I have recently embarked on another reading spree…this time with a Jane Austen theme. In addition to reading “Pride and Prejudice Illustrated by Hugh Thomson” (the illlustrations really were quite enjoyable), I have also indulged in “Price and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith and “Jane Austen Ruined My Life” by Beth Pattillo.
As a fan of not only Jane Austen and all things British but also of vampire and zombie flicks, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” was, well, a no-brainer. This re-telling of the classic includes the original dialouge with some additions (usually in reference to the undead and how to kill them). Not to worry though, Dear Reader, Darcy and Elizabeth, Bingley and Jane are NOT zombies – they are merely the instrument of their demise. This novel is witty and the addition of zombies or “unmentionables” as they are referred to, in no way detracts from the classic’s enjoyability.
“Jane Austen Ruined My Life” is another in the genre of applying the circumstances and lessons imparted by Jane Austen in all her novels to modern day life. In this case, the narrator is an Austen scholar whose love of the novels leads her (as is always the case) to seek the impossible – Mr. Darcy (or Mr. Knightley as well), reincarnated as a twentieth century man. As we all know, Darcy is too good to be true….however, the narrator does recognize her true partner in life by the end of the story.
So, three great summer time reads if you choose to become “Lost in Austen”.
