It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin. Really. Seth Grahame-Smith took the original text of
Pride and Prejudice, and spiced it up a little with
Shaolin Kung Fu,
katanas, and the "
unmentionables," or zombies. However, the basic story is remarkably unchanged. A recommended read for anyone who likes Regency romance or zombie mayhem. Or both.
A movie version is currently in the works.
A prequel is now released,
Dawn of the Dreadfuls. Also has a
Spiritual Successor,
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (and by now a whole new genre of
Literary Mash-Ups, as well). Grahame-Smith is also the writer of the parodic survival guide
How to Survive a Horror Movie and
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.
Finally, the sequel
Dreadfully Ever Ever wraps up the whole story.
Has been known to show up on the "classic literature" shelves at Target.
This book provides examples of:
- Action Girl - All the Bennets.
- Adaptation Expansion - In a way. Zombies provide the impetus for a number of otherwise unexplained events in the original story, such as the presence of the militia regiment in Hertfordshire.
- Affectionate Parody - This book is infinitely more amusing if you actually read the original book.
- Apologetic Attacker - Jane Bennet.
- Attack Pattern Alpha - "Girls! Pentagram of Death!"
- Badass Normal - Mr. Bennet.
- Battle Couple - Elizabeth and Mr Darcy
- Blood Knight: Elizabeth
- Body Horror - Yikes, Charlotte.
- The Caretaker - Lydia makes a surpisingly cheerful caretaker to Wickham post "eloping", once Mr. Darcy renders him quadriplegic.
- The Dead Have Eyes - Some do, some don't, but all zombies can hear and find their victims.
- Did Not Do the Research - Apparently, solely North American animals like raccoons, chipmunks and skunks are all widespread in Regency England's woodlands.
- Dis Continuity - Many in Dawn of the Dreadfuls, as it was written by a different author. Errors include the girls' entire training, and more minor things such as the age at which Lydia slayed her first zombie.
- Double Entendre - My, my, Mr Darcy! I never knew you were so saucy!
- Everything's Deader with Zombies
- Failure Is the Only Option - The antidote doesn't work.
- Follow the Leader - Quite a few other authors have attempted this sort of thing since, including "Mr. Darcy, Vampire."
- Have a Gay Old Time - Lampshaded.
- Honor Before Reason - The girls often forgo carrying weapons or combat attire to uphold propriety, which means they frequently run into danger or "enemies" unarmed. Elizabeth at one point ties her dress with a modesty string so she can do hand stands without the skirt falling.
- Indulgent Fantasy Segue - Elizabeth swiftly decapitates Lydia to shut her the hell up. Or not.
- Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja
- Inverse Ninja Law - Averted. Elizabeth kills three ninjas one on one. Blindfolded. The third and most skilled she kills by catching and returning his own shuriken.
- Karma Houdini - In the original Pride and Prejudice, Wickham is something of a karma houdini. He gambles, contracts massive debts, and gets them payed off by almost marrying Georgiana and having Darcy hush it up, and later on actually marrying Lydia after eloping to keep it quiet (though marrying Lydia may be the far worst punishment). In this book, it's brutally subverted. He's crippled for life and left to the care of Lydia, who herself has no concept of the fate in store for her.
- Katanas Are Just Better - Other weapons are used, and boot knives are more ladylike, but you can't beat a katana. Even if you trained in a Shaolin temple in China.
- Kill It With Fire - The burning grounds.
- Lady of War - The Bennet girls, again.
- Mercy Kill - Elizabeth considers doing this for Charlotte before she starts turning, but decides against it.
- Me Love You Long Time - Mr Bennet and various Chinese women.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie... Romance?
- Not a Zombie - No one seems to notice Charlotte is slowly dying and becoming a zombie until the last act of the book.
- Actually, Elizabeth knew - and kept helping Charlotte try to act proper - but swore to keep quiet.
- Lady Catherine definitely knew about it. The only reason she kept inviting over the Collins so often was so Charlotte could be fed antidote in her tea.
- Not Using the Z Word - Played with. Zombies are sometimes referred to as "zombies", but if a character is being proper, they call them "unmentionables" or similar.
- Recycled IN SPACE!: Pride and Prejudice AND ZOMBIES! (We told you.)
- Refuge In Vulgarity
- Rule Of Cool
- Toilet Humour
- Training from Hell - The Bennet girls, again.
- Undead Child
- Unusual Euphemism - "most English parts," meaning a man's... oh, you know.
- What Do You Mean, It's Not Didactic? - Spoofed to hell and back in the book's discussion guide:
Some scholars believe that the zombies were a last-minute addition to the novel, requested by the publishers in a shameless attempt to boost sales. Others argue that the hordes of the living dead are integral to Jane Austen's plot and social commentary. What do you think? Can you imagine
what this novel might be like without the violent zombie mayhem?
- World of Badass
- Zombie Apocalypse - Averted. Zombies are somewhere between a nuisance and an enemy army in terms of threat. Also, they appear to be confined to England.
- The setting is functionally a Cosy Catastrophe played for laughs. Other than always traveling in well armed groups at all times to survive random zombie attacks (especially after winter), the characters all live comfortable lives for Brittish middle/upper classes. It should be mentioned though that in the backstory, zombies have completely overtaken Manchester and in the present repeatedly break down the gate of London Sector Six East. England has survived and made gains against them, but they are still a great enough threat that two can take out an entire kitchen staff.
- Zombie Gait
- Zombie Infectee - Charlotte Lucas.
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