Jane Austen discussion

NPR intereviewed "one of the authors" of P&P&Z the other day (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...) and it is a hoot! (So is the book.)

Seth Grahame-Smith does a wonderful job of maintaining the language-style of the period (if you ignore certain references to the male anatomy, that is).

This book is a wonderful independent publisher success story: Hollywood is swooping-in wanting to buy the film rights; larger publishers wanting to buy the title stating Quirk Books (the indie publisher) won't know how to handle to the book properly; and Quirk Books racing to print enpugh copies to keep-up with demand. (Cheers for the underdog!!)

Anyone else reading this?

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies The Classic Regency Romance -- Now With Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

I heard this interview too. He sounds like a funny guy who happened to like Austen and had a strange idea. I usually avoid the books by other authors using Austen's characters because I feel they don't do her justice, but I really want to read about the Bennetts fighting off zombie attacks.

It might be worth a glance. It's usually the people who try to write like they are Jane Austen which you need to avoid.

Just got a copy plan on putting the other books I am reading down and getting right into this tonight. So I will be back in a few days to let you know how it was. The sales guy at the store said alot of men have been buying it; so let's see how it is.

OMG Jane Austen and Zombies....sounds just about right to me, I love Zombie fiction ! I can't imagine how it will go though...or maybe I can :D

my husband bought this book for me - it's on the list of books for me to read this summer. it looks really funny. and I think it's great that the author tries to keep true to the language of the times.

I thought it looked pretty funny, but I sat down with it in a bookstore and was not impressed. It's like reading someone paraphrasing P&P in similar language and then throwing zombies in from time to time. It's going to be a movie, I heard, and that might be more fun. Speaking of movies, did you hear they are also making one from another book (I think) called Pride and Predator and that Elton John is a producer? So strange. Oh, and there's going to be a movie version of the recent miniseries Lost in Austen, too.

Pride and Predator is a screenplay that had been sitting on the shelves of (and ignored by) Elton John's production company for some time. As a result of the attention being paid to PP&Z, the Pride and Predator screenplay has rcvd the greenlight and will be made into a film (release date 2010).

I'm one of those who liked PPZ. (And I am NOT one who likes any of the "Diary books" currently being published which are Austen's novels retold thru the eyes of the male protagonsts.) PPZ is MEANT to be funny (the DIARY authors mean for their books to be taken seriously). Lady Catherine has killed more zombies than any other woman ... she trains with ninjas ... feud between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth is based upon Elizabeth's inferior training by Chinese monks (Lady Catherine was trained by the Japanese) ... the final confrontation between Lady C and Lizzy is a duel to the death (the outcome of said duel -- and what doens't happen -- is what gives Darcy reason to hope) ... the different endings created for Wickham, Mr. Collins and Charlotte.

There are "raw" sections (the "co-author" is after all a man) and gross sections (there are zombies in this book) but I laughed -- and I do believe we are meant to laugh at it.

The publisher is running 24/7 and still is having difficulty keeping-up with demand. It opened at No. 3 on the NY Times Best Seller List (and is still on it).

I think I've become a fan of the "success story" of a small, independent publisher. Hollywood wants this book (Natalie Portman has been cast as Elizabeth Bennett in the film adaptation -- release date 2011), larger publishers tried to buy the book from Quirk Books (stating it wouldn't be able to keep-up with demand -- they were right)

Also, Seth Graham-Smith has just signed a six-figure two-book deal with Grand Central. The first book will be Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, a re-imagined biography of the president (if he were a vampire hunter).

I laughed when I read the following on the below-listed blog:

"In case you thought the diehard Janeites were the ones to be won over in this meeting of the genres, consider this: not all zombie fans have a taste for 19th-century literature. As demonstrated in this comment from the horror novel discussion site Shocklines, “So far I’m not tempted to slog through the other 80% of the book in order to enjoy the zombies.” Boing Boing’s Cory Doctorow had the same problem. “I found myself skimming, skipping larger and larger chunks of text to get to the zombie sequences, desperate to escape the claustrophobic drawing-room chatter of Austen’s characters with a little beheading, disemboweling and derring-do.”

http://bookpage.wordpress.com/2009/05...

LOL!! So much for expanding one's reading !!!

I would love to read this book! I have yet to find it at the library, so might have to take a trip to the book store to pick it up!

I'm almost fininshed and I've really liked it. Imagine if George Romero had written Regency romances.

Just finished it. There are a few chapters where it feels like the author was struggling to match up the original text with the new plot line, but once you get to the part of Lydia running off it gathers speed again.
I found it witty, funny and had some of the best one liners. For example, a scene that talks about Mrs. Bennett wiping crumbs off of Mr. Darcy's trousers while Lizzy just sits there letting it happen.

Want to know something awesome? My husband, who is a huge P&P fan, is super excited about this book.

As much as I want to read this book, I think he's more eager.

LOL!

I am waiting patiently for a copy through inter-library loan. I can't wait. I am going to read through them both so I can do some comparisons.

I finally bought this. I'd just had too much of walking past it, drooling. Don't know when I'll get to it, but having it makes me happy.

*giggles* I've been reading this one over the weekend while watching all my P&P versions (including Bride & Prejudice, Lost in Austen, etc). Ahahaha. Every zombie mention cracks me up.

Do you think Austen would be flattered?

Tanja wrote: "*giggles* I've been reading this one over the weekend while watching all my P&P versions (including Bride & Prejudice, Lost in Austen, etc). Ahahaha. Every zombie mention cracks me up.

Do you th..."

Given the fact she struggled for respect and money while pursuing her love of writing, Yes I think she would be loving every minute of having her name known and the royalty checks.

I read this book last month (kept seeing the book everywhere and decided to check it out, haha) and I thought it was an amusing take on P&P with zombies roaming around causing trouble =)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters will be getting released on Sept 15 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZVE5...
the official book trailer

Just started this book..find it very entertaining! I think Jane Austen would have loved it! Elizabeth Bennett a zombie slayer!

I'm anxious to read it. I just ordered Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. Another spin.

Just read it....very funny. I agree with Juli, I think Jane Austen would find the book funny and would like seeing Elizabeth as a zombie slayer. I have read some reviews where the reader took the book a bit to seriously and didn't apprciate it, remember its suppose to be fun.

I've got this book sitting on my bookshelf, and I want to read it so bad! Amanda, I can't wait to get Mr. Darcy, Vampyre!

Kimberly wrote: "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters will be getting released on Sept 15 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZVE5...
the official book trailer"

Can't wait for this one too!

I enjoyed it, and laughed outloud at some parts. I especially loved the illustrations! Its timely and a great way to get young people who are scared off by classic lit to get into it. Even as someone who loves classic Austen, I thought it was a great change of pace!

I am so excited for a vacation with these books. I am looking forward to the amusement.

I'm a little tempted to pick up this book, but at the same time I little wary...I love P&P and don't want to be disappointed... :b

I have to get another copy of this book. I got too busy with other things and didn't have time. I heard he's writing another book - Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I am super excited about it. WHERE'S THE TIME!!!!

Sarah wrote: "I have to get another copy of this book. I got too busy with other things and didn't have time. I heard he's writing another book - Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I am super excited abo..."

I posted the trailer for the book S/S/Seamonsters up a few. It gets a Sept 15th 2009 release

Yes - it was you who told me about that!
Thanks Kimmie Kim Kim:)

I am about ¼ way through this book, and I really am enjoying it!

I heard there was going to be a 'Mansfield Park and Mummies', has anyone heard this?

YAY! That would be awesome:)

Christy wrote: "I heard there was going to be a 'Mansfield Park and Mummies', has anyone heard this? "

I haven't heard about this but it sounds interesting! =D

My Dad and I are huge Jane Austen fans...but he's kind of a quirky guy himself. It's funny that somebody would write 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' because my Dad came up with that idea years ago! I'm going to buy that book for him for Christmas!

I did hear a few rumours about MP and Mummies. Go to the offical Quirk Classics website, they should have a little write up about their next batch of novels.

It seems that the whole idea of re-writing these classics are securing them a bunch of new authors. At this rate, one novel every six months is going to keep things interesting for the next few years.

I tried to read this book, but just wasn't impressed. It was like: 1) paraphrase/quote Austen 2) throw in some bizarre zombie fighting 3) invent some text that mimics Austen 4) repeat. I like satire, humor (I'm a big Terry Pratchett fan!), but this story just wasn't funny, clever or even insulting. I can't hate it, like some other Austen "sequels" because I can't get interested enough. The author is pretty weak, in my opinion.