Seth Grahame-Smith

the classic regency romance--now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem

Pride and prejudice and zombies

Ditipriya Acharya

The Best Of Both Worlds

“Your balls, Mr Darcy?” He reached out and closed her hand around them, and offered, “They belong to you, Miss Bennet.”

When I first started reading Seth Grahame-Smith’s (and Jane Austen’s) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the name prepared me for a crazy ride. But frequent ball-related innuendos were not part of it, mostly because I could not imagine the prim and proper people of the Victorian era make such statements. And that isn’t half of what makes this book absolutely crazy!

The premise of this adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is pretty simple. Early 19th century England is plagued by an army of the gruesome undead and the Bennet family with their five daughters, trained in the martial arts of the Orient, have pledged themselves to the throne to save everyone from them till they are dead, stricken or married. 

The novel takes the original literary masterpiece and adds blood, action, zombies and scenes that border on pulp fiction. The sketches between the different chapters made the story even better. One thing that I really enjoyed about the way the story is written, is the almost off-handed way in which the characters react to the constant threat of death. There are zombies out there grabbing random people on the roads and while they do fight them, no one is panicking about it. 

For all those who thought Elizabeth Bennet was a strong female lead, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies takes it one step further. She kills zombies with katana swords and muskets, she impales ninjas blindfolded and she even kicks Darcy on the chin during the iconic first proposal. Can we talk about the modesty thread and the following headstand? The book takes every character from the original and goes berserk with it. Wickham gets the end he deserves and Charlotte Lucas gets a story arc that is part hilarious and part disgusting in the best way ever. But somehow Lydia is still just as annoying!

The book even takes the memorable first line of the book and turns it into an equally memorable one.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.

A sentence below the synopsis of the book describes the authors of the book as follows:

Jane Austen is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature. Seth Grahame-Smith once took a class in English literature.

If taking a single English literature class results in such fresh takes on a classic story, let more authors please do this.

Jane Austen

The New York Times best seller is now a major motion picture starring Lily James and Sam Riley, with Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey. This edition features sixteen pages of color stills from the film, a reading group discussion guide, and other bonus materials. Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is an audacious retelling of English literature’s most enduring novel. This expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem begins when a mysterious plague falls upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. It’s the perfect read for literature lovers, zombie fans, and anyone who loves a reanimated Austen.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Lisa Wright

** spoiler alert **
           Okay, so the key to enjoying this book is to not take it very seriously. If you're an Austin purist, you won't be pleased.

First and foremost, this is still the old romance it ever was. If you don't like the speculation and girly banter of the original, you won't be into this either - zombies or none.

I loved the angle of the girls being trained in "the deadly arts" and my favorite quote was said by Elizabeth: "Thank you, sir, but I am perfectly content being the bride of death."

All in all, it's a fun, clever romp through a romantic, classic tale with some combat and zombies thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed it.

Sarah Sammis

Jane Austen's books in their unadulterated form are not my cup of tea. I've tried and failed on numerous occasions to read through a single novel. But for some whacky reason I like adaptations of her novels (Clueless and Bride and Prejudice for example). Throw in the fact that I prefer brain noming zombies over blood sucking vampires and I knew I had to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Graham-Smith (and Jane Austen, sort of).

So there's Mr. and Mrs. Bennett trying to get their daughters married off. And there's Mr. Darcy, arrogant sod as always (who is apparently dreamy to all creatures female except me). But things aren't all peachy in the English countryside thanks to the Dreadfuls (aka zombies, but in polite society, one doesn't call them zombies).

The Bennett sisters when they aren't being courted are out there trying to keep the gentry safe from the Dreadfuls with their zombie fighting ninja skills. In the edition I read there were some cheesy illustrations that get in the way of the charm of the book. Since I read the book last summer, there's now a graphic novel; I hope the drawings are better in that version. The original drawers were dreadful (and not in a good way).

The book was a quick read, perfect for when I was waiting to pick my son up from school. If anything, it follows too closely the original novel. The Austen heavy sections are (to me) as boring as ever. If I could improve the book I'd put in more zombies (including zombifying Mr. Darcy).

A graphic adaptation of the best-selling whimsical parody blending Jane Austen's classic with zombie mayhem is an irreverent work featuring all-original art by the illustrator of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics series. Original.

Melissa Palmer

A graphic novel version of the monster mashed-up version of Pride and Prejudice. The graphic novel keeps both Austen and mashed-up version in it, but the format may make it more accessible to younger readers (in middle or high school). I wish the graphic novel was done in color.

Orgullo y prejuicio y zombis

LIMEKI 

Briar's Reviews

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was an interesting take on Pride and Prejudice that just didn't live up to the hype.

I was really excited to pick up this book. I had heard nothing but good things about it! Sadly, it didnt live up the hype for myself.

I had thought this book would be written in modern English, but it was identical to Pride and Prejudice. This made the book super boring - I had already read Price and Prejudice, I wanted a cool spin with a new kind of story telling. Sadly, it's just Pride and Prejudice with a splash of zombies. Nothing spectacular.

The writer did do an amazing job of adding zombies into the original story, but this book was not my favourite.

Two out of five stars.

What did I just read....? Zombies in a Jane Austen world definitely makes for an interesting reading experience to say the least. Funny and entertaining, but a copy and paste insertion to the story. 

Beth Bartholomew

Michael Springer

New, Shorter Review, Followed By the Old Huge One:

Yesterday I was talking with some folks about PPZ and came to a realization: if you go into this book knowing what to expect, you'll enjoy it. If you expect it to be more than it is, or different from what it is, you'll be disappointed. Here is what it is NOT: a revisiting of the Pride and Prejudice storyline in a world full of zombies; a story that veers away from the original plotline of the book; a real zombie book, or a well-written merging of zombie-ness with victorian England. Here's what it IS: THE EXACT TEXT of Pride and Prejudice with a handful of modified scenes (that stand out because of a different writing style) wherein zombies and ninjas are haphazardly added to scenes with parodic intent. Be honest with yourself before you start it: this is gimmicky trash. When you accept that, you can enjoy the humor of Eliza Bennett ripping a ninja's heart from his chest and taking a bite out of it before he dies.

________________________________________
 

First off, I love the idea for this book. The original Pride and Prejudice has been lightly modified, making it a "regency romance, now with ultra-violent zombie mayhem!" I can't wait to see what other Quirk Classics come out. I've heard about "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters." And, I'm hoping for "Little Green Women" after that. Or some modification of "The Sound and the Fury" . . . ooooh, "The Sound and the Fury to the Future." You know, a less linear version of the oh-so-easy-to-follow classic. 

Anyway, about PP & Z: The modification of the original book is fairly light, and early in the book I found myself occasionally forgetting that this was the zombie mayhem version. Then, someone's brains would be eaten, or I'd be reminded that Eliza Bennet spent time training at a Shaolin monastery, and I would laugh. The basic plotline is this (I promise I really know how paragraphs work. I just choose to lump multiple main points into the same paragraphs to keep you on your toes, goodreader.): England is overrun by the Unmentionables. The Unmentionables (zombies) are brain-eating reanimated corpses who feast upon noble and peasant alike. So, young and marriageable young women, the Bennets included, are shipped off to China and/or Japan to learn the deadly arts so they can defend their homelands. Returned from the monastery in China, Elisabeth Bennet is an intelligent, genteel ass-kicking warrior, ready to destroy anyone foolish enough to try and eat her brains, and/or challenge her honor. She meets D'arcy, a wealthy, handsome man who just happens to be one of the most legendary warriors in all of England. Hilarity ensues. 

If you haven't read Pride and Prejudice, don't read this one first. (If you haven't read Pride and Prejudice, go DO IT! What the hell is wrong with you? Didn't you see that it got 5 stars on my prestigious goodreads page? What more proof of excellence could you demand?) Much of this book's humor would be totally lost upon those who don't already know the story. But, if you have read the original, let me spoil a few of the really funny bits (skip the rest of this paragraph if you want to avoid spoilers): D'arcy's first proposal to Eliza infuriates her, and she draws her katana. A martial arts battle breaks out, and D'arcy barely escapes with his life. Also, Eliza gives a demonstration of her martial skills by fighting several of Lady Catherine's personal ninjas, and dispatches them violently, tearing the final one's heart from his body and, if I remember correctly, taking a big bite. These are just a couple of my favorite moments; others are equally bizarre. 

During sections of the book, especially the latter half, I really wanted to see MORE changes to the book. Also, due to the silliness of the idea, I wish Seth had gone MORE silly: couldn't we have seen a to-the-death showdown between Eliza and Lady Catherine? Couldn't Lydia have died in some random and grotesque fashion? I think it would've been more fun if things didn't end up the same way they do in the original. You know, more of a twist ending. Barring that, this book is exactly what you'd expect it to be, and that's something very fun and ridiculous.

Honestly? This was god awful. I kinda enjoyed the movie when it came out a few years back so when I saw this in a charity shop I bought it thinking I’d have a similar experience, a nice easy enjoyable read. I was wrong. There’s probably a reason it was given away...

It was basically 95% pride and prejudice and then 5% let’s throw in some zombies and martial arts. It was did not work at all for me. In theory it sounds like a cool concept but it just wasn’t executed very well, being a retelling I thought it it’d be more imaginative and stray a bit further from the original story but it was almost exactly the same (except some minor inconveniences of zombies being present.)

Seriously don’t waste you time. Watch the movie if you must

Alyssa 

really interesting take on a classic tale. the zombies added a lot to the story. excellent! oh, and I absolutely LOVE Darcy. he is so BA! :)

Kirsten Simkiss

Honestly, I just wasn't impressed. 

They took the actual text of Jane Austen's book and just added zombies. And I'm not so much a fan of Jane Austen to start with. Ninjas were also added. I just didn't think it was that fantastic. I'd much rather read a story set in the same time period with zombies than just reading the same book over again with the text slightly tweaked. Just my personal opinion though. To each their own. 

I know they're coming out with a movie soon and I think that will be a great deal of fun, but I don't think the literary style of Jane Austen lends much to a zombie apocalypse.

Ofelia

Come rovinare un classico in circa 300 pagine? ve lo spiega nei dettagli Seth Grahame-Smith!

Se vi è piaciuto Orgoglio e Pregiudizio davvero non avete bisogno di leggere questa robaccia, che non c'entra niente con l'originale (se non fosse che ha copiato pezzi di dialoghi pari pari), di sicuro non ha neanche un briciolo dell'atmosfera del libro da cui così liberamente si ispira.
Parliamo degli zombie, dato che dovrebbero essere il punto focale del libro. Gli zombie non c'entrano niente con Orgoglio e pregiudizio, e sembrano inseriti lì alla cavolo. Pensavo che ci fosse una svolta horror intelligente, che lo scrittore (che chiaramente sopravvalutavo) avrebbe trovato il modo di inserirli nella trama in un modo più o meno passabile, e invece no. Non viene mai spiegato come sono arrivati, che cosa è successo, NIENTE. Ci sono solo degli zombie e beh basta. Gli zombie ogni tanto attaccano la gente e la gente beh ogni tanto muore, questo è tutto quello che sappiamo su questi zombie. Wow, insomma ho letto libri per bambini più approfonditi giuro.

Non ho ancora capito se il libro vorrebbe essere ironico o no, perché nel caso non fa mai ridere quindi ha fallito miseramente. Però se non voleva far ridere e non è un libro ironico allora ha fallito comunque perché le situazioni sono presentate in maniera pressapochista, con personaggi appena accennati e situazioni grottesche che non ci capisce come uno spettatore dovrebbe prendere. Dovrei ridere? ma non fa ridere! Dovrei prenderla seriamente? ma nessuno realmente reagirebbe in maniera così assurda. Nel dubbio quindi mi toccava sfogliare le pagine con aria annoiata.
Storia tra Darcy ed Elizabeth al limite del ridicolo qui, tutti gli altri personaggi non pervenuti (per fortuna!).

Bianca

This book had me laughing my butt off! Such a well written parody of one of my favorite classic novels.

Kayleigh hughes

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this novel, nor how exactly the zombie storyline would be woven into the original tale. For the most part the splicing of the old with the new worked fairly well although there were the occasional zombie reference or alteration of the original text that I found to be a little messy and awkward, but I guess that would be expected from a feat such as this. It did seem to remain fairly true to the original, however as I previously admitted I haven't read the original I've only seen the BBC adaptation (which I believe to be quite close) and I certainly recognised not only scenes but entire chunks of dialogue from the series in the book.

Before I began reading I had wondered about the author's intention with the zombie plot, whether it'd seem contrived or gimmicky, the result of a guy merely trying to cash in on the zombie trend and make the most out of the freedom of public domain texts. Surprisingly though I thought it worked quite well in reinforcing Austen's original character traits and themes (again this is an assumption made from the BBC series and the general talk I've head). I thought this was so especially regarding Elizabeth, she now has a superior external strength, talent and ruthlessness to her character which I think better exemplifies her qualities of uniqueness, strength and courage that Austen had originally depicted her with.

It was missing some of the subtlety of the original which is to be expected when you chuck zombies into the mix, but overall I thought it quite a charming book. My favourite parts were definitely when the zombie inserts were juxtaposed with some of the more heavily focused aspects of the novel such as propriety and manners which I thought was brilliantly done in the scene at the first ball. An attack from a horde of zombies force the girls into the "pentagram of death" "stepping outward in unison- each thrusting a razor-sharp dagger with one hand, the other hand modestly tucked into the small of their back," (page 14).

I did enjoy this book, but at times I did really have to force myself to keep reading, setting myself page goals I had to reach before I put it down. I don't think I'll be picking up the original, at least not anytime soon. I think this was close enough for me to grasp the intentions of Austen without having to fall asleep one more trying to read it. I've heard complaints from Austen fans that they found this gimmicky and didn't feel like they needed to read the whole thing and I'd say they'd probably be right. If you know the story and read it often the addition of the zombies might seem quaint and comical at the start but it doesn't alter the plot enough for it to really engage someone who knows the book well, or at least that's how I (the Austen novice) feel.

For the full review check out my blog

Federica Pirollo

Fedele all'originale in molti dettagli, scorrevole e divertente

Stephanie Joseph

My first and only adaptation I’ve read of the original and it was worth it. A little more gruesome and alteration in the characters storyline considering the theme of the story but I’d read it again. 
I’ll be watching the movie next but something about watching a different Darcy that isn’t Macfadyen or Firth feels weird. Macfadyen is my forever Darcy! 😍

Rating: 4/5

Kali Olson

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, 2009, Quirk Books

As our story opens, a mysterious plague is causing England’s dead to rise from the grave and hunt the flesh of the living. Miss Elizabeth Bennet, well-versed in both the feminine and the deadly arts, is content to slay legions of the undead and defend her family—until she meets the equally skilled but oh-so-arrogant Mr. Darcy. The classic text of Pride and Prejudice is intermingled with episodes of zombie mayhem. Mr. Darcy admires Elizabeth’s fine eyes at the Meryton Ball; zombies attack. Elizabeth tours the grounds at Pemberley; zombies attack. The more familiar you are with Pride and Prejudice, the bigger the kick (or chop, or bite, or beheading) you’ll get from this from this hilarious and ridiculous brawl, but the premise is outrageous enough to peak the curiosity of almost any reader.

Alexa Auerbach 

4.5 stars. It was good! Just took me forever to read. Can't wait to see the movie !

Robin M Cabana

As someone who's read Pride & Prejudice over and over and cherishes the movie versions, I didn't want to like this book. But because I kept hearing so much about it, I got the audiobook version and I thought it just awesomely fun! I'm not a fan of zombies and gore either, so there were some parts that made me gag, but there were more parts that made me laugh out loud. Seth Grahame-Smith expertly intertwined this zombie updates, complimenting Austen's wit and style. And hearing it read aloud in a posh British accent made it even more fun. I really love the Bennet sisters' new set of skills and the punishments dealt to their foes. Some classic scenes - like Lady Catherine De Bourgh's confrontation of Elizabeth - are just so kickass. And if you loved Mr. Darcy before, wait until you see what he can do with a katana.

Fernando Andrade

La novedad de los zombies empieza muy bien, pero poco a poco se va gastando, hasta que uno se encuentra mucho más interesado en los enredos amorosos de la pareja protagonista -"OMG el señor D'arcy va pensar que Elizabeth anda de buscona" y así- que en la sangre derramada. Al parecer al autor también le sucedió esto, porque al final de la novela, casi ni hay zombies, "puro amor".

Toni Turner

This was funny at first until it was super ablest and old-timey racist and it just continued to get worse. Also they like skipped over the best parts of the original. Lame.

Mayra Melo

Awful book. Same as original Pride and Prejudice, added some zombies. No fun at all. If you're an Austen fan. Or not.

Sam Pulliam

Amanda Wells

What a great idea this was. I don't think I ever would have read Pride and Prejudice, but now I feel like I've had it spoon-fed to me laced with something tasty so that I'll accidentally take it. 

I think I marginally preferred the prequel, but that might be because this one lacked zombie action towards the end. Also probably influenced by the build up to this novel... I had greater expectations of this than the prequel, therefore it might have fallen short.

It still made me laugh, and I still wanted to know what would happen - though I must say I was a little disappointed that the ending wasn't altered or at least a little zombie-rific. 

Nevertheless I would recommend the book if you are interested in reading something easy, and amusing - and something that really doesn't take itself too seriously.

Pride and prejudice and zombies the classic regency romance--now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem

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