Helpful Score: 26
I love P&P, and I love zombies, and I wanted to love this book, but I didn't. It seemed as though the author couldn't decide where to stick to the story and where to depart from it, and so we're confronted with some amazing anachronisms (the Bennett girls studying martial arts under a far eastern guru, for example) while some of the duller aspects of the book remain intact. It's a fun idea for a book--I just think the author could have put a little more thought into actually crafting a story around the P&P framework, instead of simply trying to paste a very modern idea over top of a very traditional story.
Helpful Score: 16
I really liked the idea of this book, but I expected the original story to be intact, with the zombie storyline cleverly woven in. Individual paragraphs were hilarious, but the modern author introduced themes into the non-zombie storyline that were not part of the original, and I thought that some of these "improvements" were not true to the characters, no matter what situation they were in. The deal breaker for me was the cheesy sexual innuendos/banter that were added. I felt like the writer did this just because he could, but it was totally unnecessary.
Jeremy and Crystal D. (jeremy-and-crystal) reviewed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 13
As a dude, I probably never would have read Jane Austen's original version of P&P. But having seen two film versions of the story, and having discussed the book with my wife, I feel like I consumed probably 80% unaltered Austen, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is entertaining and satisfying, and the added Grahame-Smith's zombie plague accentuates the true nature of Austen's characters, making them more understandable, and their fates more satisfying, for those of us not used to reading this sort of work.
Helpful Score: 9
For a parody to work, the writer must be able to recreate the feel of the original work. Grahame-Smith didn't do that...and there's no indication that he tried.
Helpful Score: 9
This book is exactly what the title suggests. Some parts of the book are intact and then zombie scenes thrown in. Much of the dialog is also changed to incorporate that Britain has been overrun by zombies for the last 50 years or so.
The good stuff about this book is that parts are hilarious. The pictures in the book are also very hilarious. Sometimes I was chuckling loudly at the craziness of the whole thing. Somehow Grahame-Smith managed to do zombies in a very Victorian way. It is awesome that there are now fight scenes and zombies and ninjas! Yes, I said ninjas. The ninjas and the Bennet's combat training sometimes give the book a bit of a kungfu taste at points. So I liked that too.
Now for the bad stuff. I found the beginning of the book, with zombies, to be just as long and tedious to get through as it was without zombies. Also, since I already knew what happened in the end (kind of) the story just wasn't as interresting the second time through. I also have a stylistic quip. A big part of what makes "Pride and Prejudice" awesome is how all the characters use their subtle wording as weapons. Well, a lot of that is lost when instead of being clever about how something is said, Lizzie whips out her katana and slices her "enemies" head off. I mean it is funny but the story looses a lot of it's intelligence too...if you know what I mean.
Overall this was an okay book; it gets an extra star just for being a very novel and interesting idea. I would read it mostly if you like zombies and you like "Pride and Prejudice". If you don't like one or the other very much I think you will have trouble getting through it.
The good stuff about this book is that parts are hilarious. The pictures in the book are also very hilarious. Sometimes I was chuckling loudly at the craziness of the whole thing. Somehow Grahame-Smith managed to do zombies in a very Victorian way. It is awesome that there are now fight scenes and zombies and ninjas! Yes, I said ninjas. The ninjas and the Bennet's combat training sometimes give the book a bit of a kungfu taste at points. So I liked that too.
Now for the bad stuff. I found the beginning of the book, with zombies, to be just as long and tedious to get through as it was without zombies. Also, since I already knew what happened in the end (kind of) the story just wasn't as interresting the second time through. I also have a stylistic quip. A big part of what makes "Pride and Prejudice" awesome is how all the characters use their subtle wording as weapons. Well, a lot of that is lost when instead of being clever about how something is said, Lizzie whips out her katana and slices her "enemies" head off. I mean it is funny but the story looses a lot of it's intelligence too...if you know what I mean.
Overall this was an okay book; it gets an extra star just for being a very novel and interesting idea. I would read it mostly if you like zombies and you like "Pride and Prejudice". If you don't like one or the other very much I think you will have trouble getting through it.
Helpful Score: 5
I read Pride and Prejudice about 6 months before I bought this book. I liked the original enough to keep it on the shelf, but I certainly wouldn't have listed it as a favorite. When I saw THIS version, I got it because it seemed perfect for someone life me, who loves classic literature and who has participated in 3 or 4 zombie-related activities during the last year... Humans vs. Zombies, Zombie-Walks (for charity!), etc.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much of Pride and Prejudice ...more I read Pride and Prejudice about 6 months before I bought this book. I liked the original enough to keep it on the shelf, but I certainly wouldn't have listed it as a favorite. When I saw THIS version, I got it because it seemed perfect for someone life me, who loves classic literature and who has participated in 3 or 4 zombie-related activities during the last year... Humans vs. Zombies, Zombie-Walks (for charity!), etc.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies adheres to the original novel. It is, in fact, the same manuscript you've come to know and love, just with a few things modified or added so that a fierce war with the undead is involved. For instance, the first line of Pride and Prejudice is, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." If you've read the original, you'll appreciate this slight tweaking of the first line.
This book is so close the the actual Jane Austen novel that I think if you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you can still say you've read Pride and Prejudice. As long as you can figure out which parts not to mention - for instance, any section involving katanas, battles with the "unmentionables", or copious amount of blood - while talking about it, no one would ever know.
So, if you've ever started Pride and Prejudice and been unable to finish or if you just really like zombies, I definitely recommend this book. It's quite good.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much of Pride and Prejudice ...more I read Pride and Prejudice about 6 months before I bought this book. I liked the original enough to keep it on the shelf, but I certainly wouldn't have listed it as a favorite. When I saw THIS version, I got it because it seemed perfect for someone life me, who loves classic literature and who has participated in 3 or 4 zombie-related activities during the last year... Humans vs. Zombies, Zombie-Walks (for charity!), etc.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies adheres to the original novel. It is, in fact, the same manuscript you've come to know and love, just with a few things modified or added so that a fierce war with the undead is involved. For instance, the first line of Pride and Prejudice is, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." If you've read the original, you'll appreciate this slight tweaking of the first line.
This book is so close the the actual Jane Austen novel that I think if you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you can still say you've read Pride and Prejudice. As long as you can figure out which parts not to mention - for instance, any section involving katanas, battles with the "unmentionables", or copious amount of blood - while talking about it, no one would ever know.
So, if you've ever started Pride and Prejudice and been unable to finish or if you just really like zombies, I definitely recommend this book. It's quite good.
Helpful Score: 4
I actually enjoyed this book. I am not a Zombie fan, but I do like the general story and enjoyed it much more with Keira Knightly being in the 2005 movie. Written in Jane Austin style but definitely with a major twist....HAHAHAHA....The Bennett sisters have been schooled in the martial arts and are considered warriors first and women second. Elizabeth kicks butt against the rein of zombies that hit England. It is however long and can get boring but some of the major scenes are priceless...With help of the movie, I can visualize Dame Judi Dench at the dinner table grilling poor Keira regarding her upbringing and the Bennett sisters being raised without the benefit of ninjas. And the fight scene (an actual physical fight scene)between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth. I wonder if Saturday Night Live would do this as a skit...I could see that.. As I said before, it is long, but did keep my interest... and what they did to poor Wickham, ahahhaha
Helpful Score: 4
As an Austen fan and someone who actually studied her work in undergraduate and graduate seminars, I chose this book thinking it would be a witty homage to her. It's not. One of the key features of Austen's work is the language, and her style is completely missing here, reducing this book to a very non-entertaining pile of fluff. Reading it is painful.
Helpful Score: 3
This was the first book I read that falls under the mash-up of a "classic" story with a "horror/supernatural" element thrown in.
As someone who read the classic in high school and didn't care for it, but is also a horror fan, I thought I'd give it a try.
While I did really like it overall, there were a few lulls here and there where the story spent too much time on the Austen side and not enough on the zombie side.
Overall, it was a quick read, enjoyable and I would recommend reading it.
As someone who read the classic in high school and didn't care for it, but is also a horror fan, I thought I'd give it a try.
While I did really like it overall, there were a few lulls here and there where the story spent too much time on the Austen side and not enough on the zombie side.
Overall, it was a quick read, enjoyable and I would recommend reading it.
Helpful Score: 3
People who know me, know that once in a while I dive into a zombie novel enjoying some gore and flesh eating. This novel however didn't get me at all. Instead I gave up after about 30 pages. Instead of the usual zombie gore I got a huge zombie bore and still feel very disappointed in this novel.
I understand this book should have some sort of zombie humor in it but even this one I couldn't find.
In the end I believe this book is more for the original Pride and Prejudice fan than it is for the zombie fan. Romance fans probably don't have a clue about zombies and might find some humor in this one the zombie fan probably won't.
I liked the cover art. :-)
I understand this book should have some sort of zombie humor in it but even this one I couldn't find.
In the end I believe this book is more for the original Pride and Prejudice fan than it is for the zombie fan. Romance fans probably don't have a clue about zombies and might find some humor in this one the zombie fan probably won't.
I liked the cover art. :-)
Helpful Score: 3
I had to give up on this one about Chapeter 9 - just too tedious for words.
I've always liked Pride and Prejudice and I like zombie things, but the author was unsuccessful in melding the two to my satisfaction. A big stink bomb.
I've always liked Pride and Prejudice and I like zombie things, but the author was unsuccessful in melding the two to my satisfaction. A big stink bomb.
I read Austin's Pride and Prejudice years ago and enjoyed it. I also saw a few film versions and enjoyed them too. But mainly, I love horror. I love zombie movies & books and am always looking for a new slant on an old story. I also enjoy a good parody when done correctly. This should have been good - but wasn't. I don't know exactly when, but somewhere during the first few pages, I started getting that sinking sensation one gets when they know the book's going to be a stinker. I continued on though because I thought it just had to get better. It never did. My biggest complaint is "where are the zombies?" Yes, they exist, but we only hear of them occasionally and usually when the characters are taking scenic walks through the woods. Paragraphs of zombie slaughter are inserted willy-nilly throughout the book along with odd dialogue about ninjas and throwing stars. Truthfully, this book should have been called Pride and Prejudice and Ninjas because they are mentioned much more than zombies.
When writing this, I imagine the author (or maybe Quintin Tarentino) took pages from Austin's novel, dialogue from Kill Bill and some descriptive zombie paragraphs & then tossed them up in the air. Whatever order they fell in was typed into this novel. If that sounds good to you, then you'll enjoy this one.
When writing this, I imagine the author (or maybe Quintin Tarentino) took pages from Austin's novel, dialogue from Kill Bill and some descriptive zombie paragraphs & then tossed them up in the air. Whatever order they fell in was typed into this novel. If that sounds good to you, then you'll enjoy this one.
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!
Helpful Score: 2
I love Pride and Prejudice and I love zombies so I thought this would be a fun read. It was totally unbelieveable. If zombies really did come to Netherfield, the Bennets would be dead in a second. In what world would we ever believe that Jane and Elizabeth are nija masters. Most of the inserted zombie scenes did not further the plot so they did not mix with the feeling of Austen's story or the language. I did not like Darcy and Elizabeth fighting with each other during the marraige proposal. It is so much better when it is a battle of words and not a literal battle. The only storyline that really mixed well was poor Charlotte being turned into a zombie. The whole concept was laughable.
If you weren't into the original pride and prejudice book, don't even bother with this satire. It is unbearable to read. I couldn't even finish it. Not even zombies could make this story interesting.
Helpful Score: 2
Loved the book. Zombies, the Bennet sisters, Mr. Darcy, it's lovely.
Unlike many of the other reviewers, I actually think it's really very true to the original in a sense. If there had been a plague of unmentionables for the past 50 years in England (started small and isolated, but is now quite wide-spread), the culture would be a bit different than in Jane Austen's version. It's a little cruder, a little rougher. There are a number of sexual innuendos, but they're said politely behind the back your hand. There's still a sense of it pushing the boundaries of politeness.
And frankly some of the plot just makes more sense with zombies involved, especially concerning Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins.
The whole tale is meant to be tongue and cheek. As one continuous tale, it works even though it's combining original passages with new material. Maybe it helps that I hadn't read Pride and Prejudice since high school and waited to reread it until after I'd read Zombies. So I didn't have as strong of a sense of what it should be but instead could enjoy it for what it is.
Unlike many of the other reviewers, I actually think it's really very true to the original in a sense. If there had been a plague of unmentionables for the past 50 years in England (started small and isolated, but is now quite wide-spread), the culture would be a bit different than in Jane Austen's version. It's a little cruder, a little rougher. There are a number of sexual innuendos, but they're said politely behind the back your hand. There's still a sense of it pushing the boundaries of politeness.
And frankly some of the plot just makes more sense with zombies involved, especially concerning Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins.
The whole tale is meant to be tongue and cheek. As one continuous tale, it works even though it's combining original passages with new material. Maybe it helps that I hadn't read Pride and Prejudice since high school and waited to reread it until after I'd read Zombies. So I didn't have as strong of a sense of what it should be but instead could enjoy it for what it is.
This book would be a great way to get a guy to read the classic Pride and Prejudice. I liked that Elizabeth was made into this kick butt girl and could handle anything thrown her way, but as I got into it and forgot that there where zombies in the book I kind of wish that I was spending my time reading the real classic. Overall a good read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a different take on the novel.
Helpful Score: 1
Awesome book! I love P&P with a passion. I watch the 4 hour movie at least once every two months and have read it several times. I'm a true Austen fan to the point that I own T-Shirts, action figures, and buttons! Obviously, you have to know what you're getting into with this book. If you go into it not expecting the story to be changed and a few characters acting as they shouldn't, you're going to be angry that such a classic was ruined. However, Smith kept Austen's original wording, so if you know the story by heart his subtle word changes are awesome. And lets face it, who doesn't want to see Lady Catherine get what she deserves?
Helpful Score: 1
I read this out of curiosity (and with a sincere hope that certain characters would be devoured by zombies!). Even though certain characters were given their comeuppance in this version, I still didn't enjoy it. I agree with the other reviewers: it was a great idea but clumsily executed.
Helpful Score: 1
First off, I love Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I also love everything about zombies, so I figured this book would be fantastic. I found it to be a great spin on a classic that even added a little more depth to the plot. One thing I did not like was that it was so predictable if you had already read the original novel. I realize that was exactly what I signed on for when I started reading it, though. Overall I really liked this novel and would recommend it to anyone that loves Jane Austen's work.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is silly and irreverent and I am hoping the author does not make it his habit of rewriting classics with zombie gore. However, this one forray is entertaining enough. As a fan of the original Jane Austen novel, I was still able to enjoy this version. I wasn't too worried about plot deviations. The laugh-out-loud parts are actually the subtle pokes at Mrs Bennett and the flighty younger sisters and at women of that time period in general. The zombie stuff seems forced and thrown in everytime there's a "travel" scene. Overall enjoyable, just hoping there's no "sequel"...
Helpful Score: 1
This was kind of a waste of time. I was excited by the idea of zombies mixing with Jane Austen's characters. But it turned out to be a pretty lame mix. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite stories. The zombies didn't do anything to change the story or even give it a macabre twist. They were just... there. And even when they did fight with Austen's characters, it wasn't exciting. Overall, it could have been a great story, but it fell short. Way short. Way way way short.
Helpful Score: 1
Though I'm sure I should have, I did not read the original version of this novel, nor viewed the movie adaptation of it before picking up this zombie-fied version. In all honesty, I was never interested enough in the original to seek it out and only heard about this version on a horror website. I know, I know. . . Sorry excuse for a reader I am.
With that being said, I wish I had read the original first so that I could pick apart what was original and what was added/modified to accommodate the plague of "unmentionables" and I think I ruined much of the fun of the book for myself reading it cold. But as I enjoy zombie novels and the occasional regency romance this was still a fun read. I do think it was a mistake to market this on horror groups. Die hard horror/zombie fans will more than likely fail to stick with it because it is very much a comedy of manners/relationship novel with a bit of horror in the background. It took some concentration in the beginning to grab hold of all of the characters and keeping straight who was related to and courting who. There were too many cousins and visitors and whatnot but eventually I caught on.
The book seemed a bit disjointed at times and for me it was all too easy to put down but I got through it and am glad I did because there some were some very funny moments.
With that being said, I wish I had read the original first so that I could pick apart what was original and what was added/modified to accommodate the plague of "unmentionables" and I think I ruined much of the fun of the book for myself reading it cold. But as I enjoy zombie novels and the occasional regency romance this was still a fun read. I do think it was a mistake to market this on horror groups. Die hard horror/zombie fans will more than likely fail to stick with it because it is very much a comedy of manners/relationship novel with a bit of horror in the background. It took some concentration in the beginning to grab hold of all of the characters and keeping straight who was related to and courting who. There were too many cousins and visitors and whatnot but eventually I caught on.
The book seemed a bit disjointed at times and for me it was all too easy to put down but I got through it and am glad I did because there some were some very funny moments.
Helpful Score: 1
Austen's Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite novels. I love zombie stories too. But this book was a total disaster! The author tried to add too much fluff to the narrative. It was going fine until I got to the part where Lizzy mentioned how Master Liu made her walk up the thousand stairs at the Shaolin temple, which was a total rip off from Kill Bill. I had to struggle to finish this book. I just wanted it to be over already. This book is a waste that just made me wish that I were reading the original instead. There are way better zombie books out there too. Don't waste your time with this unfulfilling book.
Helpful Score: 1
I have to give this book atleast 3 stars because I really liked the story. However, I had never read the original Pride and Prejudice. After finishing this book, I went on to read the original and found that all Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was is a straight copy-and-paste of the original with a quick edit in of zombies every few chapters. I was very disappointed. I was expecting a zombie book with a little Pride and Prejudice on the side, and not Pride and Prejudice with a little zombie on the side. I would recommend just reading the original, because that story is a great one!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A very fun retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with the gruesome addition of hordes of brain munching zombies! What's not to love?
I was expecting more humor. The whole thing was prim and grim. More satire would have helped.
OMG. This was hilarious. It was also gory and surprisingly well adapted to the Jane Austen world. I highly recommend it.
This was such a fantastic read. I loved how much of the original text of Jane Austen he could leave in, and still make it work for the whole zombie idea.
So funny and so witty. It really is a great read for anyone interested in classics or humor.
Fantastic!
(I actually think Jane Austen would really enjoy this twist... if she got the whole zombie humor....)
So funny and so witty. It really is a great read for anyone interested in classics or humor.
Fantastic!
(I actually think Jane Austen would really enjoy this twist... if she got the whole zombie humor....)
With a love of the classics and a somewhat sadistic sense of humor, I enjoyed this book.
I am a hardcore Jane Austen fan, but I love the idea of this book and wanted to enjoy it so I did try to get into this book with the mind set that this was NOT going to be the P&P I love, but even so, I just could not get into it. Maybe if the author had done a little research he could have woven in the zombie theme a bit more creatively, but the two stories just do not seem to mesh well. Also, reading the conversations was just plain painful, none of that elegance or art that you see in the original version. I also really did not like the way Mr. Bennet's character was changed, in P&P he is a man of few words and in this version he seemed down right chatty!
Had to stop reading this book. It was entirely too heavy reading for me. I look for books that are light, engaging and take me away to a different place. I've never read Pride and Prejudice before, and I probably won't. I'm not one for historical type stories. Sad, because I was really looking forward to this book.
More enjoyable if you're familiar with the original. I would have liked a few more zombies in it.
I have to say, if you love reading Pride and Prejudice, and love Zombies, this is probably the book for you.
It wasn't the book for me.
I actually couldn't get past the first 50 pages.
The zombie parts are flawlessly integrated into the story, Jane Austin style. It's just too dry for me, and I wasn't having a good time, so I stopped reading.
It wasn't the book for me.
I actually couldn't get past the first 50 pages.
The zombie parts are flawlessly integrated into the story, Jane Austin style. It's just too dry for me, and I wasn't having a good time, so I stopped reading.
This humorous adaptation of the Jane Austen classic adds the horrifically repulsive element of the previously deceased. Set in the traditional English country side this tale relays the strange plague that has fallen upon the quiet village of Meryton.
Of the five classic sisters it is our heroine Elizabeth Bennet who is the most skilled in the deadly arts of mortal, or in this case undead, combat.
As the arrogant Mr. Darcy observes during the first ball in the book when zombies party crash and begin eating guests. The sisters join in strategic attacks, but to Mr. Darcys critical eye Elizabeth talent shined brightest.
Neighboring Mr. Bingleys ball is again the scene of zombie mayhem. This time it is the kitchen staff that suffered from Satans Minions hunger for brains and entrails. After this ghastly event Mr. Bingley and his sister leave Netherfield. When Mr. Bingley and Jane were later both in London it was Miss Bingley as well as Mr. Darcy who kept the young lovers apart. Mr. Darcy claims that his concern for his friend, Mr. Bingley, and fears Jane a victim of the strange plague due to an earlier illness are behind his desire to detach the two. This and the tales told by Mr. Whickam are the foundation of Elizabeths reason for refusing Mr. Darcys marriage proposal.
When the truth of the matter comes to light Elizabeths opinion is altered, but is it too late? Will the two overcome the social prejudices of the class conscious gentry? Will zombies overrun England? Read Pride, Prejudice, & Zombies to find out!!!
The book actually constituted an interesting way of looking at Austens novel. It left the beautiful language that the original was written in and added a fun modern element, Zombies! 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 herof course!) This work also included several etchings to go along with the updated version. All added to the story and some are included below! Truly worth the read!
Of the five classic sisters it is our heroine Elizabeth Bennet who is the most skilled in the deadly arts of mortal, or in this case undead, combat.
As the arrogant Mr. Darcy observes during the first ball in the book when zombies party crash and begin eating guests. The sisters join in strategic attacks, but to Mr. Darcys critical eye Elizabeth talent shined brightest.
Neighboring Mr. Bingleys ball is again the scene of zombie mayhem. This time it is the kitchen staff that suffered from Satans Minions hunger for brains and entrails. After this ghastly event Mr. Bingley and his sister leave Netherfield. When Mr. Bingley and Jane were later both in London it was Miss Bingley as well as Mr. Darcy who kept the young lovers apart. Mr. Darcy claims that his concern for his friend, Mr. Bingley, and fears Jane a victim of the strange plague due to an earlier illness are behind his desire to detach the two. This and the tales told by Mr. Whickam are the foundation of Elizabeths reason for refusing Mr. Darcys marriage proposal.
When the truth of the matter comes to light Elizabeths opinion is altered, but is it too late? Will the two overcome the social prejudices of the class conscious gentry? Will zombies overrun England? Read Pride, Prejudice, & Zombies to find out!!!
The book actually constituted an interesting way of looking at Austens novel. It left the beautiful language that the original was written in and added a fun modern element, Zombies! 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 herof course!) This work also included several etchings to go along with the updated version. All added to the story and some are included below! Truly worth the read!
It's a one-trick pony. It's funny enough, but unless you don't read the book in one sitting or you're a tremendous fan of Jane Austen, you'll never finish it.
Pride and Prejudice is perhaps one of my favorite books ever. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this version also. I do not really see this as a horror version, however. More like a farce. The contrast of the Regency England time period to the zombie hunters is so extreme that it was just funny - for example, stopping a lady from participating in the hunt so that her gown would remain clean, ninja style duel between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth.
The main points of the story are fairly similar as is the text itself again keeping the focus on the original story and the "horror" minimal relative to the story. I found myself comparing the two versions and looking for where the changes had been made, for example the discussion of the "ladies" zombie hunting skills v. skills in the piano/embroidery/etc. Some of the changes were bizarre - characters using sexual humor which is out of context for the period, the entire story of Charlotte and Mr. Lucas, the fate of Mr. Wickham.
Overall, it was still just a fun book to read.
The main points of the story are fairly similar as is the text itself again keeping the focus on the original story and the "horror" minimal relative to the story. I found myself comparing the two versions and looking for where the changes had been made, for example the discussion of the "ladies" zombie hunting skills v. skills in the piano/embroidery/etc. Some of the changes were bizarre - characters using sexual humor which is out of context for the period, the entire story of Charlotte and Mr. Lucas, the fate of Mr. Wickham.
Overall, it was still just a fun book to read.
I am currently half way through this book and struggling to interpret the dialogue and finish this book. I had to put it aside and read something else.
I really enjoyed this piece of satire. From the first sentence it had me laughing, and the absurdity of it kept me reading. It did go overboard in some places, but I like the story of Pride & Prejudice enough to be curious about how and where the zombies would be inserted into the story to read it through. Though I will say I like the original better, I think this is an great way to get acquainted with the classics if one is not so inclined towards them. It was a lot of fun!
This was a rather entertaining read for anyone who hasn't been much interested in reading the original novel, or who just doesn't mind reading a severely altered version. Not great, but not bad. I had no problem staying interested enough to finish it. The idea was fun, and even if the original spirit of the novel wasn't fully maintained, I do think there's enough of it there for the intended effort not to be wasted. In any case, it was a fairly quick and easy read, so I don't regret having given it a shot.
Boring, boring, boring..if it werem't for the pictures, I would never have gotten through it!
I was very excited when I found this book. When I started it, I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I only made it half way through before I gave up. I found the whole thing very boring. The zombie sections seem not to flow well with the story. I could see that some people would like it if they really liked the original Jane Austen piece, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I tried to like this book. I really did. As a devoted Austen fan, I thought it would be an interesting, fresh take on a witty, clever book - I actually told a friend that it seemed like the kind of quirkiness Austen herself would have gotten a kick out of. But I quickly found myself wishing that there was more Austen and less Grahame... which is saying a lot since 80% of it was, after all, Austen. The "zombie" parts seemed randomly sprinkled in, and didn't fit at all with the flow of the book as a whole. The writing was mediocre, and the violence/gore was thrown in for its own sake... there didn't seem to be a point. After several chapters of wishing I could just read the original instead, I thought, "Why don't I just read the original instead?" And I did.
I wanted so badly to like this book, but even the zombies couldn't make P&P interesting enough to read straight through (I read four other books before I finished) hard to point out unless you're a fan of Austen exactly which text is which if not for blatant and sudden zombie references, do not attempt to read and fake having read the original, for while you are surely smart enough not to mention the "unmentionables", you'll forget the point of certain scenes. I will add however that the Reader /questions at the end were a nice touch, done in a very tounge in cheek style.
My goodness... This was BORING! I picked it up thinking th zombie mix would make it more interesting than the original - but I was sooo wrong. Both are boring.
This book sat on my TBR pile for a long time. This one was a little hard for me to get into, at first it was the language it's written in, then the pace of the plot. Without giving anything away, the ending IMO was a rip off.
Didn't live up to my expectations.
I never though Jane Austen to write a book dealing with zombies but this was very well incorporated. A very interesting read.
Awesome. Simply Awesome. It takes my two favourite ( Victorian literature and Zombies) genres and marries them wonderfully. At first it seems a little dumbed down compared to the original. But after a while you stop comparing it to the original and just enjoy it for the sheer ridiculousness. I love this book. I love the original, but this is 10x better because its fun, quickly paced and just plain awesome!
