Editorial Reviews. From Publishers Weekly. Two conflicting concepts and a poor sense of period manners and terminology prevent the latest Jane Austen.
Table of contents
- See a Problem?
- Emma and the Vampires
- Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson
- Book List: Jane Austen monster mashups (for better or worse)
From my recollection, there were maybe four or five party scenes. Each party scene ended with the participants emerging into the night and--oh, no, a vampire attack! And oh, look, they're attacking Harriet! Keep in mind, this is done at least three times. Why is Harriet so special? The only explanation we are given is that she is "plump. The vampires just like Harriet because she's chubby. In fact, there was no vampire threat to any of the other main characters but Harriet, and combined with the easy defeat of the rogue vampires in all the battle scenes, this makes for one boring vampire book.
Josephson felt the need to water down Austen's prose, cutting where he pleased and simplifying the phrases he felt modern young adult readers wouldn't understand this is very much meant to be a YA novel. I was rather appalled by the inclusion of the phrases "thunderous thighs" and "Mamma's boy". Some of the abridgments made sense but then would lead to confusion to a reader not familiar with the original--Mrs. Elton's tireless raving about Maple Grove is cut, but she mentions it twice later on, and nothing is done to explain about where that is or what it means to Mrs.
There isn't much of a context that a reader could place it in, either, given that the context was removed and not restored in this abridgement.
- emma and the vampires jane austen undead novels.
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- Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen and Wayne Josephson: A review | Jane Austen's World.
The thing was, I never truly felt that the vampires were necessary to the story. Emma itself was so watered down that it started feeling unnecessary towards the end. By the time we got to Box Hill, I was wondering why he'd even bothered putting the vampires in--they don't effect the pivotal events of the story; Josephson only seemed to throw them in after the characters left a party. He was basically just retelling Emma and adding action for no particular reason. I feel the book should have gone one way or the other--either Josephson should have produced an abridged version of Emma, sans vampires, or he should have written his own Regency-era vampire novel, where he would have had plenty of space to expound upon the mythology of his vampires that was not even hinted at here.
But of course, that leaves one without the safety net of a built-in network of readers. Overall, this is one of the more poorly done mashups I've read, and I feel as though Mr. Josephson would have better served Emma by doing a strict abridgment--he managed to keep the spirit of Emma throughout, and if only there hadn't been vampires, it would have been a perfectly serviceable abridgment about on par with the level of cuts you'd see in a typical movie version. From the ending and the cover touting this as a "Jane Austen Undead" novel, I can only assume more in this series are coming down the pike.
If someone in your family is into vampire fiction but not Austen and you would like to introduce her to Jane, I would give this one a weak recommendation, with the caveat emptor that if she can understand this version, she might as well give the original Emma a shot. Sep 07, Amy rated it it was ok Shelves: With the emergence of books like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it seemed only natural to take the title heroine from Emma and pair her up with the vampire gentlemen of Highbury. Naturally, he was a vampire with a pallid complexion and a taste for human blood.
Because Emma Woodhouse is such a terrible matchmaker, Emma and the Vampires has such promise for hilarity. Just imagine poor Emma hooking up her unsuspecting female friends with vampires. Instead of enhancing the beloved novel, Emma and the Vampires spliced up a great plot to make it just average. Aug 28, Salma rated it liked it.
For anyone who followed my Pride and Prejudice and Zombies review, I said I'd pick this one up in the hopes that it would be less graphic. How can it not be when darling Emma Woodhouse and her plump sweet friend Harriet Smith are vampire killers that drive wooden stakes wrapped around their thighs by silk ribbons into fanged beasts in between teatime and girlish gossip?
Edward and Jacob- meet your match es in Mr. Elton, and For anyone who followed my Pride and Prejudice and Zombies review, I said I'd pick this one up in the hopes that it would be less graphic. Churchill- very suave, pale, ebony-eyed vampires indeed. The classism references are not undead in this version bad pun, sorry. Because the 'bad vampires' are the 'wild' ones, whereas no one would ever dream of even suspecting that the gentlemen above would like nothing better than to bite into the pale lovely necks of their English lady friends.
See a Problem?
So, why the three stars? Because there's no three and a half.
I guess it's the ADDd second-grader in me, but if a book loses my interest by a certain point, it loses stars. Emma and the Vampires started off with a bang, but halfway through the book, the prose and dialogue dragged for a good hundred pages before it picked up again. View all 8 comments. Aug 14, Melissa added it. This was my first vamp book besides Dracula , and I was pleasantly surprised.
It had me laughing at a lot of sections where Emma says and does the oddest things. She has this unique ability to stay completely clueless yet manages to get things done. I got two positive thoughts while reading this book. The first being, that while late to the party, I may want to give vamp books a second look. The second is a need to read the original Emma.
I'm not a big fan of reading classics so that's a p Pros: I'm not a big fan of reading classics so that's a plus. While the clueless-ness of Emma was funny to read, it also bothered me a bit. Along with the rest of the town, it appears people know their friends don't like sunlight or even eat, yet don't even question it. Emma's own father knows there is something odd about his older daughter's husband, but really doesn't see the need to examine it further. He is just happy he doesn't have to worry about people eating his food.
Once I finished reading the book I did feel some sense of enjoyment and satisfaction. However I had a bigger pull to read the original book. While this is certainly a great connection, I feel as if this book should be able to stand on its own. Apr 21, BookMarc rated it did not like it. I've never read the original 'Emma' but I should hope it's not as weak as this offering. I trudged through this book for almost a month and should have given up on it long before then.
Unfortunately, I'm a tad too stubborn and was "rewarded" with nonsensical vegan vampires, with no explanation on how they came to be, and a story with more holes than a donut convention. I didn't like the book cover either. Why the frick does the vampire have a smirk on his face? Having just had his head cut off s I've never read the original 'Emma' but I should hope it's not as weak as this offering. Having just had his head cut off shouldn't he have had a look of anguish or horror?
And as the head is the heaviest part of the body how is Emma holding it when her hand appears to be relaxed and she's barely grabbing the hair? The synopsis describes 'Emma and the Vampires' as being "hilarious" and yet I never even broke into a smile. At times it read like the plot to a cheesy slasher horror movie, where the college students always end up going out in the dark alone even though they know there's a killer about, as there were many instances where the characters would leave a gathering at night only to be confronted with the evil vampires attacking them.
Why did they not just hold their get together during the day and save themselves the trouble? Besides, the evil vampires sucked yeah, pun intended anyway and always got their butts kicked so what use is the evil in the book when it never prevails over good in any way? There's no suspense involved when, for the upteenth time, the nocturnal vampires get beaten yet again and so they're more of a hindrance than any real threat in this novel. Heck, they need not have been in this novel at all for all the use they were.
Albeit a tad bit late I should mention that all men are vampires in this novel, good and evil, and Emma is trying to match up her friends with the good ones because that's obviously funny, right? About as funny as being staked in the groin over and over. I'm not wasting anymore words on this drivel and would have entered it into my 'Hall of Shame' except I felt sorry for Austen having her name associated with this heinous book Jul 17, Jennifer rated it liked it Shelves: Being that I've enjoyed every recreation of Emma that I've ever read or seen including the movie Clueless , I had high hopes for Emma and the Vampires.
Unfortunately, this retelling didn't come close to my expectations. The thing about Emma is she believes herself to be a bit more observant than she actually is. That transfers into this version perfectly. The problem is that while Emma may completely miss obvious things, the other townswomen aren't as blind to the things going on around them. In Emma and the Vampires, almost all of the gentlemen are vampires, yet not one of the women has the slightest inclination. Everyone is aware that vampires are real.
They know the tell-tale traits a vampire possess, yet when seeing that the men don't go out in sunlight, don't eat solid food, are pale with either black and can have red eyes, the women don't even wonder about the men who these things describe perfectly. The women even go so far as to mention the gentlemen's fangs and still they haven't a clue.
Emma and the Vampires
It went well beyond the fun Austen was poking. It seemed as though the point of the story was that all women were stupid, unobservant twits. Emma and the Vampires had some good points that shouldn't be overlooked. First off, it's Emma, so that automatically brings something good to the table. There is a unofficial brigade of vampire fighters that forms in response to the rogue vampires lurking about which leads to some interesting fight scenes. And of course, by reading this book, people may be more willing to give the original version of Emma a try and and anything that gets readers excited about the classics is definitely worthwhile.
Emma and the Vampires made Jane Austen's Emma different, but not exactly better. A truly great mash-up should enhance the original book, infusing it with an extra angle that might even give the original a deeper meaning or message. Emma and the Vampires isn't anything more than Emma with, well, some vampires. Aug 08, Blodeuedd Finland rated it really liked it Shelves: I know that some do not like these mashups, but I think they are so funny.
The things I love the most are the things I like to see changed or made fun of. This totally works for me.
And you all know I love things Austen by now. Most of you surely know Emma, the pretty spoiled lady who suddenly realizes that she is a great matchmaker, and of course she isn't and that leads to a string of fun misunderstandings.
And this book follows that plot, it follows Emma as it should, with a few exceptions T I know that some do not like these mashups, but I think they are so funny. There are vampires around and in Highbury there are a few gentlemen vampires. The rest seems to be blissfully aware even though these men have black eyes, red eyes, never eat or sleeps and are really pale. But there are also wild vampires around, and Emma who carries a stake is not a bad vampire-killer when attacked.
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Mr Knightley is also very handy with a sabre, cos yes he and the rest chops a few heads when attacked. A real gentlemen does not attack a lady without being asked. Vampires works so well here because he keeps it witty and a comedy of manners. The book is hilarious and sure Emma may not be the best heroine but she does have a good heart and means well. Harriett is a vampiremagnet with her bosom and neck, Mr Knightley as knightley as ever, Emma's dad just as he always is, and Frank Churchill, a coward, for a vampire.
For readers who wants to read something nice, I would recommend this. For readers who love mash ups, don't forget this one, and for those that haven't try one, just plunge in, and don't be horrified that Austen's works are being turned into something else. I am pretty sure she would have gotten a few laughs from it too. The only thing I didn't like was the end, it left me a bit, what, and then?
Jul 29, Ashley rated it did not like it. Open Jane Austen's book, insert lots of plot holes and major inconsistencies, make all the characters really stupid as in mentally challenged , add your name to the cover, and make money off of it. I give you, "Emma and the Vampires. Dec 12, Lolly rated it liked it. A quick fun read. I liked Emma much more in this book than the real book, but how can you not like an evil-vampire slayer?
Jun 08, Lolly's Library rated it did not like it Shelves: When I first saw this title, I wondered why it hadn't been published by Quirk Books. After all, wasn't Quirk responsible for the cultural zeitgeist that is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? As such, wouldn't they be eager to snap up another Austen property ripe for mashing? Upon completing Emma and the Vampires , I applaud Quirk's decision and understand why they didn't publish this particular work.
It's ill-conceived, with gaping holes in logic, and amateurish in execution, slapped t Poorly done. It's ill-conceived, with gaping holes in logic, and amateurish in execution, slapped together merely to jump on the literary mash-up bandwagon. First off, I had imagined the vampire threat encountered in the book would be along the lines of hoards of wandering vampires rampaging throughout the country and feeding upon the helpless populace, much as it was in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Instead, while Josephson does have the occasional wild vampire threatening local fair maids, he's also made the local gentry vampires as well. Now, how is it possible that these vampires, living in such close quarters, working and socializing with their neighbors--people who, one would think, would notice that these fine ladies and gentlemen A don't like to stand near blazing fireplaces, else they might burst into flame, B have ice-blue eyes if they're vegan and feed on only animal blood or jet black or blood-colored eyes when they feed on humans , C have pale, bloodless, ice-cold skin that electrifies one to touch, especially if the vampire is male and the one he touches is a particularly appealing female, said touch often inducing an overwhelming sense of passion and desire in the lady, D don't sleep at night and in fact are truly only active at night, avoiding bright sunshine and keeping their thick, dark curtains closed at all times, and E have fangs, especially noticeable in the gentlemen whenever they get near a particularly plump and appealing female's bosom--go unnoticed as vampires?
Especially as concerns Emma, who is supposed to be particularly quick-witted and intelligent? I would think, if she's supposed to be that intelligent, she would be able to put two and two together. At the very least, someone, at some point in time, would've counted up all the behavioral inconsistencies of his neighbors and think, 'Hmm, something doesn't seem right here Secondly, as with traditional vampire lore, they don't age.
Then how is it possible for Mr. Knightley, among other vampire couples, to have vampire children, scampering around the woods, catching local wildlife, showing off their little fangs to their aunties and uncles, if vampires never grow old? What, it's okay for them to be young, but then they stop aging at what age? If that's the case, why are some of the men even older than that? If so, by whom? There's not a drop of logic in that scenario and no explanation as to how the whole situation would work. Thirdly, the author had a compulsion to continually make notice of Harriet's plumpness.
Okay, we get it, she's not slender. Do you really need to describe her thighs as "thunderous"? Or, as a snide aside, write out how Emma gave her "plump" friend her own stake and a ribbon--a very long satin ribbon--in order to tie the stake to her massive thighs? It was okay once upon a time for women to be plump. It was even desired and certainly not the social stigma it is today. So quite cracking fat jokes at Harriet's expense and move on, you immature git! The ending was left unfinished. Destiny has other plans. Darcy meets Elizabeth and finds himself yearning for her as a man and driven to possess her as a vampire.
Uncontrollably drawn to each other, their complex relationship forces them to confront their pride and prejudice like never before and to wrestle with the seductive power of forbidden love. Meanwhile, dark forces are at work all around them. Most ominous is the threat from George Wickham, the purveyor of the curse, a demon who vows to destroy each generation of Darcys and currently has evil intentions for the vulnerable Georgiana. Mr Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.
Elizabeth Darcy is the happiest woman alive when she steps into the carriage that is to take her on her wedding tour until she sees the look of torment on Mr Darcys face and discovers that he has a deep, dark secret that nearly destroys their love, their marriage and even her very life. Darcy and the rest of his family are vampires that cannot be outside during sunrise or sunset. Lady Catherine is at the source, having turned Georgiana into an undying friend for her vampiric daughter, Anne, and then Darcy as the perfect mate for Anne. Now Lizzy and Darcy must travel across the Continent to the Pyrenees to find a way to break the curse.
But Lady Catherine wont give up her undead without a fight The Y in Vampyre is a tribute to the first vampyre story in print in the English language called simply The Vampyre. Emma and the Vampires by Josephson Wayne. Blithely unaware of their presence, Emma, who imagines she has a special gift for matchmaking, attempts to arrange the affairs her social circle with delightfully disastrous results. But when her dear friend Harriet Smith declares her love for Mr.
Knightley, Emma realizes shes the one who wants to stay up all night with him. Knightley has been hiding a secret deep within his unbeating heart-his literally undying love for her. Dragons in the skies of Regency England! Leaving her country home for the first time, to embark on a grand adventure that begins in fashionable Bath, our romantic heroine must not only decrypt the mystery of'the Udolpho Codebut win her true love'Henry Tilney.
What if Austen had believed in reincarnation and vampires? Join four bestselling romance authors as they channel the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen. Almost Persuaded'In this Regency tale of Robert and Jane,'New York Times'bestselling author Mary Balogh brings together former lovers who have seen beyond the veil of forgetfulness to their past mistakes, and are determined to be together in this life, and forever. Northanger Castle'Carolines obsession with Gothic novels winds up being good training for a lifetime of destroying the undead with her newfound beau, in this Regency by Colleen Gleason.
Darcy in his hunt for a vampire cure in'New York Timesbestselling author Susan Krinards version of the classic story. Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves'but now its because shes the owner of Flyleaf Books in a sleepy college town in Upstate New York.
Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson
Every day she watches her novels fly off the shelves'along with dozens of unauthorized sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Jane may be undead, but her books have taken on a life of their own. To make matters worse, the manuscript she finished just before being turned into a vampire has been rejected by publishers' times. Jane longs to let the world know who she is, but when a sudden twist of fate thrusts her back into the spotlight, she must hide her real identity'and fend off a dark man from her past while juggling two modern suitors.
Will the inimitable Jane Austen be able to keep her cool in this comedy of manners, or will she show everyone what a woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper set of fangs can do? Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany. Damned, Fanged, and Dangerous to know. Aspiring writer Jane Austen knows that respectable young ladies like herself are supposed to shun the Damned'the beautiful, fashionable, exquisitely seductive vampires who are all the rage in Georgian England in So when an innocent she believes flirtation results in her being turned'by an absolute cad of a bloodsucker'she acquiesces to her family's wishes and departs for Bath to take the waters, the only known cure.
They are able to emerge on overcast or rainy days to go about human-like business, but they do not sleep or eat. Then there are the horrible vampires, who bare their fangs, wear rags, and thrash and drool. These are the vampires that must be dealt with by both the citizens of Highbury and the aristocratic vampires, who are not of their class. Woodhouse as they exit the door. Westos screams and Mr. Weston, who expertly caught it…Emma deftly retrieved her wooden stake from beneath her bombazines, having practiced the the exercise repeatedly at home.
These vampire wars and the dangers in the countryside feed Mr. He is also clueless:. Yes, but the children never sleep—nor does John. They are up all the night long, running everywhere while John paces. It worries me exceedingly, with so many wild vampires about. As with all vampire books, there are gaping gaps in logic. As my mom would say, the reader will simply have to go with the flow. This Emma is Jane Austen light.
Book List: Jane Austen monster mashups (for better or worse)
I had read somewhere that Mr. Josephson had written this novel for his young teenage daughter. If that is the case, then its sweet tone, its epic tale of benevolent vampires fighting evil ones, and its accessible introduction of the Emma character are appropriate. I enjoyed this novel for what it was. This book certainly has a different take on vampires. While it would not appeal to die-hard fans of True Blood and Ann Rice novels, it does have a charm of its own. Too much for me to still think about and digest with the real novels.
A few of the girls expressed an interest in reading Emma. On a related note, my dept. Heathcliff is a vampire. I can totally see it. So when do you think this mashup craze will have run its course? Dana, I am conducting a poll on Jane Austen Today about this mashup craze to see if it is close to over. Tony, thank you for your kind words.
Unfortunately, I wish my self-editing were better. I catch many spelling and grammar mistakes after publishing posts, and am always busy correcting my own work.