Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, ISBN 978-1-59474-334-4, Quirk Books 2009

Plot Summary:

This story takes the original Jane Austen classic love tale and places the characters in an alternate universe where zombies are a part of everyday life. The story still centers on Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters who live in a modest estate with their parents. Mrs. Bennet is still eager for her children to marry wealthy suitors, but Mr. Bennett is now in charge of training the girls to use weapons to protect themselves from a zombie attack. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are saved from a zombie raid by the Bennett sisters and Jane, the eldest, and Mr. Bingley strike up a romantic relationship with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy clash right away. What follows is a series of misunderstandings, townspeople falling victim to the mysterious plague and turning into zombies, and the characters fighting for the lives, all the while trying to find true love.

Critical Evaluation:

This is the first of two Grahame-Smith mashup novels on this blog. This novel cleverly takes on the Austen classic Pride and Prejudice and rewrites the story to include the undead. This update does not just add zombies into the story for fun however. Grahame-Smith uses zombies as an additional plot device to fill in some holes in the original story. In the original, the reader is left wondering why Charlotte Lucas  married Mr Collins when she didn’t seem happy to do so. This update shows that she’d been bitten by a zombie and needed a husband that could be counted on to kill her when the moment arrived. The main character, Elizabeth Bennett, has long been a heroine due to her desire to marry for love and not money, which was a somewhat radical notion in Austen’s time. By updating the character and making her a zombie killer, this update has created a new kind of heroine for readers in the form of a female action star. Grahame-Smith even used some of Austen’s own writing to fill his pages so that fans of the original could still feel at home reading his new take on the story. It’s hard for me to find any fault with this book because I enjoyed reading it so much, but fans of the original could find this novel polarizing. I’m sure some avid Jane Austen fans will not like this update at all.

Reader’s Annotation:

You think you know the story of Elizabeth Bennett? Jane Austen never mentioned zombies…

Information about the Author:

From the author’s website:

Seth Grahame Smith is a New York Times bestselling author, and a screenwriter, producer and director of film and television.

In 2009, Seth single handedly created the mash up  craze with his novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list. It’s since sold over two million copies and been translated into more than twenty languages. A feature film adaptation is set for 2015.

In 2010, Seth co-created and produced MTV’s first live action comedy, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, which ran for two seasons. That same year, his follow up novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, debuted at #4 on the Times list, also going on to sell more than two million copies. Tim Burton purchased the film rights to Lincoln and hired Seth to adapt it for the big screen. Seth’s script was selected to the Black List in 2011.

In 2012, Warner Brothers bought the film rights to Seth’s third straight New York Times bestseller,Unholy Night, in a record-setting deal. He’s currently adapting the book for the screen, and producing the film with David Heyman (the Harry Potter series).

Genre:

Historical fiction, retelling of a classic

Curriculum Ties:

n/a

Challenge Issues:

This book could be challenged for graphic violence.

Creating a Defense:

• Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
• Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
• Have some reveiws on hand, both good and bad, from respected sources like YALSA or Amazon so both you and the patron can gain an understanding of both sides of the issue.
• Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
• Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
• LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.

Reading Level:

Grades 9-12

Booktalking Ideas:

Do you prefer this novel or the original? Did having zombies included make this any easier to read?

Why is the material included?:

This novel could make a reluctant reader see the value in reading classic literature. Fans of the original could enjoy rereading this update.

Image via Google