movies/books, I had to give this a try, even though I've been disappointed by several parodies in the past. I was surprised that this was one of the best "reinterpretation" that I've read to date! My mind's eye had a great visual using the characters from the version Keira Knightley starred in. (As much as I love Colin Firth, the U.K. version with it's cast just didn't have characters that I could imagine in these action roles. ;P)
The writing style stayed consistent with Austen's, with the exception of a few liberal twists and the added zombies, so it may be a strange read for those not used to the lingo in the original. Characters in it were also not as simple-minded and wittier than in the original, showing that they weren't necessarily as nice and could think for themselves a bit better. There were several comments that made me laugh because they were so appropriate to the situation. It was also great to see some of the more devious characters get what they deserved instead of a happy, healthy life.
I sincerely hope that SGS does some more work on giving classics a fun twist, because it was neat re-reading what I already knew mixed in with something else to make it a different read altogether. Oh! And the Reader's Discussion Guide at the end is a great crack as well!
The writing style stayed consistent with Austen's, with the exception of a few liberal twists and the added zombies, so it may be a strange read for those not used to the lingo in the original. Characters in it were also not as simple-minded and wittier than in the original, showing that they weren't necessarily as nice and could think for themselves a bit better. There were several comments that made me laugh because they were so appropriate to the situation. It was also great to see some of the more devious characters get what they deserved instead of a happy, healthy life.
I sincerely hope that SGS does some more work on giving classics a fun twist, because it was neat re-reading what I already knew mixed in with something else to make it a different read altogether. Oh! And the Reader's Discussion Guide at the end is a great crack as well!
Theresa D. (tweezle) -
Helpful Score: 1
When I first heard of this book, I had written it off as a fad and nothing more than a waste of time to read. It just had to be total nonsense and something that would only be appealing to kids, since it included zombies. It certainly didn't appear that way, though, as it continued to sell well at my local bookstore. When I received this book to review, I was ready to tear it apart and not like the book at all, but the opposite happened. I had such a fun time reading it, and found myself chuckling throughout many of the scenes.
Mr. Grahame-Smith combined Austen's work almost flawlessly with his own. I say almost, because there were a few places that the zombies seemed out of place and just sort of thrown in just to mention them. Overall, though, it really was brilliantly done. I have not enjoyed such humor in quite a while. Instead of destroying Austen's storyline, Mr. Grahame-Smith just added some dark humor to it making it a true treat to read.
My 16 year old daughter is now in the process of reading it, and describes the book as "awesome!". My son is on break from college now, and wants to read it before his winter break ends. He says he's heard a lot about it at the university, and really is anxious to read it to see if it is really as good as he's heard.
Yes, this is really one book that must go on everyone's "must read" list. It's just too much fun not to pass up!
Mr. Grahame-Smith combined Austen's work almost flawlessly with his own. I say almost, because there were a few places that the zombies seemed out of place and just sort of thrown in just to mention them. Overall, though, it really was brilliantly done. I have not enjoyed such humor in quite a while. Instead of destroying Austen's storyline, Mr. Grahame-Smith just added some dark humor to it making it a true treat to read.
My 16 year old daughter is now in the process of reading it, and describes the book as "awesome!". My son is on break from college now, and wants to read it before his winter break ends. He says he's heard a lot about it at the university, and really is anxious to read it to see if it is really as good as he's heard.
Yes, this is really one book that must go on everyone's "must read" list. It's just too much fun not to pass up!
