Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages.
Emma Woodhouse--handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition--had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress her. Until the vampire attacks began.
I did enjoy reading Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But I didn't enjoy Wayne Josephson's Emma and the Vampires.
Do I love Emma? No. I've never loved Jane Austen's Emma. I'm not sure a love for the original would have solved all the book's problems. But. It might have helped.
Emma is still Emma. Clueless as she ever was. True this Emma has had to defend herself and her friend, Harriet, from a few attacking vampires. But the addition of vampires--practically every man of her acquaintance (with the exception of her father) is a vampire--failed--for the most part--to add charm or wit to the original. There were a few clever moments here and there. (I loved it when Frank Churchill (a vampire) squealed in fright when other vampires attacked.) But the constant reminders that these characters are vampires on every other page (so it seemed) failed to entertain this reader at least. The plot/plot details seemed a bit messy.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
4 comments:
I have this one on the shelf...now I'm not sure I want to read it. LOL
I just don't see what the draw is on these rewritten classics. I actually purchased SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS, but I only got a few dozen pages in before I got bored.
This one doesn't sound like it's for me, but I think I might try PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. People, including you, seem to have had a more positive reaction to that one.
You finished it - well done!:) L.
I appreciate your candor. Sometimes I feel as if YA reviewers are overly diplomatic and don't critique overly loose structure, weak characterization, etc. I had considered giving this one a go, but I feel as if you saved me some time, which I appreciate. Thank you!
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