From Seth Grahame-Smith, the author who brought you Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a silly look at that very un-silly Jane Austen novel. I think Grahame-Smith was cheating a bit in “writing” this book since 90% of it was the original Austen verbiage. It was the exact same story with just a thin overlay of zombies on top of it.
What I have disliked in all of the Austen novels is that the value of a female is based on her family rank and money. In this version, a woman’s value is based on her superior zombie fighting skills. Attention is given to a girl’s martial arts training, what weapons she is accomplished in using, how many zombies she has slain. It was a welcomed view in digesting Austen’s work. When meeting Lady Catherine, Elizabeth (our heroine) noted that “the presence of a woman who had slain ninety dreadfuls with nothing more than a rain-soaked envelope was an intimidating prospect.”
Because of the occasional play on the story with less than proper etiquette. In a description of Darcy, one of the comments is” there is something of dignity in the way his trousers cling to those most English parts of him.”
What would have made this book better is more zombies. I wanted more action, more zombie fighting, and less of the Austen dialog.
