YA Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Like me, you may have put off reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!  Anyone who would dare trifle with a classic like Pride and Prejudice couldn't be serious.



Turns out, it's not serious.  Or rather, the book is seriously funny.  Seth Graheme-Smith has interspersed his twisted nightmarish vision of a zombie invasion during the English Regency period that had me laughing out loud within the first few pages.  No longer are the Bennett sisters merely genteel gentleman's daughters but now highly trained and skilled assassins thanks to their time in the Orient.  Darcy, too, has had the benefit of a Japanese master.  Mr. Bennett is no longer a layabout indulgent father but instead caretaker of his estate in addition to now being openly disdainful of his ever-so silly wife.  The plot is altered, and abbreviated, from the original but retains the know-by-heart speeches that have made the book an enduring favorite.  However, now they take on new meaning when we come to Darcy's initial proposal to Lizzy and she sends him flying into the fireplace mantle with a swift thrust of her deadly fist.  Or, after Lizzy takes on Lady Catherine de Burgh in the Bennett's dojo ... the Lady's, "I take no leave of you.  I send no compliments to your parents" has a new, and delightful, meaning.

I do take issue with the Aunt Gardiner's dalliances (why?) and zombie-hood of poor Charlotte Lucas, who already has had to suffer a great deal in literature history but worse is Mr. Collins' suicide.  We all wish he would have, but it seems ridiculously out of step for such a pompous character.

There were a couple of distractions - typos or poor editing?  How could Charlotte Lucas be eating dead "autumn leaves" in March / April?  And finally, not matter how abbreviated the book, I had to skim the last 15 chapters because the novelty had long worn off.  I already knew them so well, as well as having already gleaned the Mr. Graheme-Smith's style, could readily pick out his additions and subtractions.  

Will young adults appreciate this book?  Sales have been remarkable and I suppose that is the ultimate test, but I wonder how much of the success can be attributed to the uniqueness of the idea (without meaning to insult the skillful adaptation and the creativity shown)?  I do look forward to reading Grahamee-Smith's latest, and original work, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.