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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES – Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

And so begins Seth Grahame-Smith’s delightful retelling – nay, reworking – of Jane Austen’s classic romantic novel. Set in an alternate 19th Century England, the world has been overrun by unmentionables, and the English on their island are not immune to the plague of the undead. Wealthy English families send their children to study the deadly arts of the Orient and that an accomplished woman 

“must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages; she must be well trained in the fighting styles of the Kyoto masters and the modern tactics and weaponry of Europe. And besides all this she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the world will be but half-deserved. All this she must possess, and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” 

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

Or, at least so says Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy to a perturbed and insulted Lizzie Bennet, who was taught the Chinese deadly arts, rather than the Japanese as Darcy was taught. The characters we know and love from Austen’s original are well and truly represented, the cadence and manner of dialogue is recreated almost word for word, and Mrs. Bennet is still only concerned with her daughters’ marriage prospects rather than with keeping them from joining the legions of the undead.

With the addition of zombies, other anachronisms were bound to be unearthed. My favorite addition to Jane’s witty and stimulating discourse is the obvious innuendo predicated by the discussion of balls being held and enjoyed by all…attendees. My second favorite is the obvious and unbridled bloodlust bubbling in the breast of every Bennet sister. Even subdued and studious Mary attempts to attack Mr. Collins at the dinner table with a fork at a perceived insult to her sister. Can you imagine the violence and hijinks in which our dauntless LIzzie finds herself?

Thankfully, we don’t have to imagine much, because Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was made into a gloriously campy zombie film that absolutely bombed at the box office. It’s such a shame the movie didn’t do well, because it is a real zombie filled delight! I find that it not only respects and celebrates the original Austen work but also the previous, well-known, and well-loved film versions. Yes, dear readers, we get another handsome Darcy randomly swimming in a pond! And, as much as I loved Simon Woods as Bingley in the 2006 version, Douglas Booth has a jawline that is sharp enough to decapitate the undead.

I will even go so far as to say that I appreciate the film more than the book. There is the usual gore, violence, and decaying flesh found in this film as you would expect. If you’re not into that, skip the movie and appreciate the book where the gore is implied and not obvious. I especially appreciated that the film clarifies certain facts about the zombie plague that were not as obvious in the novel, specifically that if a person who is bitten and contracts the plague does not consume human brains, they remain a rational, coherent being for much longer, even though their body is decaying and covered in sores. This knowledge would be helpful to readers regarding a very important plot point between Charlotte and Mr. Collins that is fortunately or unfortunately lacking from the film version.

But, oh, does Matt Smith create the Mr. Collins we have always, always deserved! Not to say that the star power of Lily James, Lena Heady, and Charles Dance is disappointing, on the contrary. However, Smith’s Mr. Collins is just that right bit of extra that you didn’t know you needed, and that truly showers the film with comic relief rather than anxious awkwardness.

Those who prefer the sedate and plodding seduction of Lizzie Bennet by the gentlemanly Fitzwilliam Darcy will be less likely to appreciate the violent passion shown by Miss Bennet to Colonel Darcy in both versions of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. However, such a change of pace is what I needed to really appreciate Austen’s work for what it is, a story of that most human of conditions, love, both romantic and familial, that transcends centuries and cultures and proves direct communication is better proof of a person’s character than gossip and hearsay.

At my first read of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I struggled. Probably because it came so close on the heels of my first read of the original, which I didn’t love. However, after re-watching the film in preparation for this post, I will give the book a 3.5 star rating, I liked it, but I’m not going to read it again. (Or the prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, or sequel, Dreadfully Ever After, both written by Steve Hockensmith.)  I will, however, watch the movie at any opportunity…probably again tonight…

~Ashley

Was Pride and Prejudice everything you needed, or would you also benefit from a change of pace to truly appreciate the original?