Being a fan of quality, authentic vampire literature, I have to admit I was a little leary of the latest release by the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter certainly sold me with it’s quirky cover, or should I say, back cover with a grown President Lincoln holding a severed vampire head. P&P Zombies has not honestly been my favorite of the Quirk Classics, but I was interested to see what Seth Graham-Smith could do without having to intertwine his story with the original Austen. I was not disappointed! The parody-style novel begins reading a little like Dan Brown tripe with it’s “FACTS” page, but had me pleasantly amused nonetheless. Having unfortunately read all of Brown’s novels, I was worried I would find Lincoln too formulaic, but other than a shout-out to conspiracy theory (vampirism promulgated by the pro-slavery South), I found Graham-Smith’s style fairly orginal. The premise is that a modern day shop owner (Smith inserts himself as this character) is given Abraham Lincoln’s original journals detailing his secret life as a vampire hunter. The “history” of Lincoln’s early days on into his presidency is accurate to a point and each chapter begins with a legitimate quote from Lincoln’s speeches. Perhaps this why I enjoyed the book as much, if not more than, an Austen parody…I’m not a big history buff, especially when it comes to American history. The same can be said for my affection for American literature. I know it sounds terribly unpatriotic, but except for Austen, I’m a British lit fan at heart. Set Austen or American history alongside undead minions or sea monsters, though, and you’ve got me hooked.
The vampires here are predominantly evil, so fans of Stoker shouldn’t be too offended. There’s a slight sympathy evoked with one character, so fans of Anne Rice could probably find some satisfaction here as well. Meyer “fans”? Not sure I care one way or another what they think, but the well positioned actual Lincoln quotes will probably be lost of most of their vapid brains. I’m not sure even the dreadfuls would find a satisfying meal eating Meyer fans’ brains. (A little segue here…)
On to Dawn of the Dreadfuls, another Quirk Classic and the prequel to P&P Zombies. Here we meet the famous Bennet sisters before they reach fame, if not fortune, as slayers of the undead. I enjoyed this installment more than the original, probably because it doesn’t make use of Austen’s original text. The girls’ personalities are pretty true to form, the reader will get an unusual glimpse into Mrs. Bennet’s past, and the romance is kept to a minimum. Really, if there is an army of dreadfuls to slay, who has time for courtship and coming out parties? The primary antagonist (not a dreadful) puts Wickam to shame as a self-loving philanderer, as do the just desserts he receives in the end. I think at this point I’m successfully hooked on the Quirk line and will be preordering Android Karenina sometime this week.
