Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Grahame-Smith, Seth and Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2009. 319 pages. $12.95 ISBN 978594743344

Readers Annotation: The world of the Bennett sisters has gone to the undead!
Plot Summary: All seems well in the village of Meryton, except for the fact that villagers continue to become zombies. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies follows the Bennett sisters in their quest for love and the defeat of the invading zombies.
Critical Evaluation: At first I was disgusted with the idea of altering an Austen classic in such a manner. However, after reading the adaptation and seeing the illustrations that accompany the text, I decided otherwise. What a clever way of getting people to read the classics. Although, their not really reading the true classic. It is, however, an interesting alternative to what some may call boring regency satire.
Information about the Author: Jane Austen wrote several successful novels that reflect her views on social life during her time. Seth Grahame-Smith has written How to Survive a Horror Movie, Pardon My President and The Big Book of Porn.
Genre: Horror, Parody
Age Level: Ages 15 and up
Curriculum Ties: An alternative when reading classics like Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Book talking ideas: Discuss whether Grahame-Smith was wrong in his adaptation of Pride and Prejudice or if his undead recreation was worth the read. Also discuss the sudden fascination of zombies, vampires and the paranormal and how that has affected the literary world.
Challenge Issues: The fact that Graham-Smith took a perfectly good harmless classic and turned it into a bloodbath make cause some parents to wonder at the sanity of the author and the librarian who includes it in their collection. However, I feel that it is an interesting parody of a great novel and a great example of how you can change a few words and it changes the whole meaning of the story.
Why I included it: I included this novel because zombies, vampires and the paranormal are very popular right now. I am also a big fan of Austen and found this parody very amusing, albeit graphic and just wrong.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. Signet Classic, 1996. 240 pages. $4.95. ISBN 0451526368

Readers Annotation: A nineteenth century classic, the gothic parody follows Catherine Morland as she transitions from her quiet life in provincial England, to the city of Bath and beyond into a world of suitors, frivolity, and mystery.

Plot Summary: At the age of seventeen, Catherine Morland is taken on her first trip to Bath with the affluent Mr. and Mrs. Allen. Mrs. Allen successfully introduces Catherine to the fashionable party scene of England’s eighteenth century elite. After meeting handsome Mr. Tilney, flighty Miss Isabella Thorpe, and her over-zealous brother John, Catherine soon sees who she can trust and who just wants to advance in the ranks. She’s invited to Northanger Abbey, the hauntingly mysterious home of Mr. Tilney. She lets her imagination get the best of her, and after some great misunderstandings is sent away from the abbey. Will Catherine make up with her dear Mr. Tilney, or will the horrors of Northanger be to great?

Critical Evaluation: Northanger Abbey may seem like any of Austen’s romances, but her take on the Gothic movement proves to be exciting and often times hilarious. As with any classic novel, the language may prove difficult to master, but once the reader is submersed in the story the eloquent language becomes second nature. It seems that Northanger Abbey is one of Austen’s least popular novels, but shouldn’t be pushed aside. It is an interesting side to her writing, mixing gothic, satire and romance. Today’s teenage girls, if they don’t already enjoy period pieces, will be able to identify with Catherine as she deals with multiple suitors, an over active imagination, and finding love.

Reading Level: Due to the nature of Austen’s writing, mainly the vocabulary used, the reading level for Northanger Abbey should be fifteen or sixteen and up. It is marketed as adult fiction, but since the main character is seventeen, and is essentially a coming of age novel, I felt that it suited the fifteen to eighteen range.

Book talk ideas: Read a passage from the book, such as a description of one of the parties Catherine attends in Bath. Compare this with the nature of parties today. How different are they really? People dance, gossip, drink and eat, and there is always flirtatious behavior. Other books to read that compare would be Austen’s other novels.

Why it is included: I chose this book, again, because the main character is a teenager herself. The fact that the novel was written during the era it takes place ensures the accuracy of the historical details as well. Many teenage girls read Austen’s novels, but I seldom hear Northanger Abbey discussed. It seems to be often bypassed for her more popular works like Pride and Prejudice, which is why I thought to include it.

Challenge Ideas: There are no challenge issues.