11/ 23/ 2013
Last summer, I spent an afternoon scavenging the discount shelves at Books A Million’s Summer Sale. It’s one of my very favorite things. The prices are unbelievably low and the selection is good (if you’re willing to dig a little).
I struck gold on my most recent venture. There she was, this creepy, gothic, child, zombie, staring at me, and just above her head, was a $4.00 sticker. When I read the title, I was sold:
A prequel to Pride & Prejudice? Zombies? Elizabeth Bennet slaying zombies? Done!, I thought.
The author — Steve Hockensmith — takes us back to the English countryside, where the resurfacing of the “dreadfuls” is just beginning. Along with her sisters, Elizabeth Bennet learns how to fight these living corpses. They’re taught by a warrior from the Far East, Master Hawksworth. Eventually, the inner warrior within each of the Bennet girls comes out. We also meet the inquisitive Dr. Kecklipenny, a man of science, seeking to use logic to battle the dreadfuls. Of course, it wouldn’t be Jane Austen fan fiction without romance. Elizabeth wins the affections of both Hawksworth and Kecklipenny, but will either win hers?
Hockensmith crafts an inventive story that brings a bit of sci-fi fantasy to Hartfordshire. It becomes folkloric in some ways, one of those fables you’d hear as a child, questioning if it were actually true. The setting diverts from the picturesque quality normally found in Regency England. Taking a more fantastical approach with gothic undertones changed the original setting… maybe even mirroring some of the more horrifying social and political norms of the era. We see a less censored Hartfordshire, one that doesn’t always hide the truth behind good manners and general politeness.
I was impressed by Hockensmith’s characterization. I began to see each of the Bennet sisters a little differently. This was due in large part to their shift into warriors from proper young ladies. We see the Bennet girls with a sense of unwavering strength, and as ones with a bond greater than sisterly.
If you’re an Austen fan and like an excellent zombie story, you’ll like this book. But if gore isn’t really your thing, it may not be for you.
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