Zombies help story flow
By Erin Livingston, Special to The Gazette
Friday, September 18, 2009
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, Quirk Books, 2009, $13.
I’d never read a Jane Austen novel in my life, nor did I have any inclination to do so — until I spotted “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” on the shelf at the Emporia Public Library. The quote on the back cover especially intrigued me: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”
The story takes place in 19th century England, which has been plagued by zombie attacks for the past 55 years. All five of the Bennet sisters have been trained in the deadly arts in China, but while Jane and Elizabeth have kept up their rigorous training, the younger sisters have let it fall to the wayside, and have become more concerned with flirting with the officers in town.
Soon after, the Bennets meet their neighbors, Mr. Bingley and his sisters. Jane falls in love with Mr. Bingley, even though his fighting skills are not equal to her own, and Elizabeth is more interested in honing her fighting skills, defending her honor, protecting their village from hordes of zombies, and learning more about the mysterious background of Mr. Bingley’s proud, haughty friend, Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy seems to be a formidable foe, as he rivals Elizabeth’s skill in fighting, but he is unpleasant to be around, keeps to himself and thinks himself better than the simple folk of the village.
Later in the story, Elizabeth meets Mr. Wickham, a man whom everyone likes, with impeccable manners and a charming personality. She discovers that he is an old acquaintance of Mr. Darcy, and he relates many unpleasant things about Mr. Darcy’s character. Elizabeth life becomes very complicated as she tries to decipher how her friends’ actions fit in with what she knows of their personalities, all the while defending herself and her village from droves of zombies.
This is a story of proposals, kidnapping, action, drama, ninja battles, love, suspense, zombies and discovery. Elizabeth discovers that people are not always as they seem, and discovers that misunderstandings and quarrels cannot stop true love.
I loved this story. It was engaging, and although it stayed true to the spirit of the original, the adding of zombies, ninjas and martial arts gave the story some more action and helped move the plot along while keeping the reader engaged. I would definitely recommend the book for older teens and adults.