Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

So this week I started reading Seth- Grahame Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, alongside Jo Baker's Longbourn. I must say that I did not start the novel with high hopes. But I'll admit, that so far it's interesting.

 To begin with I was torn between being offended on the behalf of an Austen, and pronouncing myself a Janite, and appreciating the puns and funny additions. Anyway, my confusion between the two states began with Lydia’s crude confession that despite being the youngest of the Bennet sisters, she is undeniably superior with regard to the temptation of the opposite sex.

However, humour started to creep in with Elizabeth’s reaction to Darcy’s comment that she is barely ‘tolerable’. Her reaction is to reach for the nearest weapon! The comment that had me laughing the most was Darcy’s confession that his balls belonged to Elizabeth! Even more so the description surrounding the way his trousers cling to the ‘most English parts of him’. After reading these, regrettably, amusing lines I concluded that Grahame-Smith had made the novel more accessible to a younger audience. Perhaps I should appreciate this more than criticise it. I regarded it, then, as no different to Bridget Jones’ Diary and its treatment of Austen’s work.

The illustrations were strange and I did try to ignore them; I found them irritating. It was the captions that were funny!

Having not finished the novel yet, I'm not quite ready to confirm my opinions. However, at this point I am as shocked as Mr Collins when he finds out that the Bennet sisters had no ninjas whilst growing up.