Jane Austen 101: If you have never read “Sense and Sensibility” or have forgotten its plot since you were forced to read the
classic in class – Austen’s story follows two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who must leave the family estate for a relative’s unoccupied cottage because of their father’s death and a greedy half-brother. As the old story goes, gentlemen, including Willoughby, come a-calling and the ladies play it cool. Back then, there were no lobsters and tentacled friends invited to the party.
A book was released in April combining Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice” with, of all things, zombies.
The book did very well and so a sequel of sorts was released. This new book combines another Jane Austen classic, “Sense and Sensibility,” with a story of sea monsters reminiscent to that of author H.P. Lovecraft.
The idea succeeds in making Austen’s classic tale of romance in Regency-era England both more gruesome and hilarious.
The plot is the same as the original, albeit with some variations. The book now takes place in an alternate England where all fish and sea creatures hate humanity with a
murderous passion due to something called “The Alteration.” This includes the sea giving birth to giant aquatic monsters with extraordinary powers such as breathing fireballs and the ability to move as fast as people on land.
London is replaced by the underwater city Submarine Station Beta, built to combat the murderous fish.
In addition, Willoughby is now a seafaring treasure hunter, Lady Middleton and Mrs. Jennings are now kidnapped island natives and as seen on the book’s cover – Colonel Brandon now has a beard made of tentacles reminiscent of Davy Jones in the recent “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.
As you read, the classical English is suddenly broken up with phrases like, “I hope that you did not invoke the wrath of the fang beast.”
Events are also included to accommodate the theme. Willoughby rescues Marianne from a giant octopus, whereas in the original she tripped and broke her ankle, and a woman is consumed by a giant jellyfish during a dinner party. The alterations to the original text also include numerous fish analogies such as “They are like two barracudas thrown in a tank together.”
The changes even stray from the sea monster theme at times in order to simply make the book funnier – for example, giving Willoughby a pet orangutan and creating a sub-plot revolving around a cult on the island (again a reference to Lovecraft).
With that said, the discrepancy between Austen’s original and the alterations by Ben Winters are rather stark, although this is where much of the humor and over-the-top violence comes from. Someone having never read Jane Austen could easily pick out what parts of the book are true to the original and what parts are of this variation.
“Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters” is very divisive in the audiences it wants to attract, but on the other hand knows exactly where its audience is going to come from. A lover of Jane Austen or classic English literature will not enjoy this book and will feel the descriptions of two-headed sea monsters and disembowelments are a travesty affected on fine prose.
On the other hand, someone who enjoyed the monsters in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and does not feel bad about laughing at a book will not enjoy this if they have no experience with classical English.
The book’s intended audience is anyone who has enough experience with classical literature or Jane Austen to appreciate the setting and original story, but also feels such a setting is ripe for comedic potential when mixed with the grotesque.
Those who have read “Sense and Sensibility” will either love or hate this book and can probably decide for themselves if they are just by whether or not the title of the book repulses them.
For those who either can’t stomach the blood, gore and humor, or can’t stomach the language of early-nineteenth century England, this book will be a chore to read.
For anyone else, this is a humorous read without the literary merit of the original – it is instead a lighthearted farce and in such case should add one to the score.
Four out of five stars
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS
PUBLISHER: Quirk Books
RELEASED: Sept. 15, 2009
$12.95 (paperback), 344 pages available at Barnes and Noble