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)

Don't pass this by!

I had this in my wish list for a long time; hesitating because I was worried it would be a dreary and dull 19th century novel with some lame zombies thrown in. I was wrong!! I've never been much of a fan of classic literature, but this reads like a modern work - yet so much better than 80% of the monotonous drivel that this genre is producing lately. It's absolutely hilarious and super entertaining. The narrator was absolutely perfect for this role – flawless in fact. The characters are vibrant...never dull and the story flies by. This book was so good; I just may re-read "real" Austen novels again! You don't need to be a fan of history or historical fiction to enjoy this book. It's simply a wonderfully written, action packed story with fantastic characters. A whole new take on the Zombie (ahem, I mean, Dreadful) Apocalypse. Don't let this fester in your Wish List - you won't be disappointed!

I Fear The Zombies Hath Arrived

The Zet word is oh so improper and what is a young lady to do? The comical mix of English proper and zombies is genius. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to my friends {already have}. Don't expect a literary education here but do enjoy a good read

A fun read for Austen and zombie fans alike!

I enjoyed the book. I thought I might have mixed emotions, being a fan of Jane Austen, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this was well done. The narrator was absolutely entertaining and hilarious!

prequel

This book is great. I wish somebody would do a prequel of the original Pride and prejudice .

Rubbish, really, but very well-written rubbish

The style is witty, the performance animated and delivered with aplomb. The story is so bad it's funny and that is its appeal. It tended to drag on a bit towards the end, but for all Jane Austen lovers who don't mind a bit of irreverence, it's definitely worth a listen (if you don't have to pay full price).

Love it!

I absolutely love this book series. I’ve read it and when I can’t read it I listen to it. Highly recommended!

Awesome!

Amazing Narration!
Brilliant story!
Huge Austen fan, Can’t with to read the rest!
Seeing the film already, I’m excited to see if the next book matches or is better!
But who doesn't love Corsets, Katanas and a Love story?

Different story line.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact that this doesn't follow the first one at all.....

Okay

Okay, I love zombies. I love the zombie apocalypse genre stories. I've seen N.O.T.L.D. (1968) about 1000 times and never get tired of it. I own Max Brooks "World War Z" and "Zombie Survival Guide", both in audio format, and have listened to them easily 50 - 60 times. That said....

While much of this book is a parody of Victorian culture, some of the narration got a little too heavy-handed, almost a bit much to listen to at times. For the most part, good story line. I can't honestly say that I'll listen to it again, but it's good.

Terrific narrator

The narration is a miracle. It full of dynamics and vividness that inspire me to enjoy the graces of literature, even if my native language is Chinese.