Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem is summed up quite tidily by its title. It’s Pride and Prejudice almost word for word…with zombies!

With that in mind, what is your honest reaction?
a) I am horrified that anyone would defile Jane Austen’s masterpiece with evil undead!
b) I am horrified that anyone would defile the horror genre with lame girly stuff!
c) This sounds stupid. And gross.
d) Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner!

I’m relatively certain that your response to the title alone will predict how much or how little you will like this book. Austen purists will consider it a travesty. Die-hard horror fans will find the source material dull and complain that there isn’t enough zombie mayhem. Most will simply sniff in disdain. But if you’re anything like me (slightly macabre sense of humor, a fan of both classics and the more…er…trashy), you’ll want to pick up this book posthaste.

The juxtaposition of two so unlike genres really tickled my funny bone. Austen is still very much present in these pages, and it was simple enough to immerse myself in her familiar world, only to be delightfully shocked by Grahame-Smith’s gruesome embellishments. When Elizabeth’s sisters prattle on and on about dancing and balls, Elizabeth finds herself very much tempted to lop their heads right off. Elegant dinner parties are interrupted by ravaging zombies. Elizabeth answers Darcy’s proposal by smashing him into the mantelpiece. Awesome! And while we’re on the subject, the illustrations and discussion guide? Also awesome!

If you want to nitpick, I think Mr. Collins’s exit from the book is out of character, and Mr. Wickham’s come-uppance is so outrageous that I could hardly believe it, let alone accept that Wickham would actually agree to it, but if you can’t suspend disbelief while reading about zombies invading England, then maybe this is not the book for you. Personally, I think critiquing Grahame-Smith for his writing style or Regency-era accuracy is kind of silly, too. It’s a zombie novel, for pity’s sake!

So this book isn’t particularly edifying; in fact, it’s rather absurd. But it was kind of refreshing to laugh at death for a change. If you answered D above, this is just the kind of book you can sink your teeth into (ha!).

Readers, be warned: in addition to zombie mayhem, there is a good deal of juvenile humor (think Dumb & Dumber) and double entendres (all that talk of balls, you know).