Monday, July 26, 2010

Jane Austen's Vampire Zombie Coattails Fight Club

Jane Austen has been dead for nearly 200 years, but surely she would be dying a slow death today if she could see what has become of her work. Or would she?  What would it take to really piss off Jane Austen?

I love Jane Austen. If you are unfamiliar, check her Wikipedia entry for a little background.  I love Jane so much that Oldest Daughter's middle name is Austen.  I read "Pride and Prejudice" for about the fourth time while pregnant with her, and here I am pregnant with The Son and reading "Sense and Sensibility", again:

Okay, I'm drinking a malt, a pregnancy staple.  
But the book is next to me.  
I knew what was going to happen in the book, 
but that malt wasn't going to wait.

My favorite book on the planet is Pride & Prejudice, my favorite movie is the BBC/A&E version of Pride & Prejudice (Oh Colin Firth, allow me to say how ardently I adore you wet and clothed in a frilly shirt).  There have been many books and movies influenced by Jane Austen's work, including Bridget Jones' Diary (P&P), Clueless (Emma), Lost in Austen (which I love) and The Jane Austen Book Club, just to name a VERY few.  I have no issue with these works inspired by Austen, and have in fact enjoyed them.  BUT.

What is the deal with all of the new Austen craziness?  Pride and Prejudice and ZombiesPrada and PrejudiceColonel Brandon's DiaryMurder at Longbourne?  I swear to you, these are real titles of real books that real authors have been paid to write.  Here is a list on Amazon of the top FORTY (they could only list 40!  But there are more!) Jane Austen-inspired books on the market.  I can't tell you if they are any good - I have steadfastly refused to read them in honor of Jane.  I've heard some of them are good.  It just feels so...wrong, somehow.  WWJD - What Would Jane Do?

Just when I think the Austen Craziness is simmering down, something like this comes up, which I found on cinematical.com:



Here is the original Fight Club trailer, a movie I loved by the way, for reference:




I think the Jane Austen Fight Club is funny, I do, but then I think "When will it end? Is nothing sacred?" How would Jane feel about it all? What's next?
  • "Jane Austen's Wheel of Fortune"
  • "Jane Austen Celebrity Rehab"
  • "Rock of Love 5:  Passion at Pemberly"
  • "Project Runway:  Corset Style"
Are there any other traumatized Austen fans out there?  Am I being unfair to artistic freedom?  Have any of you read any of these recent Austen knock-offs, and tell the truth, are any of them worth the read?  I await your advice, gentle readers.  Until then, in the words of Mr. Darcy:  "My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever."

11 comments:

Mrs Woog said...

I agree - she would be rolling over in her corset. Colin Firth + Wet Shirt Competition = yummy.

AndreaClaire said...

I love Jane Austin. In fact, she was the real reason I had to include Bath on my last trip to England. Oh, nice Roman baths, huge Cathedral, yada, yada, locations mention in Jane Austin's books! I, too, am a little hesitant to read these re-imaged Austin classics. It also doesn't help that I've heard some very mixed reviews.

Now, if Colin Firth was to do the recording for "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" book on tape...

Jmps said...

I loved the Austen fight club video - I figure it could always be worse. They could Twilight-ify her.

Exhibit A: http://flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/pp3.jpg

Laurel Ann (Austenprose) said...

"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other." Emma Woodhouse, Emma, Ch 9

rhonda said...

Jane Austen is one of my very favorite authors...and I don't like I can read something with Zombie in the title that is Austen inspired.

Maxabella said...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that as soon as someone makes a joke, everyone has to get in on the act. I handled the original Austen zombie romp, but I'm not at all happy with the million other copies. Poor Jane.

PS - I used my bump as a table too... love it :)

Julie, The Wife said...

A) Colin Firth could do anything and I would be in. Loved him as Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones, what a great twist that was.

B) Love the Austen quotes, you clever girls.

C) Jmps, I hadn't seen that book cover, I do love Twilight and I'm appalled.

D) Okay, Maxabella, I've heard Zombies is actually good, and I've heard ONE of the Mr. Darcy sequels is good - do you have any info?

Wendy Ramer, Author said...

Would you hate me if I said I think Jane Austen's Fight Club looks like a hoot? (Yes, I said 'hoot'.)

CrackedGem said...

I personally LOVED Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. There was something about the sophistication of Elizabeth Bennett stabbing the SHIT out of zombies.

MommyTime said...

I thought the P&P and Zombies book was a one trick pony, and the trick got old after about 25 pages. There are only so many moments of propriety that can be interrupted by Imminent Zombie Attack! before this gentle reader begins to find it all tiresome. The trailer, on the other hand, cracks me the heck right up. Perhaps it's because it's only three minutes long, or perhaps because they have good accents and walk so nicely (so much better than G. Paltrow did in her stint in an Austen film) when they aren't kicking a$$. Anyway, this trailer is hilarious, but if it's for a real movie, I'm not sure the movie will be great.

GrandeMocha said...

I LOVED "Jane Bites Back: A Novel". I'm more a Janet Evanovich than a Jane Austen girl. I like snarky humor more than good girls. That"s why I like you!

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