My first post + ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never posted on this blog before, but prompted by zombie goodies on vvb32's blog led me to start. I've been writing reviews for a while, so I guess it's time to share them here. I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies about 2 months ago. It's a new spin on an old classic...

The basic plot of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies needs no summary because it is a well-known and -loved/-hated classic story. However, the awkward courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is now peppered with cool ninja moves and bloody zombie violence. Because of the zombie uprising, everyone now has to defend themselves and their family by being educated in the deadly arts. Not only do the inhabitants of this society have to worry about social niceties and avoiding faux pas, but also zombie attacks and keeping their skills honed.

This book was really funny. I love the illustrations (that are of course mostly of scenes with zombies). I love that the people still cling to inane things like parties and manners in the face of the zombie apocalypse. Despite the liberties that are taken with some scenes, the essence of the characters are preserved. This is the aspect that I love the most about this novel. I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice when I read it in high school. This novel is more of an homage or an addition to the story, not a mockery. As a fan of both zombie books and classic literature, I think this book can please both camps, despite their differences. I hope this version of the story makes it more accessible to those who would not normally read classic literature.

As a horror fan, I have read a lot of zombie books. This one is unique in that it takes place in the past, where there are no cars, machine guns, cell phones, and all the other amenities we depend on every day. In comparison to Jane Austen's world, our modern world is a picnic during a zombie apocalypse. The zombie threat is much more present and dangerous in this novel, where they have to get around in carriages and can't instantly contact a friend miles and miles away.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies succeeds in being a new spin on an old classic. Seth Grahame-Smith really blends his writing style with Jane Austen's in a seamless fashion. This novel is for zombie and Austen lovers alike.