Oh.Oh, Oh, OH!
I have never read the classic version of P&P, but I can tell you, now that I've read this clever version, I probably never will. Grahame-Smith has proved himself a master at weaving in the 'zombie mayhem' into the original in such an seamless manner that I feel the story to be much improved. Far from being trashy or gratuitous, PPZ is not uber-gorey; in fact, the zombies aren't even the main plot, but rather a ongoing concern that the characters accept as a fact of life, like an unfortunate rodent infestation. The characters' nonchalance is a great part of what makes the new twist work so beautifully, and their adaptations - the entire Bennet family has been trained in China by a master warrior, and are the premier (and yet unerringly proper) fighting force in the region. Mr. Darcy, also, is an excellent fighter, and his aunt is now the master fighter of England, renound for her abilities.
PPZ is very entertaining, and extremely funny, in a droll, NPR kind of way. Because Grahame-Smith has been careful to preserve the integrity and bones of the original story, the reader does have to be willing to read the novel in it's old english format, but he has also added several double-entendres and poked quiet fun at the conventions of the era while inserting bothersome events such as the entire waitstaff being attacked by zombies in the kitchen during a dinner party. All characters benefit from this new, added dimension of extreme physicality and concern for personal honor via the warrior's code, rather than dress code.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Brilliant, funny, and expertly done.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment