This is not an April Fool’s Day joke. No, this seems to be very real.
An author named Seth Grahame-Smith has taken the classic (albeit a bit dry for my tastes) literary masterpiece Pride and Prejudice, and he’s spiced it up a bit. By adding a zombie invasion.
I’m not kidding. Grahame-Smith took a fresh look at the classic Jane Austin story of Elizabeth Bennet in Victorian England, and her long-suffering romance with Mr. Darcy. You know the tale: the two star-crossed lovers engaged in various intrigues, always constrained by old-fashioned sensibilities, before finally getting married and settling down forever in connubial bliss. I have to admit that Austin (and her ilk, like the Bronte sisters) always bored me. However, in this newly revised edition of the book, the reserved Victorian conversations, the 19th century British emotional stoicism, and the constant angst of an unrequited love are punctuated with bloody, horrible, extremely violent zombie mayhem. Bennet, Darcy, and every other bone-dry character in the book must, at various points, pick up their sabers and pistols and fight off the brain-hungry horde. Consider this quote, as our heroes come upon some feasting zombies: “I don’t suppose…that you would give me the honour of dispensing of this unhappy business alone. I should never forgive myself if your gown were soiled.”
It’s a nice concept, I have to admit. Heck, it’s a downright brilliant concept. You can pick up the new paperback version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at Amazon for under $10 starting next Monday. The author is making several public appearances to promote his book this month as well. This zombie swarm was either an event promoting the book, or Grahame-Smith was promoting the event (it’s kind of hard to tell). Pride and Prejudice and Zombies also got reviewed over at Entertainment Weekly, and by Cory Doctorow over at BoingBoing too. (They both liked it). Oh, and if you’d like to read a few chapters for free, you can do that here.
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If you enjoyed this post, visit our illustrious Wandering Goblin main page. There’s lots more tomfoolery just like this. 
Of the Wandering Goblin editors, two loved the concept, one thought it was a “perversion of everything a great author like Austen stood for,” and one could not be reached for comment.
What do you think?
When did zombie literature suddenly become popular? I mean, I get the movies, but now there’s books about this? The whole idea seems odd to me.
However, this particular idea (spicing up a dull old story with some zombie action) seems like a winner. I’m hoping to see some Shakespeare with vampires sometime soon.
I had also read that book. Pride and prejudice was really an inspiring love story book which (maybe) someone could relate.
But a classic love story have a horror and thriller version? The idea seems so odd to me.
But I think this would be iinteresting too. I love watching and reading horror stories and I think this one would be great. Love story plus horror?!!?
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