Book Review: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
By Chance
November 03, 2009 at 2:57AM EDT
Click, I pray thee.
I was a big fan of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the clever reworking of Jane Austen’s classic. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I chose it as our last FBOTU Book Club selection. When I heard another book was on its way from the same publisher called Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, I was skeptical. First, Grahame-Smith was not involved, and second, while zombies are very good metaphors for all kinds of things, sea monsters just sound silly.
I dove into Ben H. Winters’ tale of courtship and maritime mayhem with some reservation. I immediately began looking for the point. What do the sea monsters represent, exactly? The waters of the world have been transformed into dangerous and inhospitable death traps for mankind, thanks to the mysterious Alteration some years before. So, are the sea monsters some sort of ecological warning? Despite the horrors awaiting them in even the shallowest of puddles, mankind stubbornly pushes back and tries to control or subdue the wild waters. So, it this a commentary on the British empire and their knack for conquering and conscripting foreign lands and their peoples? Or is it just a man versus nature versus romantic comedy story?
I admit I spent at least a quarter of the book looking for the same kind of rich social commentary that came with the inclusion of zombies in Pride and Prejudice. Finally, I gave up and just enjoyed the ride. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. The juxtaposition of the romantic woes of the Dashwood sisters and the seaside woes of the rest of the world is surprisingly rich. Monsters attack, hearts are broken and honor is valued above all else, among maidens and pirates alike.
The text is not as faithful to the original as PPZ was, which will probably appeal to those who still find Jane Austen too arch, even with a dash of horror. New characters are included, as well as a new subplot or two. However, the basic story remains the same. The unfortunate Dashwood sisters and their mother are turned out of their home when the family’s patriarch dies. Property passes from father to son, not father to daughter, so the women must go, leaving behind a well-fortified estate, financial security and any hopes for suitable husbands. They find room and board with a distant relative on the appropriately named Pestilent Isle. With the deadly seas and its inhabitants surrounding them, they embark on an adventure that brings them love, loss and all manner of sea monster interference.
PPZ is definitely the more serious-minded of the two books, but SSS is wildly funny, bordering on farce, and Mr. Winters brings an impressive level of creativity and cleverness to the transformation of the source material. There are some clunky passages along the way, where the language doesn’t quite match Austen’s delicious prose, but these are few and are forgivable. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I can see Emma attempting to play matchmaker to some vampires. If nothing else, these re-imaginings are bringing new attention to Austen’s brilliant control of plot and emotion. Or at least offering a dire warning to move inland should sea monsters ever take over the ocean.
On the FBOTU Scale of Fabulousness, I give Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters 4 out of 5 seasick emoticons:
P.S. Upon reflection, there is a new subplot in the story involving Sir John Middleton’s capture and subjugation of his wife and her family that would support my earlier theory of the sea monster/British empire metaphor. However, I still think the whole thing is just a reason to have a giant octopus attack a Jane Austen heroine. Which is good, too.
Book Review: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
By Chance
November 03, 2009 at 2:57AM EDT
I was a big fan of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the clever reworking of Jane Austen’s classic. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I chose it as our last FBOTU Book Club selection. When I heard another book was on its way from the same publisher called Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, I was skeptical. First, Grahame-Smith was not involved, and second, while zombies are very good metaphors for all kinds of things, sea monsters just sound silly.
I dove into Ben H. Winters’ tale of courtship and maritime mayhem with some reservation. I immediately began looking for the point. What do the sea monsters represent, exactly? The waters of the world have been transformed into dangerous and inhospitable death traps for mankind, thanks to the mysterious Alteration some years before. So, are the sea monsters some sort of ecological warning? Despite the horrors awaiting them in even the shallowest of puddles, mankind stubbornly pushes back and tries to control or subdue the wild waters. So, it this a commentary on the British empire and their knack for conquering and conscripting foreign lands and their peoples? Or is it just a man versus nature versus romantic comedy story?
I admit I spent at least a quarter of the book looking for the same kind of rich social commentary that came with the inclusion of zombies in Pride and Prejudice. Finally, I gave up and just enjoyed the ride. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. The juxtaposition of the romantic woes of the Dashwood sisters and the seaside woes of the rest of the world is surprisingly rich. Monsters attack, hearts are broken and honor is valued above all else, among maidens and pirates alike.
The text is not as faithful to the original as PPZ was, which will probably appeal to those who still find Jane Austen too arch, even with a dash of horror. New characters are included, as well as a new subplot or two. However, the basic story remains the same. The unfortunate Dashwood sisters and their mother are turned out of their home when the family’s patriarch dies. Property passes from father to son, not father to daughter, so the women must go, leaving behind a well-fortified estate, financial security and any hopes for suitable husbands. They find room and board with a distant relative on the appropriately named Pestilent Isle. With the deadly seas and its inhabitants surrounding them, they embark on an adventure that brings them love, loss and all manner of sea monster interference.
PPZ is definitely the more serious-minded of the two books, but SSS is wildly funny, bordering on farce, and Mr. Winters brings an impressive level of creativity and cleverness to the transformation of the source material. There are some clunky passages along the way, where the language doesn’t quite match Austen’s delicious prose, but these are few and are forgivable. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I can see Emma attempting to play matchmaker to some vampires. If nothing else, these re-imaginings are bringing new attention to Austen’s brilliant control of plot and emotion. Or at least offering a dire warning to move inland should sea monsters ever take over the ocean.
On the FBOTU Scale of Fabulousness, I give Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters 4 out of 5 seasick emoticons:
P.S. Upon reflection, there is a new subplot in the story involving Sir John Middleton’s capture and subjugation of his wife and her family that would support my earlier theory of the sea monster/British empire metaphor. However, I still think the whole thing is just a reason to have a giant octopus attack a Jane Austen heroine. Which is good, too.
Comments
I’ve been meaning to pick this up since it came out, just haven’t had the chance or cash to do it.
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