Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Quirk Books (2009), Edition: Original, Paperback, 344 pages
Description
"As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels?"--P. [4] of cover.
Media reviews
There’s no denying the page-turning satisfaction of this welcome sequel, which exceeds Pride And Prejudice And Zombies in cleverness and wit while continuing to pay proper homage to the deep emotions underlying the original text.
It’s hard to say, in the end, if this is an homage, an exploitation, a deconstruction, or just a 300-page parlor trick. Although the sea-monster subplots, considered independently, rarely rise above pulp clichés, the book’s best moments do achieve a kind of bizarro symbiosis. The monsters make
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Austen’s abstract threats ridiculously concrete, and Austen, in turn, dignifies the monsters: They serve as gargoyles emphasizing the immaculate balance of her original story’s structure. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member justabookreader
I was so very excited when this book went on sale on Tuesday. I ran to the store, got my copy, and started reading as soon as I got home. Sense & Sensibility is one of my favorite books and I wondered if the addition of sea monsters would alter my view.
I'm happy to report it didn't. I'm not rating
The story is much the same. Mr. Dashwood dies; Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret move to the Devonshire coast; Marianne falls for Willoughby; Willoughby leaves Marianne; Elinor and Marianne go to London; a meeting with Willoughby goes bad; Marianne is heartbroken; Elinor suffers heartbreak silently; Marianne get sick and recovers; Elinor reunites with her love; Marianne finds love and a life she never imagined for herself. Oh, yes, don't forget the letter writing --- there's a lot of it.
Sea monsters, yep, there's a lot of them too in the new version. Mr. Dashwood is eaten by a shark; Mrs. Dashwood kills a sea monster on the way to the Devonshire coast; Willoughby, the treasure hunter, saves Marianne from a huge octopus; Elinor escapes the fang beast; Elinor and Marianne visit Sub-Marine Station Beta (AKA London); Sub-Marine Station Beta is attacked by sea monsters; Colonel Brandon is part sea monster thanks to a curse by a sea witch (descriptions are amusing and somewhat disgusting); a lot of talk about underwater gear and, of course, fish stories. Also, there is an interesting explanation for the sea monsters --- the Alteration which no one knows the cause of.
After reading it, I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. I also think this can be a love it or hate it book. If you're not willing for liberties to be taken with the original text then you might want to skip it. Me, I like parodies and found the characters and situations with the addition of sea monsters to be entertaining. Enjoy it for what it is.
I'm happy to report it didn't. I'm not rating
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this book as high as the original but that's just because I don't really think of this as the same book and I will admit to being extremely partial to the original. It's fresh and fun but the original it's not, which is a good thing in this case.The story is much the same. Mr. Dashwood dies; Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret move to the Devonshire coast; Marianne falls for Willoughby; Willoughby leaves Marianne; Elinor and Marianne go to London; a meeting with Willoughby goes bad; Marianne is heartbroken; Elinor suffers heartbreak silently; Marianne get sick and recovers; Elinor reunites with her love; Marianne finds love and a life she never imagined for herself. Oh, yes, don't forget the letter writing --- there's a lot of it.
Sea monsters, yep, there's a lot of them too in the new version. Mr. Dashwood is eaten by a shark; Mrs. Dashwood kills a sea monster on the way to the Devonshire coast; Willoughby, the treasure hunter, saves Marianne from a huge octopus; Elinor escapes the fang beast; Elinor and Marianne visit Sub-Marine Station Beta (AKA London); Sub-Marine Station Beta is attacked by sea monsters; Colonel Brandon is part sea monster thanks to a curse by a sea witch (descriptions are amusing and somewhat disgusting); a lot of talk about underwater gear and, of course, fish stories. Also, there is an interesting explanation for the sea monsters --- the Alteration which no one knows the cause of.
After reading it, I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. I also think this can be a love it or hate it book. If you're not willing for liberties to be taken with the original text then you might want to skip it. Me, I like parodies and found the characters and situations with the addition of sea monsters to be entertaining. Enjoy it for what it is.
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LibraryThing member Murphy-Jacobs
Do Not Waste Your Time. While at first I thought this could be an interesting and amusing mash-up of Steampunk tropes and Austen's cynical yet understanding story, it was just an excuse to be...stupid.
Ben Winters did an amazing thing when he wrote this particular mash-up. He managed to turn Elinor
Extremely disappointing to anyone who either likes sea monster stories or who has the least little liking for the Austen original. Mr. Winters should be forbidden access to bookstores, computer keyboards, pencils, and chocolate for life.
Ben Winters did an amazing thing when he wrote this particular mash-up. He managed to turn Elinor
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Dashwood, one of the more admirable of Austen's characters, into a spineless, obtuse, and brain-dead spinster in a bonnet. Elinor's turn for accepting the realities of life, her ability to acutely assess the characters of those around her, and her awareness of herself and others was surgically removed so that assorted gruesome deaths, characters who are introduced so they can be killed off, and nifty tech seen only so we can watch it blow up can be introduced. By the time I was a third into the book, I'd determined Winters not only hated Austen with a deep passion and undertook this project because he needed beer and condom money, but he might not be very keen on the female of the species. The venom practically makes the pages sticky.Extremely disappointing to anyone who either likes sea monster stories or who has the least little liking for the Austen original. Mr. Winters should be forbidden access to bookstores, computer keyboards, pencils, and chocolate for life.
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LibraryThing member Nextian
"Sense and Sensiblity and Sea Monsters" has fixed all the problems that "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" had. It has smooth transitions between authors and Winters actually seems to respect the original material where as "Zombies" often stepped over the line between parody and ridicule. Winters
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gives the story a very Vernesque feel which helps to keep the narrative in approximately the proper time period and mindset. Overall, I think this was a very well done parody which any light-hearted Janite will enjoy. Show Less
LibraryThing member MillieHennessy
I absolutely loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but I didn't feel the same way about Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I feel like SSS strayed too far from the original story line and that the characters didn't stay true to the originals. The world created in this book should honestly be
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it's own story, with original characters instead of Austen's. There were a lot of scenes with crazy things going on where people flat out ignored the danger around them and it made the scenes feel half finished. Still worth reading if you're a big Austen fan, but I'd recommend PPZ instead. Show Less
LibraryThing member Allizabeth
Great twist on Sense and Sensibility; the humor and horror were greatly appreciated. There were some very slow parts that I almost couldn't make myself read, but most of the novel kept my attention. Good book to get a laugh from, but not for fans of the classics who enjoy a more serious tone. Would
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recommend to friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member meggyweg
I think this book is an improvement on the previous one in the series, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The zombies in the first book were really just window dressing. On the other hand, the sea monsters in this book were actually a major part of the plot and really livened up the story. (I cannot
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help but find Jane Austen's stories to be dull, dull, dull.) I look forward to see what classics they warp next! Show Less
LibraryThing member scentednights2002
What happens when you combine a Regency romance with a science fiction book? The outcome surely must be similar to Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I had a fantastic time reading this book. It has all the romance you would expect in a Regency story but is coupled with giant lobsters, pirates
This is the story of the Dashwood sisters who are sent to live in a mysterious island. The island is plagued by all variety of sea monsters and strange creatures. During the course of the story, both sisters fall in love in true Regency style and are menaced by all sorts of sea monsters and of course that leads to being rescued by handsome men.
This book is truly hilarious and is a fantastic combination of a classic novel and a comedy. Not only did I enjoy it, as soon as my sixteen year old daughter saw it she pronounced that several of her friends had read it and enjoyed it and the book was hers when I was done with it!
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and hideous monsters.This is the story of the Dashwood sisters who are sent to live in a mysterious island. The island is plagued by all variety of sea monsters and strange creatures. During the course of the story, both sisters fall in love in true Regency style and are menaced by all sorts of sea monsters and of course that leads to being rescued by handsome men.
This book is truly hilarious and is a fantastic combination of a classic novel and a comedy. Not only did I enjoy it, as soon as my sixteen year old daughter saw it she pronounced that several of her friends had read it and enjoyed it and the book was hers when I was done with it!
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LibraryThing member maribs
I started this book a little apprehensively. First of all, Sense and Sensibility is my least favorite book by Jane Austen and secondly, I was thinking the fad of these mash ups had been run its course with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. However, I was actually pleasantly surprised with how
So, I guess I should explain a little. The story does, pretty much, follow the original storyline but with some added mysteries and interesting sea creatures. I love poor Colonel Brandon and his tentacled face. (Just look at that cover!) Poor guy doesn't catch a break in this book. Also, Margaret has more of a part in this one but still in the background up until the end.
The twist with Lucy Steele was also quite interesting and fun. It took me surprise on page 130 to find that Lucy has a tramp stamp! I am sure you are wondering how that gets found out, huh? An interesting twist that works in the end.
This was really a fun book. Glad I gave it a chance.
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interested I got into the mystery of the 5 pointed star that Elinore keeps seeing and Margaret's findings on their small island.So, I guess I should explain a little. The story does, pretty much, follow the original storyline but with some added mysteries and interesting sea creatures. I love poor Colonel Brandon and his tentacled face. (Just look at that cover!) Poor guy doesn't catch a break in this book. Also, Margaret has more of a part in this one but still in the background up until the end.
The twist with Lucy Steele was also quite interesting and fun. It took me surprise on page 130 to find that Lucy has a tramp stamp! I am sure you are wondering how that gets found out, huh? An interesting twist that works in the end.
This was really a fun book. Glad I gave it a chance.
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LibraryThing member SmithSJ01
Hmmm, how do I put how I feel about this book. I know - dreadful. It was truly tedious to read and took sheer determination to turn each page. I have read 'Sense and Sensibility' and I thought this was going to be a fun take on a 'classic' book. It wasn't. I didn't expect to see the whole book
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used, instead I thought it would be used to extend the story into a new genre. Sadly it just went on and on and by the time I had reached the end I'd even lost my sense of humour for the reading guide questions. I really did expect this to be a book for me and was very excited when this came up on Amazon Vine. I can't recommend it to anyone, it's just not good. I do have to say that Ben H Winters has blended the two different genres together well but that is about the only thing going for it. Show Less
LibraryThing member keely_chace
Very funny in places, especially wherever tentacle-faced Colonel Brandon makes an appearance. But, in my opinion, this is not as good as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
LibraryThing member Radella
If you are a Jane Austen fan, and a fan of cheesy sci-fi, this book was essentially written for you. The book stays fairly true to the overall plot of Sense and Sensibility, following the displaced Dashwood sisters on the ultimate quest for marriage. Only with killer sea creatures.
LibraryThing member Shuffy2
As a huge Jane Austen fan, I read this merely to appease my curiosity. My complaint about P&P&Z was the fact it was 75% Jane and 25% zombies and the story seemed disjointed as times, S&S&S is 75% sea monsters ans 25% Jane. There were several times that I had to remind myself that it was S&S, the
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names would jolt be me back to it. Colonel Brandon as a sea monster, Edward Ferras wanting a be a lighthouse keeper, Elinor, Marianne, etc- but then there are giant lobsters that attack, a city on the bottom of the ocean floor under a glass dome, sea witches, islands that are not islands, etc. I like sci-fi but not (as T7piper said) cheesy sci-fi, which it what this is. I am glad I read it so I can add it to my 'Jane Austen' and 'Austenesque' knowledge and collection but I can't whole heartedly recommend it unless it is to an Austen Freak like me. Show Less
LibraryThing member sagustocox
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben Winters is another mash-up of classic fiction and fantasy. The basic story is the same as the Marianne and Elinor deal with abject poverty, searching for love and affection, and relatives who are less than pleasant, while at the same
"Colonel Brandon, the friend of Sir John, suffered from a cruel affliction, the likes of which the Dashwood sisters had heard of, but never seen firsthand. He bore a set of long, squishy tentacles protruding grotesquely from his face, writhing this way and that, like hideous living facial hair of slime green." (Page 37)
Readers will either enjoy reading a mash-up of Jane Austen's work with its fantastical and historically inaccurate elements (i.e. the existence of wet suits, submarines, and underwater domes where people live and work) or they will throw the book aside as ridiculous. The trouble with these genre benders is that they often polarize readers in one camp or another. Unlike Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which merely inserts new sentences to achieve the goal of making the Bennets zombie slayers, Winters creates a story nearly all his own, but using Austen's Dashwood sisters.
"'It is impossible that she did not know,' Sir John answered, 'For a sister to a sea witch is certain to be a sea witch herself.' . . . 'As I said, the witches take the physical form of human women,' explained Sir John. 'There is nothing they can do about their personalities.'" (Page 320)
By remaking Austen's world and threatening the characters in it with deranged sea monsters, Winters takes a number of liberties with the text, although he does maintain Austen's style for the most part. However, unlike Grahame-Smith's mash-up where readers discover how the Bennets became skillful zombie slayers, the mysterious Sub-Station Beta and its "experiments" are not revealed or even hinted at for most of the book. This flaw can make it difficult for readers to continue reading this adventure because so much is unknown and the readers are scrambling in the dark as characters run from monsters, play games, chat while being attacked by monsters, bring up mysterious smoking mountains and five-pointed stars, and generally seem to shrug off the danger.
Overall, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters resembles the dangers of other sea-faring novels -- even 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- and mixes it with ramped up social commentary a la Jane Austen. The latter half of the novel is the most action packed and is almost hurried along. But by the end, readers get swept up in adventure, myth, and outrageous challenges and have nothing to do but enjoy the ride.
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time navigating their sisterly relationship. The twist is that sea monsters have taken control of the water and attack humans daring to cross the sea or live below it in Sub-Station Beta."Colonel Brandon, the friend of Sir John, suffered from a cruel affliction, the likes of which the Dashwood sisters had heard of, but never seen firsthand. He bore a set of long, squishy tentacles protruding grotesquely from his face, writhing this way and that, like hideous living facial hair of slime green." (Page 37)
Readers will either enjoy reading a mash-up of Jane Austen's work with its fantastical and historically inaccurate elements (i.e. the existence of wet suits, submarines, and underwater domes where people live and work) or they will throw the book aside as ridiculous. The trouble with these genre benders is that they often polarize readers in one camp or another. Unlike Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which merely inserts new sentences to achieve the goal of making the Bennets zombie slayers, Winters creates a story nearly all his own, but using Austen's Dashwood sisters.
"'It is impossible that she did not know,' Sir John answered, 'For a sister to a sea witch is certain to be a sea witch herself.' . . . 'As I said, the witches take the physical form of human women,' explained Sir John. 'There is nothing they can do about their personalities.'" (Page 320)
By remaking Austen's world and threatening the characters in it with deranged sea monsters, Winters takes a number of liberties with the text, although he does maintain Austen's style for the most part. However, unlike Grahame-Smith's mash-up where readers discover how the Bennets became skillful zombie slayers, the mysterious Sub-Station Beta and its "experiments" are not revealed or even hinted at for most of the book. This flaw can make it difficult for readers to continue reading this adventure because so much is unknown and the readers are scrambling in the dark as characters run from monsters, play games, chat while being attacked by monsters, bring up mysterious smoking mountains and five-pointed stars, and generally seem to shrug off the danger.
Overall, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters resembles the dangers of other sea-faring novels -- even 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- and mixes it with ramped up social commentary a la Jane Austen. The latter half of the novel is the most action packed and is almost hurried along. But by the end, readers get swept up in adventure, myth, and outrageous challenges and have nothing to do but enjoy the ride.
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LibraryThing member Cajunbooklady
*heh* What can I really say about this one, right? I know you've all seen this one and other mash-ups around...I personally think they're entertaining and fun! I like the new twists to the old stories. I know some people don't like to see the classics changed, but if your just into it for
I thought this particular mash-up was good...I think Ben did an excellent job of intertwining his creativity with Jane Austen's. These are all about the entertainment for me so I give it a thumb's up!
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entertainment value, then I say check it out!I thought this particular mash-up was good...I think Ben did an excellent job of intertwining his creativity with Jane Austen's. These are all about the entertainment for me so I give it a thumb's up!
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LibraryThing member lesleykj84
A funny retelling of the Austen classic, you won't want to miss it. If you've read the original, this is worth the read. And if you haven't, go read it and then read this one right after! It's one of those books you want to reread right after because of how entertaining it was. I laughed a couple
After the Dashwood sisters' father is eaten by a shark, the Dashwood sisters move away from their home and to a creepy island. But they have to be careful, because in the water is killer sea creatures with an appetite for humans.
I loved the twist with Marianne. The Colonel falls in love with her as he does in the original, but has been cursed with tentacles on his face and the poor guy is miserable because of it. I felt so bad for him, and I loved him just as I did in the original and maybe...a little more.
With underwater cities, lobster men, water attacks, and romance with sea creatures, this book is creative, fun, and hilarious. I loved the changes, and and the fact it reminded me some H.P. Lovecraft made it more worth while.
If you like the new remakes that are coming out, buy this one. It's worth the excitement and action. Think Pirates of the Caribbean with historical romance!
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of times out loud and I am not normally one to do that!After the Dashwood sisters' father is eaten by a shark, the Dashwood sisters move away from their home and to a creepy island. But they have to be careful, because in the water is killer sea creatures with an appetite for humans.
I loved the twist with Marianne. The Colonel falls in love with her as he does in the original, but has been cursed with tentacles on his face and the poor guy is miserable because of it. I felt so bad for him, and I loved him just as I did in the original and maybe...a little more.
With underwater cities, lobster men, water attacks, and romance with sea creatures, this book is creative, fun, and hilarious. I loved the changes, and and the fact it reminded me some H.P. Lovecraft made it more worth while.
If you like the new remakes that are coming out, buy this one. It's worth the excitement and action. Think Pirates of the Caribbean with historical romance!
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LibraryThing member esswedl
Quite silly. The primary gag, of the characters being more concerned with manners than the horrific monsters attacking them, doesn't get too old by the end. The reader's discussion guide at the back provides a nice change of humor, brief but appreciated.
LibraryThing member elimatta
I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It was done with some subtlety, the main story shining through the occasional zombie attacks. It really was the original with added zombies.
So why is this slightly disappointing?
Because the trick has already been done, and a joke can rarely be
Because the underlying story isn't as engaging as P and P?
Or is it because this author tried a bit too hard? It's as if he wanted to tell his own story in addition to that of S and S. The underlying story is still there, but it needs to be searched out through the added extras. There are slightly grating errors too: when were there any piranha fish in the east indies for instance?
But who would be silly enough to expect accuracy in a book which quite rightly is based on a crazy notion in the first place? I would.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so picky.
So why is this slightly disappointing?
Because the trick has already been done, and a joke can rarely be
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repeated?Because the underlying story isn't as engaging as P and P?
Or is it because this author tried a bit too hard? It's as if he wanted to tell his own story in addition to that of S and S. The underlying story is still there, but it needs to be searched out through the added extras. There are slightly grating errors too: when were there any piranha fish in the east indies for instance?
But who would be silly enough to expect accuracy in a book which quite rightly is based on a crazy notion in the first place? I would.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so picky.
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LibraryThing member kpolhuis
A hilarious rendition of the favorite classic. I think because I know the original so well I enjoyed this mash-up even more. It was ridiculous! Just one suggestion, this is not a book to read whilst eating!
LibraryThing member edundatscheck
I tried to read this book, really really tried. It just didn't hook me in. I read a few chapters and I couldn't keep with it. The sea monster angle just seemed so ludicrous. Yes it is loosely based on the plot of Sense and Sensibility, but it seemed like so much nonsense. Maybe someone who has not
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read Sense and Sensibility will find the charm in this book, but I could not. Show Less
LibraryThing member Finleyup1
I have never read Sense and Sensibility, nor did I ever have any plans to. But throw in a few sea monsters and..........
I must say, I really enjoyed this book. Rarely, if ever, am I able to leave a story line for a week or more and come back to it and feel as though I were picking up where I left
The language was somewhat complicated, but not old-timey with all the "hithers" and "thithers" I expected to find. The ending did not disappoint, though I found myself getting tired of wondering who would wind up marrying who. At times, it felt like a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth.
In the end, it wound up being a very good read.
I must say, I really enjoyed this book. Rarely, if ever, am I able to leave a story line for a week or more and come back to it and feel as though I were picking up where I left
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off. Chock that up to the slow steady pace and rich character development if you must. It was just fun to read, plain and simple. I feel as though, if I were to read it again, I would come away with even more that I didn't get the first time. The language was somewhat complicated, but not old-timey with all the "hithers" and "thithers" I expected to find. The ending did not disappoint, though I found myself getting tired of wondering who would wind up marrying who. At times, it felt like a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth.
In the end, it wound up being a very good read.
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LibraryThing member BeckahRah
I thought this book was excruciatingly slow and hard to follow. Many times I stopped and thought, "...wait...what's going on?" I loved P&P&Z and Dawn of the Dreadfuls amd Little Women & Werewolves, but this one...I just had to force myself to finish, and I'm still not 100% sure what happened. Too.
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Slow. Show Less
LibraryThing member AineMcG
Really enjoyed this book, written in the same style as the original. Fantastic take on the classic.
LibraryThing member the_dragonfly
I was eagerly anticipating reading this book, and I gave it as fair a shot as possible, but I found I couldn't finish it (nor even get past the first couple of chapters). I enjoy Austen's work, and I like both science fiction as well as this type of ironic humor, so I was very much prepared to
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enjoy the work. I found, however, that Winters has a hard time keeping in Austen's tone and style with his embellishments to the story. It would be all too easy to go through this book and literally highlight all the words that are his rather than hers, and this dampened (so to speak) my enjoyment of the novel. I was hoping for the writing to be convincingly authentic Edwardian, so that the reader can truly suspend disbelief that Jane Austen wrote a grotesque and squid-filled adventure story, but the result is just anachronistic, awkward, and un-funny. One would think that the publishers could rather have found someone who could mimic Austen's writing more accurately. I am disappointed by the waste of a potentially brilliant idea. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mango-a-GoGo
Audio version nearly impossible to follow. Will try again with print.
LibraryThing member MissReadsTooMuch
Oddly faithful to the original but with terror-inducing sea creatures lurking about and attacking at the most inconvenient moments, this is a fun book. I don't know how much I would have enjoyed it if I wasn't familiar with Jane Austin's original work but, as I have read it a few times, I think I
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liked this book, with the excitement of the sea gone wrong, a bit more, especially in the end. Show Less
Awards
Black Quill Award (Nominee — 2009)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009-09-14
Physical description
344 p.; 5.3 inches
ISBN
1594744424 / 9781594744426