Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
For many posh literates, there’s nothing better than diving into the delightful society of Jane Austen’s prim and proper characters–the surest way of gaining a little calm and pleasure in a hectic world. Known for her witty and sarcastic observations of society in the Regency period, Austen gives us words to envision old-fashioned daily life.
But for those who prefer more action than Austen, a couple of brains have created Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In fact, author Seth Grahame-Smith added a whole countryside of innards into the text, while still retaining 85 percent of the original novel.
The gore-ified novel has received tasteful reviews for those curious enough to bite. Loyalists opt to read the original alongside, and compare how Lizzie’s verbal spars have turned into martial art moves while defeating the “unmentionables.” But Zombies may turn into more than just a summer read.
The shameless, satirical stupidity of the undead appeals to a masculine, adolescent audience now as well, something the original has had trouble with. Most boys agree that blood makes any British ball more tempting. Soon, school administrators may consider zombies an alternative to a traditional reading curriculum.
“There is a place for parody–I happen to love ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’s songs,” said Steve Wagenseller, contributing writer to Honolulu Weekly and a theater teacher. “However, a parody or adaptation can only fall flat, I think, if one is not first aware of the original. If a teacher juxtaposed the two books, I think students might get something worthwhile out of [Pride and Prejudice and Zombies]. On its own, though, I’m not so sure it would lead students to read more Austen.”
Timothy Dyke, a high school English teacher at Punahou, takes a different approach.
“I personally think English teachers are most successful not when they get students to read one specific book, but when they teach students that reading is fun and enlightening and worth doing for the rest of one’s life,” he said. “If they’ve never enjoyed a book at all, I might start with the zombie version, see how it goes, and then suggest to them the Austen book.”
At the end of the day (as the undead emerge), there’s always something to gain from reading Austen. Moreover, there’s still so much we don’t know about zombies. Wagenseller puzzles, “Why do zombies always have such trouble opening doors?”
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