Lizzy Bennet and Her Katana

What would Pride and Prejudice and Zombies be like? You probably saw the book mentioned somewhere (in the recent Public Square , perhaps) and found yourself intrigued by the title. It turns out that taking the abridged text of Pride and Prejudice and adding “unmentionables,” vomit, muskets, kung fu, and ninjas is not as consistently entertaining as someone who was once a thirteen-year-old boy might expect. Most of the book is dull, but the occasional gem shines through:

The third was unusually tall, and though long dead, still possessed a great deal of strength and quickness. Elizabeth had not yet recovered from her kick when the creature seized her arm and forced the dagger from it. She pulled free before he could get his teeth on her, and took the crane position, which she thought appropriate for an opponent of such height. The creature advanced, and Elizabeth landed a devastating chop across its thighs. The limbs broke off, and the unmentionable fell to the ground, helpless. She retrieved her dagger and beheaded the last of her opponents, lifting its head by the hair and letting her battle cry be known for a mile in every direction.

Elizabeth found herself at last within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise.