I ran across this advertisement in a 1910 issue of McCall's magazine when doing some research for a possible future book set in the early twentieth century:
So even one hundred years ago (this ad was in the August 1910 issue) it was thought necessary to post ads in national magazines asking for courtesy when using the telephone. The more some things change...
And speaking of catch-up...or ketchup...or stage blood...Regina and I both got a giggle from this:
The combination of two completely different literary forms--in this case 19th century comedy of manners with modern dark fiction--is being called "mash-up". Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is probably the best known example of this, though there are plenty of others. In fact, I had the pleasure to meet Sherri Browning Erwin, author of Jane Slayre (yes, Jane Eyre meets the undead), this past week at RWA. Have you read any of these 19th century mash-ups? If so, what did you think?
I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. After the initial quirkiness wore off, I found myself getting impatient. Just get on with the story already and stop all these silly zombie attacks!
ReplyDeleteThe funniest thing about the book for me was the reader's guide at the back. You'll have to take a peek to see what I mean.
Welcome home!
ReplyDeleteI lurved the video, very funny if you've seen the original fight club movie because then the subtle things make sense.
As for the mash up alternatives... nope I haven't read them. I'm a purist for Jane Austen and the like and bummed out about how they are turning the classics into the next cash cow. Sigh...
I agree with ChaChaneen! I can't bring myself to read any of the mash-up books! Just recently I noticed there is a Little Women with Vampires and Werewolves.
ReplyDelete(sigh) If I wanted a penny dreadful, I'd go read one.
It's definitely a toss-up. On one hand, you have people reading these books that would normally never pick up the classics or books in general, but on the other hand, you want them to read the classics for themselves not filled with vampires, zombies, or steampunk references.
That's kind of how I feel, Rachel--if they lead to people reading the originals, yay!
ReplyDeleteI think part of why P&P&Z didn't work for me was that it's already a satirical commentary on life in JA's day. Parodying a satire somehow seems to miss the point of the original. However, my college-aged son is enjoying Jane Slayre.
When they're cleverly done, I love a good literary mashup. It helps if I know both the original and the specific B movie tropes being mashed with it. (Not to be very 21st century, but I love music mash-ups that tweak songs I know, too.)
ReplyDeleteLoved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Less so Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters... because that's an Austen I haven't read. (I know, shame on me!) Then again, I may have disliked the mash-up because it was done poorly.