Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies written by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith might have potential to be a successful book but personally, I fine Jane Austen's original works to be amazing and fantastic. When I decided to read this book I didn't think it would follow the story exactly like the book, but it did. If Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had a moderately different story line it could have been very good. For example, the British TV mini series Lost in Austen written by Guy Andrews. Now that is a Jane Austen story with a twist, very well written and interesting. There were about a handful of scenes that were Grahame-Smith's ideas including zombies, but otherwise it is Austen's plot, characters, and story line itself. At the first ball everything is normal and goes along with the original story besides the attack of the zombies. Some secondary characters die and the Bennett girls form the pentagram of death move outward to kill the undreadfuls. I thought that part was pretty funny. Of all the characters he had to pick Charlotte to become a zombie. Why? I wouldn't mind Mr. Collins becoming a zombie and have Charlotte still live. Then again maybe Mr. Collins doesn't really deserve to die, yes he is a rather annoying bugger, but in the original story he doesn't die. Besides all the zombies, ninja, and warrior mentality the book is quite the same as Pride and Prejudice, minus Charlotte and Mr. Collins dying along with some other non famous characters. I think of Elizabeth Bennett to be an independent, opinionated, and educated young woman, but not bloodthirsty. Grahame-Smith portrayed Elizabeth as a girl educated in the martial arts who only loves to kill zombies and not much else. This is basically the guy version of Pride and Prejudice. It was also hard for me to keep reading and to finish the book because it didn't interest me at all after I read about Charlotte being stricken by the plague. I have read Pride and Prejudice before so I had a good idea of what was going to happen. Honestly, Grahame-Smith was smart to try and pull off the combination of his zombies into Austen's story. Thats why this book had its little spurt of fame but otherwise it wasn't much different or creative. I have to give Grahame-Smith points for trying, but otherwise it could have been better. Jane Austen is a very well-known author and her most famous book written was Pride and Prejudice. So writing a spin off of her book is a very hard thing to do and so far no one has accomplished that aspect yet.

In Class: What creates horror in horror movies? 8/23

suspense

drama

sounds

creepy characters

dark/dim lighting

setting in an uncomfortable place

monsters

scratches

weird/awkward camera angles

dreary music

blood/gore

mystery

unique dialogue

revenge

anger

sadness

some hope

villain

hero (maybe)

Frankenstein 8/23

Oh my goodness gracious, is my final reaction to reading Frankenstein. Honestly, Mary Shelley has an awesome story line, but her use of syntax made it harder to unravel the scenes in the novel. The idea of having the story start and end with the captain's letters on his ship is an awesome idea. The first few chapters after that were really hard to get through. I felt like I was trying to walk through quicksand. It was very hard to grasp what was happening most of the time. I wanted more details and explanations for things as well as more descriptions. Why Frankenstein wanted to create the monster so badly, the chemical elements that helped create him, or the device that he used. It piqued my interest on how he was made. “It wad already one in the morning...and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.” (page 43) Really? I want more. How did the life spark into the monster? She does describe the settings and landscapes very well especially the country side in Geneva where Frankenstein grew up. I realize that before chapter ten everything was all about Frankenstein; how he grew up, went to college, experimented, created a monster, neglected the monster, and as he traveled back home his family and close friends start dying off, which was really sad. It was depressing to read and really weird that he was creeping through graveyards and stealing limbs. It also angered me that he just left the monster alone after he created him. What a chicken. At least finish what you started. I realize he was going through a lot of mental problems, wanted to experiment, and fulfill his dreams, but what Frankenstein did was worse than a mom having a baby then leaving it in the street for someone else to take care of. For all of the background research and journals scientists document he should have thought things through more. I really liked the chapters describing how the monster came about and how he learned human habits and speech through the cottagers as well as the cottagers backgrounds. When he visits the old man I found it to be my favorite part in the book, besides the whole being beaten and thrown out part. The people I talked to before reading the book most of their emotions sided with Frankenstein because he was so sad and the monster ended up killing everyone he knew, but I disagree. I had sympathy the monster because Frankenstein left him out in the dust after he was created. It was because of his neglect that the monster decided to take up his revenge against him and actually become a force of evil. I believe Frankenstein to be the villain here and the monster, who looks like a villain, only a victim in Frankenstein's life. I liked to idea of the monster convincing Frankenstein to make a female monster for him, but then he chickens out again. This guy needs to make up his mind. He brought this misery and despair upon himself. Again Frankenstein dug himself an even bigger hole with the monster after he decided not to create another like him and that's when the rest of his family and friends stared dying. I believe that Frankenstein did get what he deserved in the end. Overall I did like the book very much, but as I said before in the beginning it was difficult to get over those chapters and be inspired to read more.