Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After in which the warrior women of the Bennett line combat intrigues, scandals, dreadfuls, ninja and high society by utilizing their varied martial arts skills and the manners and etiquette of a gentleman's daughters.
I am going to start this by stating that I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice (Austen). I also enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
If anything, this latest installment may have been even more fun, probably because it didn't have the original novel to which to adhere. Or stand up to, for that matter, though it does remain in keeping with the "comedy of manners" feel of the original. The story opens a few years after the close of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, with Jane and Bingley settled comfortably with their offspring at Netherfield, Lizzie and Darcy still happily married (though childless), and Kitty and Mary are still at home (through the contrivances of their mother, who, having married off three of her daughters discovered that she wants to keep the remaining two at home to wait on her. She uses her personality to discourage would-be beaus, much to Kitty's vexation.) Elizabeth and Darcy are returning to Pemberly after having visited Jane and her newborn, when disaster strikes - Darcy is bitten, and Elizabeth begins her search for a cure by contacting and following the instructions of her formidable enemy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
I liked that this installment focused on some of the lesser characters - Kitty, Mary and even Anne are much more fully fleshed out and given greater consequence in the plot, something I think that Austen would approve of, even if she may not have quite approved of their more unladylike activities (fighting, seduction, misdirection and bouts of brazen hussy-ness, to name a few.) Darcy is unexpectedly humanized, Anne de Bourgh displays unusual vitality and even the ninja are brought forward into the light. Well, as much as they can be at any rate.
The descriptions of the spread of disease (cholera) in London, the battles with the unmentionables, and the insights into the point of view of the zombies are all excellent touches, and should satisfy even the bloodthirsty mobs of ancient Rome. The humour is excellent; Austen's wit and satire tweaked into black comedy, as even parasols become weapons against the undead.
4 stars (of 5)
Crossposted to Amazon.com, BookMooch and GoodReads.
I am going to start this by stating that I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice (Austen). I also enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
If anything, this latest installment may have been even more fun, probably because it didn't have the original novel to which to adhere. Or stand up to, for that matter, though it does remain in keeping with the "comedy of manners" feel of the original. The story opens a few years after the close of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, with Jane and Bingley settled comfortably with their offspring at Netherfield, Lizzie and Darcy still happily married (though childless), and Kitty and Mary are still at home (through the contrivances of their mother, who, having married off three of her daughters discovered that she wants to keep the remaining two at home to wait on her. She uses her personality to discourage would-be beaus, much to Kitty's vexation.) Elizabeth and Darcy are returning to Pemberly after having visited Jane and her newborn, when disaster strikes - Darcy is bitten, and Elizabeth begins her search for a cure by contacting and following the instructions of her formidable enemy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
I liked that this installment focused on some of the lesser characters - Kitty, Mary and even Anne are much more fully fleshed out and given greater consequence in the plot, something I think that Austen would approve of, even if she may not have quite approved of their more unladylike activities (fighting, seduction, misdirection and bouts of brazen hussy-ness, to name a few.) Darcy is unexpectedly humanized, Anne de Bourgh displays unusual vitality and even the ninja are brought forward into the light. Well, as much as they can be at any rate.
The descriptions of the spread of disease (cholera) in London, the battles with the unmentionables, and the insights into the point of view of the zombies are all excellent touches, and should satisfy even the bloodthirsty mobs of ancient Rome. The humour is excellent; Austen's wit and satire tweaked into black comedy, as even parasols become weapons against the undead.
4 stars (of 5)
Crossposted to Amazon.com, BookMooch and GoodReads.
