Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

By: Jane Austen, Steve Hockensmith

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

With more than one million copies in print, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the surprise publishing phenomenon of 2009. A best seller on three continents, PPZ has been translated into 21 languages and optioned to become a major motion picture.

In this terrifying and hilarious prequel, we witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early 19th-century England. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry.

Written by acclaimed novelist (and Edgar Award nominee) Steve Hockensmith, Dawn of the Dreadfuls invites Austen fans to step back into Regency England, Land of the Undead!

©2010 Steve Hockensmith (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Nominee - Best Fiction Audiobook, 2011

"Hockensmith does not abandon Austen’s original characters. Mrs. Bennett is the most true to the original, and even silly Kitty and Lydia are the same, only they fight instead of fuss over men. Elizabeth, from whose point of view significant elements of the story are told, is the most fully developed, and while she departs a little from the original, it’s not so far as to make Austen fans cringe (given that they’re OK with zombies, of course). This is a must-read for the growing legion of alternate-Austen fans (including, naturally, everyone who has read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)." (Booklist)

"Narrator Katherine Kellgren sells the unlikely combination of Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet and zombie invasions with wholehearted glee. As the Bennet sisters train with a fighting master for their do-or-die zombie battle, the story moves from scenes of proper conversation to scenes of proper attack stance. Kellgren expresses the British fighting spirit with abandon. She’s smart, funny, and unrestrainedly dramatic, everything that a book chronicling Regency maidens meting out murderous zombie vengeance needs. Kellgren’s voices are thoughtfully chosen, especially Mrs. Bennet’s shrieks over propriety. Listeners can’t help but be drawn into the riotous action even as they realize the story is ludicrous. For sheer audacity of spirit, Kellgren deserves acclaim." ( AudioFile)

“Mixing taught horror-movie action with neo-Austen meditation on identity, society, and romance, this happy sacrilege is sure to please fans of Grahame-Smith's original mash-up.” ( Publisher’s Weekly)

An Entertaining Listen

This story made for a great companion on my daily walks. It wasn't very deep, and it wasn't very terrifying, but it sure was funny. I think it's a great buy for one of the promo events.

Fun! ...and funnier the second time.

While I don't expect Austen's book is as integral to this book as to Pride Prejudice and Zombies, it is an enjoyable prequel, I am listening a second time. I guess I should order Austen's books too.

Narrator's voice is great and she achieves my rating of Voice Actor . I am glad she read/Acted this book too - as Acted PP&Z.

Spin MS. Austen, spin

Even better than the orginal "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies! Ohhhh the unmentionables! Nuff said.

A Rollicking Good Read

Katherine Kellgren is AWESOME in her story-telling skills. That's not narration, folks, that's performance.

I've been reading and rereading (and rereading) this book since I was on tenterhooks whilst waiting on the audiobook release.

I never liked Jane Austen's books, until the addition of Dreadfuls. I know that's heresy in some circles, but it's true. Steve Hockensmith made this one a scream.

Curious Combination

It had been a while since I had read the original so it was great fun listening to see who was an added character to make the zombie part of the story work. The original characters have only been tweaked slightly to fit the zombie part; their original charms and flaws remain. I recommend it to anyone who likes Austin and has a lively sense of the ridiculous, as an Austin character might say.

Clearly the best thing I've ever heard.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's glorious.

What did you like best about this story?

EVERYTHING! The strong female lead roles that still maintain their essential softness and stay true to the characters. The chance to see characters I love so much kick zombie ass. Every minute was glorious and wonderful. Not a single scene was dull.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accent is a lot like one me and my friends would put on when telling made up stories to each other so it added a lot to my personal experience of the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I stayed up until 4am listening to the book. The next morning/lunch time I slept through three phone calls from the boy I was supposed to be having a date with, the sound of the ringing tone working its way into the narrative of my dream as I try to work out which zombie I need to slice in half to answer the call.

Any additional comments?

I love this book and will send myself broke listening to the series.

Extremely funny!

Much more entertaining than the boring "original"!I've always thought that dry old literature needed to be livened up by including bloody violence! This is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

What a marvelous tale!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Loved the narrator! She made the characters come to life. A great book narrated by a great reader!

Fantastic Narrator for a Fun Story!

For me, the narrator of an audiobook can make or break the whole experience. Katherine Kellgren brings the characters in this tale to life!

The story itself is fun and fanciful and at times laugh out loud funny. The characters are fully recognizable from their original Austen incarnations and stay true to spirit throughout. You cannot go wrong by adding this piece to your audiobook collection.

Hilarious!

With romance, redemption, witty repartee, and zombies, what's not to like? This prequel to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES is superbly written and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny.The narrator, Katherine Kellgren, is absolutely brilliant. Loved it!