The Book Club

First Line Analysis: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

Title: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

Authors: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Publisher: Quirk Books (2009)

Genres: Horror, Humor, Literature, Romance

Sub-Genres: Jane Austen Adapation, Classics, Comedy of Errors, Mash-Ups, Regency Romance 

Character Speaking: Unnamed Narrator

Spoiler Alert!

Analysis: Now, this line is of course a twist on one of the most quoted opening lines of any book, ever (today's First Line Analysis was actually a toss up between the original and Kafka's Metamorphosis but I decided I couldn't handle all that thinking this morning).

Austen's original line read, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." It is considered one of the finest forms of irony ever written, for in fact, it is, of course, a truth universally acknowledged that a single, wealthy man wants nothing more than to screw his brains out. And this is compounded by the fact that when the original line was written, you couldn't ever actually talk about this sort of thing. Thus, Austen's original line is taking a swing straight at her entire society.

In Grahame-Smith's line, we get an entirely similiar but different set-up. Grahame-Smith sets up the book's humor by inverting the classic line with something that is instantly recognizable on two fronts: Austen's quote and the popular belief in zombies screaming "Brains!" and slowly shambling towards their chosen victims. By doing this, he's providing the book's entire tone - which is violent, a bit gross, with tones of humor (mostly ironic), and a cute play off of Austen's original work.

In a way, this is why this book is so smart. Grahame-Smith is twisting the same conventions that Austen used, the sense of funny irony that still delivers a gut punch. Austen wasn't funny without purpose, though, and provided a lot more insight into her culture than Grahame-Smith's zombies can. I do not, however, blame the zombies, as science fiction and fantasy can provide some great insights into the human condition that more literary work cannot (prejudice, especially racism, is actually amazingly covered by fantasy and sci-fi). Instead, I think it's more a facet of Grahame-Smith being a 21st century man, and Austen being a woman of her time.

Austen's job was to take apart her own world, which she seemed to do with zealous glee. Grahame-Smith's job was to entertain, plain and simple. And both succeeded. It is a testament to Grahame-Smith's skill, though, that I bought the book on the first line alone. I read it and knew it was going to be a fun adventure.

As a writer, it's that sort of first line that every book needs and so rarely gets: one that delivers the entire premise and theme of the book, wrapped in a moment that captures the readers' imagination. Insanely difficult to do, but Austen did it here with a line that still speaks to us generations later. All Grahame-Smith had to do was inject his own humor into the line to make a great parody. If that doesn't show the genius of the original line, I don't know what does. 

Buy It Here!: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

First Line Analysis: Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green."

Story: The Lottery (from numerous collections of Shirley Jackson's stories)

Author: Shirley Jackson

Publisher: Various, first published in 1948 by The New Yorker

Genres: Literature, Short Story

Sub-Genres: Classics, Horror, Religious Studies, Symbolism, Taught in High School English Classes, Twist Endings

Character Speaking: Unknown Narrator

Analysis: That certainly sounds like a great day, doesn't it? A fair spoiler warning here - if you haven't read "The Lottery", stop reading now. It's too good to ruin the ending.

"The Lottery" is a seriously disturbing look at the animal within us. The premise is that a small town randomly chooses one of their own to stone to death with a lottery. In contrary to the normal, Hollywood endings we're so used to, Jackson doesn't allow our heroine and chosen, Mrs. Hutchinson, to survive or be rescued. Instead, she's horrifically murdered by her family, friends, and neighbors. The sacrifice's meaning isn't ever even really explained, just that it is done traditionally.

Jackson's attack on mindless religious observations and traditions is obvious, since here, they result in such a dramatic and stunning ending. I remember reading the story in high school and having nightmares for weeks. The story's language is simple and very descriptive, similar to the style of the first line above.

It's really the first line that shows this piece's status as a masterpiece. It begins so calmly, so simply, that the reader is lulled into thinking they've heard this story, they know what this story is about. The story is not long (it can easily be read in one sitting) and so before the reader knows what is happening, Jackson has turned the story on its head and the stones that the children collect during the beautiful sunny day of the opening line are used to commit a lynching.

It's the juxtaposition that's so striking and so nerve-wracking to the reader. Most thriller and horror stories start off with at least a small hint of what's to come. Here, Jackson resists that urge and ups her game by not letting the reader in on the secret until it is too late. In this case, it's Jackson's own break from tradition that truly allows this story to become the classic it is.

Funny story: the story was savagely criticized after its first publication in The New Yorker. Probably because people had nightmares like me.

Buy It Here!: Shirley Jackson: Novels and Stories (The Lottery / The Haunting of Hill House / We Have Always Lived in the Castle)

TV Review & Adaption Analysis: True Blood

Title: True Blood

Form: TV series

Adapted From: the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris (originally called The Southern Vampire Mysteries)

Starring: Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton), Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte), Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse), Rutina Wesley (Tara Thorton), Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds), Jim Parrack (Hoyt Fortenberry), Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler), Alexander Skarsgaard (Eric Northman), Todd Lowe (Terry Bellefleur), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hamby), Kristin Bauer (Pam De Beaufort)

Created by: Alan Ball

Appearing: Currently on HBO, fourth season premiere 6/26/11

TV Review: Say what you will about True Blood, but you can't deny that there's really nothing else on TV like it. There might be other vampires, but none of them match this show's lust for violence, messed up characters, and lots and lots of sex. And don't forget the utter nakedness.

And while that doesn't always mean the show rocks every episode, it does mean that nearly every episode is crazy and ususally fun.

The main strength of the show is its well-rounded cast. While the stars of the series might be Paquin, Moyer, and Skarsgaard, its scene-stealers like Bauer, Woll, and Ellis that make the series great. In fact, I'd say that if the show focused only on Sookie and her two main vamps, the show would be dismally boring.

The main weakness of the show, unfortunately, is also its unwieldly cast. There are so god-damn many of them. Even for an hour drama, this series tips the scales of cast members. And in the fourth season premiere, we got at least four new major characters (only two of which, Portia Bellefleur and Marnie, were ever part of the books). If you think that starring list up there is bad, realize those are only the characters who have appeared in nearly every single episode.

Also a problem is that with a cast this big, is that it's hard to make the series gel. Seasons 1 did this with a well plottedmurder mystery - someone in the cast was a killer, but we didn't know who, so the whole of Bon Temps, the fictional southern town of the series, was locked in a manhunt. Seasons 2 and 3 had Big Bads, but only a handful of the characters were truly affected by them and our heroes, as it were, didn't come together to defeat them, either. It's a plot problem that's not helping this series.

But, in the end, I'll still watch. The premiere of the fourth season was a bit slow, but started with a nice time jump, allowing Sookie and several of the characters to start over. The surprise gay wasn't that surprising, and as mentioned, there are too many new characters in already packed cast, but there were some other nice twists, like Bill's new role. I also enjoyed the Jessica-Hoyt scenes, but that's mostly for the on-screen chemistry of Woll and Parrack.

Adaption Analysis: When adapting this series, which is written in the first person from Sookie's perspective, meaning the reader only gets Sookie's thoughts on any given situation, Ball had some big decisions to make - how does he expand Bon Temps to make the other characters just as lively as Sookie herself?

In the end, I think he did his job too well. The other characters have somehow eclipsed Sookie and her storyline, to the point that now, several of the important plot points don't come from Sookie - and many fans watch the show for the characters who aren't her.

The first season followed the books rather closely, plot and character-wise. We get an introduction to Pam and Eric in mid-season (only minor characters in the first book but major characters in the rest of the series). The only significant changes come from the brand new character of baby vampire Jessica (killed and raised by Bill as punishment for his murder of another vampire - a different punishment than the book's) and the family relations between Tara and Lafayette. In the books, the two characters have nothing to do with the other - Lafayette is a very minor character (who only survives until the second book) and Tara isn't really described as being black. The biggest plot change is that of V, vampire blood, which becomes a major storyline for the series but one that was never really developed in the books.

But it's in the second season when Ball really starts to change things - which is also where the creators start having issues getting all the characters on the same page. In shows like Buffy, the cast was large but they all came together at the end to defeat the Big Bad. On True Blood, sometimes the minor characters don't even know the Big Bad exists. Like in Season 2, Sookie doesn't even meet Maryann, a minor villain from the second book who was elevated to Big Bad status for the TV show, until mid-season.

In season 3, the big bad is Russell Edgington, a completely different character than the version from the books. Other minor character roles also shift, mainly to keep the interesting characters around. Lafayette, for example, isn't killed, and Sam's family is dramatically altered and expanded.

In the fourth season, there's been a radical departure from the series, with Claudine and the fairies taking on new powers and a brand new role - the first major departure from the books for Sookie's family history. Sookie's bloodline and powers are also slightly altered, as those are only now being explored in the books (there's 11 of them now, the most recent one pictured at left).

I think the adaption has been incredibly smart in its departures. The show would not have survived, especially with its emphasis on sex and violence, with the narrow view of only Sookie to work with. There simply can't be that much sex when you focus on a single character (which is why you won't ever see a straight adaption of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series or Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series). But in the expanded world of Bon Temps, Ball manages to make some very smart changes with complex characters that only expand Sookie's world, instead of just filling it with redudant characters.

True Blood is now showing its fourth season on HBO. Previous seasons are available on DVD, iTunes, and other outlets.

Great Quotes: Stephen King's Misery

 

 

"The reason authors almost always put a dedication on a book, Annie, is because their selfishness even horrifies themselves in the end."

Stephen King, Misery

Book Review: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Title: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

Authors: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Publisher: Quirk Books (2009)

Genres: Horror, Humor, Literature, Romance

Sub-Genres: Jane Austen Adapation, Classics, Comedy of Errors, Mash-Ups, Regency Romance 

Plot Summary: The five Bennett sisters (Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia) have sworn to fight the zombie hordes that plague England, but their mother is determined to marry them off. With the appearance of their new neighbor Mr. Bingley and his handsome but arrogant friend Mr. Darcy, the two elder Bennett sisters find themselves taken up for the first time in romantic entanglements, but it's only when their youngest sister Lydia gets herself into trouble, do the sisters realize that they might have to give up their fighting forever.

What I Liked: This book is fun. It's a cleverly executed piece of fiction, where Grahame-Smith took something that was already smart and transformed it into something hilarious. The zombie violence, really, is just an added bonus. I won't spoil too much, but I'll just say that the Charlotte Lucas parts were my favorite.

The characters here retain all their original charms but are exaggerated a bit to further the comedy of errors or to display the callous nature of people who don't quite see their servants as actual human beings. While I wouldn't call this a smart book, Grahame-Smith does manage to point out a few of that era's less pleasing cultural tics.

The main thing about this book is that it is funny and easy to read. There's some violence and some gore, but underneath that, this book is supposed to make you laugh. And it does that, with an ease that's hard to capture in books.

What I Didn't Like: While I enjoy the style of inserting the zombies into the original book, there are times when the mesh doesn't fit as well as others, like the recurring jokes about Mr. Darcy's balls or his most English parts. It just screams 20th century to me and thus, the book loses part of its appeal. I like the book more when you can actually still hear Austen's voice ringing through the zombie hordes.

On the other hand, I wish this book could have gone a bit further. While what Grahame-Smith did was clever, I wouldn't ever call it genius. And in a book, something that takes several hours to read, clever gets tired after a while. By about 3/4 through the book, I was ready for the book to be over, as I knew the story and I got the jokes. Grahame-Smith should have tried to elevate the book a bit further, offer some new surprises along the way. There wasn't much I didn't see coming.

Similar Books: Mash-Ups: Jane Slayre, Little Vampire Women, and Android Karenina.

Jane Austen Adaptions: Darcy's Voyage, Darcy and Fitzwilliam, and Manner of Devotion: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Other Grahame-Smith books: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Prequel: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Buy It Here!: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

Last Thought: Fun, but could have been amazing.

Top 10 Books to Start a New Genre

Whenever I tell people what I do for a living, I always get asked the same question: what book do I recommend for them to read? Instead of just a straight Top 10 list of the books I most frequently recommend, I thought I'd split them up by genre - picking one each for the most popular genres on the market right now.

 
10. High Literature/Classics: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I recommend The Great Gatsby to any reader who is ready for a challenge. I do this mostly because it is pretty easy to read and has a plot that clips along at a decent pace. The Great Gatsby's brilliance, though, is based on how layered it is - the more you think about the book, the more questions you ask (like Is Nick a reliable narrator?), and the better the book becomes. It's a great place, therefore, to begin a journey into highbrow literature and the classics.

 
9. Horror: Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesby Jane Austen and Seth Grahme-Smith

If you're going to start in on horror, I say start simply. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a perfect mixture of romance, satire, and humor, along with some great horror scenes. Sure, it's not the scariest book on the market (go read It for that), but it is a nice stepping stone to see if you like the genre at all. And, to be completely honest, I'm in the middle of it right now, so I might be a bit biased, but I am thoroughly enjoying it.

 
8. Thriller: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

If you're starting in on a new genre, it's best to go with a book that you can ask others about if you get lost or if you simply need encouragement to finish it. Millions of people think the Millennium series is one of the best series out there right now, so I'm sure you can find a friend who will read it with you.

Also, it's not James Patterson, so it does have that going for it.

 
7. Urban Fantasy/Detective Stories - The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

One of the most popular genres on TV, in movies, and in books right now, urban fantasy basically covers anything fantastical set in the modern day. And The Dresden Files is my favorite series of them all. Forget Anita Blake and Sookie Stackhouse; it's all about Harry Dresden. It might be because I'm a guy, but this series (12 books and counting) combines the best aspects of both genres with a solid detective story and it's quality never wavers (unlike Anita and Sookie). Start with Storm Front and I promise, you won't be disappointed.

 
6. Superhero Comics: Avengers Academy by Christos Gage and Mike McKone

It's hard for me to suggest a comic book to new readers of the superhero genre, because part of what I love about comics is their long history. Many of the DC and Marvel characters have been in continual publication for forty or more years. But for me, the place to go to right now is Avengers Academy, which focuses on some of the lesser known Avengers and their newest trainees, eliminating the need for knowing all that backstory.

It's got teenage drama alongside real issues and one major secret: these kids aren't the next superheroes - they're the superpowered kids most likely to end up as supervillains. It's a great premise and with the way Gage handles the characters, it's easy to jump in on. Plus, the older Avengers gives the reader a taste of the rest of the Marvel Universe, if they want to explore other titles.

 
5. Mystery: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Why Evanovich? Mostly because I love her interviews. The author knows exactly what kind of books she writes, knows her market better than her publisher, and nails it 9 times out of 10. And she's got a great sense of humor. Now, I admit, this isn't a book I've read. I just don't read mystery books that often. But this is the mystery book that my friends recommend to me. So, we'll just have to trust them for now. I'll let you know what I think in a few months, as the book is currently sitting on my own desk, in the To Read Pile. (See, I take my own advice!)

4. Romance: Birthright by Nora Roberts

Romance is one of the largest and most popular genres out there. In fact, Harlequin, the world's largest romance publisher, has at times managed to be quite lucrative when other publishers flail. But sadly, I don't read romance, either. So this one is coming straight to you from my mother and the internet.

You can't really go wrong with Nora Roberts, as she's written over a hundred romance books. Yes, you heard that right. You can't write that many books and get them published, if you aren't doing something right. And looking over several Top 10 romance lists and lists of the best of Nora Roberts, I've got to go with Birthright, which even has some action, murder, and violence! Sadly, no, I still won't be giving this one a shot. (I just can't do romance. I'm sorry.)

 
3. Beach Reads: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

By saying Beach Reads, I am definitely not insinuating that Nineteen Minutes is not a work of quality. Instead, this is one of those books that you can find everywhere - Target, the airport, I've even seen it at the grocery store! Basically, it's one of those books that you pick up when you've got a chance and want to relax into the book. That's a beach read, and nobody has done that genre better than Picoult in recent years. She's basically the smart and talented version of Nicolas Sparks, though that's not saying much.

 
2. High Fantasy: Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad Book 1) by David Eddings

When you talk about high fantasy, most people instantly think Lord of the Rings. And while those are great books, if you're not a high fantasy fan, Lord of the Rings is not going to make you one, as they're really hard to read. Pawn of the Prophecy is fun and breezy by comparison, and manages not to have those misogynist overtones. Frankly, if you're thinking about Lord of the Rings, bypass it and go here instead.

 
1. Non-Superhero Comics: Fables by Bill Willingham

Seriously, I get asked more about non-superhero comic recommendations than anything else, and I simply can't stress this enough - Fables is the place to go. If you think comic books are all about tights, then let this comic dissuade you of that fact. If you think comic books are for kids, this is also the place to go. Fables is one of the smartest and most creative things I've ever read, and if you're looking to branch out of your comfort zone, this is the place to do it.

Character Analysis: Anita Blake's Richard Zeeman, The Werewolf Who Just Wants to Be a Schoolteacher

Character: Richard Zeeman

From: Anita Blake series

First Appearance: Circus of the Damned

Most Recent Appearance: Bullet

Created by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Drawn by: Brett Booth, from the Anita Blake comic series

Character History: Richard Zeeman lived a happy life with his family, until going to college. There, he was injected with a bad lycanthrophy vaccine, causing him to become a werewolf. Since he was a powerful werewolf, he was taken in by the local pack, while he continued to live a normal life. He was seduced by Raina, alpha female of the pack, but eventually rejected her for her sadistic qualities.

Zeeman became a science teacher and avoided being a werewolf as much as possible, but his inherent power wouldn't let him. The pack's leader, the Ulfric, Marcus forced Zeeman into the vampire Master of the City Jean-Claude's entourage, where Zeeman met the necromancer Anita Blake. While Zeeman didn't like Jean-Claude, he played along to get to know Anita better.

The two dated, with Jean-Claude also trying to win Anita's affections, but Zeeman won, for his innate humanness. Zeeman proposed, but a date was never set. Marcus, seeing that Zeeman was gathering power, put a price on Anita's head, and Zeeman was forced to duel Marcus to the death for the Ulfric title. Zeeman, in hopes of surviving, allowed Jean-Claude to mystically tie the him, Jean-Claude, and Anita together in a triumverate of power. The result was that Zeeman won, killing and eating Marcus, and transforming into his werewolf form on top of Anita, revealing his monster-self for the first time. Anita fled, and the engagement ended.

Zeeman continued to live a relatively normal life, even dating normal girls, while being Ulfric and a school teacher both. Though he hated seeing Anita now that she gotten with Jean-Claude, they continued to work together. Zeeman was bitter, angry, and disappointed a lot of the time, but it was discovered that this was a side effect of the triumverate, and Zeeman has learned to control part of it. After his family was endangered by those trying to attack him, Zeeman confessed his powers to his family, winning their acceptance for the most part.

Personality: When not angry, Zeeman is a nice, normal guy. He likes sports, wearing comfortable clothes, and being around beautiful women. When forced to it, Zeeman can be dangerously violent, for he has both supernatural powers and incredible athleticism to command. He does not go to violence quickly, but once his angry is touched upon, usually thanks to Anita, he is very difficult to control. Zeeman can also be homophobic, thanks to experiences with Raina and Marcus.

Archetype: Zeeman's role is mostly as the Love Interest for Anita, and for a time, he was definitely the One True Love. He is also the Human as Monster, someone who is constantly trying to battle dark urges within to still be human. Zeeman is a Victim of Abuse, in which he projects self-hatred inward after being sexual and psychologically tormented. He is also a Lycanthrope, a common fantasy type able to shift into an animal or half-human, half-animal form - in this case, a werewolf. Although Zeeman is also a Teacher as a profession, he lacks most of the inherent qualities of that archetype.

Other Versions: Zeeman appears in the Anita Blake comic series from the Dabel Brothers. The character is the same as he is in the books.

Analysis: Richard hates being a werewolf. Anita Blake hunts evil monsters for a living. It was supposed to be a match made in heaven, until Anita forced him to accept his werewolf nature - a nature that included eating his former pack leader and transforming into a half-wolf creature. Richard never wanted to be a monster and has spent most of his adult life hiding from it.

The easiest allegory to draw from this is obviously from queer theory - Richard discovers in college (when many young people first discover their sexuality) something about himself that he can't control or understand but still likes it, deep down. He bottles himself up as a science teacher by day, but goes out at night to Jean-Claude's rather tawdry club to express himself as he is. He creates a self-hating cycle from which he cannot escape until he accepts himself as a werewolf. The allegory would be overpowering if it wasn't for the fact that Hamilton also made Richard homophobic, as if she saw the allegory and didn't like it. It's a shame - it's a solid allegory.

But back to Richard. When Richard finally accepted who he was, his self-hate actually got worse - because Anita, his fiance, rejected him. In truth, Anita hadn't loved the whole Richard - she had loved the facade Richard put up to protect himself from his werewolf self. She hadn't even known the real Richard, and wouldn't know him until years later. This is the core of Richard's character - the idea that our self is made up of not only who we want to be but who we are forced to be.

Richard wants a normal life, but doesn't realize that no one's life is ever normal. We each have our own quirks, our own individual pains, and our crosses to bear  - Richard's just happens to be supernatural in origin. The idea of stunted adulthood surrounds Richard, as he is unable to see that his life is not any worse, or any better, than anyone else's. Richard is special, because he is powerful, but he wants to be normal. Richard doesn't understand that everyone, and therefore no one, is special or normal; we just are.

Sadly, this idea begins to be lifted from Richard's character in the later books, as Richard simply becomes an asshole and too powerful (as all of the character in the series do). Richard has become a side character in the books, usually as a plot device. This reduction has led to a dissolution of the conflict in his character - he is angry at times for no reason, and he is happy at times to have the power, and these shifts often going unexplained. It's too bad - the inherent conflict in the character is a good one and could be continued to be explored.

Similar Characters: Superhumans Who Want to be Normal: the X-Men's Rogue, the Justice Society of America's Damage, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Superpowered School Teachers: the X-Men's Emma Frost and Professor X, Batman's ally the Huntress, and Harry Potter's Dumbledore and the staff of Hogwarts.

Buy Books Featuring Richard Here!: Circus of the Damned, Narcissus in Chains , and The Killing Dance.

Great Quote: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven"

 

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore"

Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven