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)

Loved!

Still madly in love with the series. I don't think I'll be able to wait for my credit though to move on to the next book.

Hysterically refined.

This story is a beautifully unique blend of proprieties and niceties of the age meets Karate Kid. Read with enthusiasm and spirit, it is a wonderful and laugh-out-loud book to let loose your imagination.

What a fun book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls to be better than the print version?

Yes, the woman that reads the book does a great job and really brings it to life.

What did you like best about this story?

It is so much fun to take a classic story that many people know and change it in someway to make a completely new story. I loved this entire series.

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have only listened to the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series. I would surly enjoy other books she narrates.

If you could take any character from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Elizabeth, she is my favorite character.

Any additional comments?

I did notice a few discrepancies between the middle book and the first and last books.

Fun with Zombies

This book is great fun. The reader was perfect for the style. A great tongue and cheek satire of Pride and Predudice. Don't worry if you have not read Pride and Prejudice you will still get it. My suggestion read this book then watch Pride and Prejudice the movie.

Zombies + Austen = Fun

The author was given more creative license with this book as it isn't based on an Austen book. It does, however, use the world from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I enjoyed it partially because I had read the book that comes after it. Plus, it was neat to see how the girls learned their zombie slaying skills. All in all, though, it wasn't as entertaining as the original book. I didn't laugh as much and can't say I felt the romance of it at all either. Still glad I read it though. The performer is great as always. She's perfect for this type of period piece.

Nice new twist on a classic

Would you consider the audio edition of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version of this book but I have read pride and prejudice and was surprised that the author was able to do a good job of maintaining the sense of the original.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jane Austen and Steve Hockensmith ? Why or why not?

Jane Austin...yes.

Have to Worder

What did you love best about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls?

The idea of "Well Girls you have to do what you have to do"

Would you recommend Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls to your friends? Why or why not?

If they are into Zombies Yes.

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

Highfaluting Stuck-up-ed-ness. I not sure you can read stuck-up. You can be told how stuck-up someone might be, but the Narrator did a good job of projecting Stuck-Up-ed-ness.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and No

Any additional comments?

Never been a Zombie person but the cover intrigued me. There is just Something about a "Mean" little Zombie girl. How can you not feel for her. Even if she is going to eat your Brains if given the chance.

Fun, Fun, Fun + Katherine Kellgren

What can I say. I'm in love with Katherine Kellgren's voice. Who knows, maybe I'm in love with the whole package. There's a lot you can tell from only a person's voice. Though I never have, I believe that I could listen to a crappy book and love it if only it were narrated by Katherine Kellgren. Actually, Ms. Kellgren does not narrate a book as much as she performs it. Every character is individually acted and, without being told, at any given time, we know who the speaker in the story is by the way we hear them speak. Her renditions of the sounds of zombies and war cries are priceless. Ms. Kellgren is gifted.

That being said, this rendition of Pride and Prejudice is more that of the author Steve Hockensmith than that of Jane Austen. Jane Austen is definitely in there with the Benetts and their daughters and that whole soap opera thing. But this is a variation on the theme that is totally funny, entertaining and original. I am not a fan of the zombie genre. I have shied away from this series for that reason. While I like her writing, I'm not a huge fan of Jane Austen though I've read most of her books. But then there's Katherine Kellgren. (Oh yes, that's right I mentioned her.) Plus, I had the opportunity to get this one at $4.95 on Audible. It was worth every penny. Need a simple, fun, pick-me-up for the doldrums? Try PaPaZ. It won't disappoint.

Zombies mixed with manners = FUN

I really enjoyed the mix of new & old/classic in this story. It reminded me of Christopher Moore in certain parts where the witty banter of the characters was mixed in with semi-horror situations with the end result being hilarious and absurd at the same time. The accents are great and the actual battle scenes don't weigh the whole thing down for chapters on end. Kill some zombies, have some social interaction, kill some zombies, more witty exchanges, kill more zombies, worry about acting like a proper lady while killing zombies.......... it flowed quite nicely. I could see this one making for a fun/campy movie quite easily.

Fantastic Guilty Pleasure

Where does Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This particular book is not my favorite of the series (I'm partial to Book 3: Dreadfully Ever After) but it did not disappoint until I realized there was nothing more to listen to, the book had ended. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story. I'd say that the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series is so far my favorite of the audiobooks I've heard.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls?

It's hard to pick a most memorable moment, the whole story was pretty action packed.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite was near the end of the story when the Lord's house was under attack. I don't want to give any spoilers but the doctor was probably my favorite character.

If you could rename Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, what would you call it?

I wouldn't rename it, I like the plain description of it.

Any additional comments?

I didn't want to like this series, I remember passing it at bookstores thinking it was just a weird kids story that wasn't worth paying attention to. It wasn't until I downloaded it and listened to Ms. Kellgren's narration that I was really drawn in and I'm glad I was.