It's a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a library card, must be in want of a book. As this particular single man perused the stacks of the downtown Boulder library one fine autumn afternoon, he found his eyes drawn drawn to the title "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". As he read the back cover, he mused that since he had never found time to read the original Austen novel, perhaps he ought to start with that instead.

As a hopeless romantic with Heathcliffian aspirations, I have watched at least two film versions and one miniseries adaptation of the story; the Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen film being a particular favorite. Who does not daydream of striding across a misty moor first thing in the morning with a dashing long coat and partially open shirt? And being rich enough to afford an estate like Pemberley. Well!

Anyhow. It's a funny thing to admit that this book has lingered on my to do list for nearly thirty years, but here we are. I doubt I would have enjoyed it even half as much as a teenager as I did as an adult. And seeing the adaptations did help bring the words more to life, as the book's humor could be subtler than modern works and much of the drama unfolds via letters in the book, opposed to direct interactions between people, as in the films. Also, Mrs. Bennet was far more tiresome in the book than in the adaptations, but I do appreciate Donald Sutherland's portrayal of Mr. Bennet even more. I also found a deeper appreciation for both Jane and Lydia this time, since I could slow down and reread earlier passages to better understand their stories and personalities.

All said in done, it was an enjoyable read. And I do not think anything was lost by seeing the movie adapatations first. Inn fact, I would almost recommend that approach just to have a better visualization of the scenery and time period.