In the April 27th issue of Canadian magazine Maclean's, Brian Bethune reviews Seth Grahame-Smith's novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Bethune observes that while it is difficult to adapt Jane Austen's novel well, Grahame-Smith helps his cause with his skillful mimicry of her style and the seamless way he inserts his own prose. Moreover, respect for the hallowed original is followed through to the end: Grahame-Smith points out that all the right couples end up together, before adding, with evident delight, that “the wicked are punished much more severely than in the original.” However,
Horror fans have so far proved harder to please than Austenites. Writer Cory Doctorow thinks there isn’t enough brain-eating: “Too much Austen, and not enough zombies,” he succinctly concluded. (That may not augur well for Grahame-Smith’s two contracted sequels, starting with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.)
Should have called it Northanger Abby.
1 comment:
Well I have to say I feel I am more of a horror than Austen fan (though more in terms of visual fiction than literary fiction admittedly). And I adored the witty mix of the two in S G-S's version.
I was also pleased to see the book getting good promotional slots in our very indie comics shop Page 45 here in in Nottingham. If they'll stock it and give it prominence it MUST be hitting the spot with more of the geek/cult cognoscenti than just me.
Post a Comment