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I can recall back in Junior High School having a list of books to choose from with which I had to read and produce a report on to the class. There were such titles as Animal Farm by Orwell, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, anything by William Shakespeare, and the list went on and on.

I’m sure that Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen was also among that list, but I’m pretty sure I never read it. I’ll admit when I was younger my taste in books was usually found in works by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and the like. Dracula, Frankenstein, Voyage of the Space Beagle, classics, but admittingly, darker classics. If it had monsters in it, chances are I was reading it.

It’s a good bet that if Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters was on that list I would have read it. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is the second book to come out from Quirk Classics in which a classic of Jane Austen’s has been developed into an adaptation of sorts. The first being Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (keep your eyes out here by the way for a review of that one from ZombieMall as well).

What Ben H. Winters has done is taken the original novel and has injected pirates, giant lobsters, two-headed sea serpents, and of course massive sea monsters, all while staying true to the original theme of Austen’s writings, romance, heartbreak, and lasting happiness. This book features “60% Austen and 40% additional monster chaos!”.

What I find fascinating is after the read there is a readers discussion guide consisting of 10 questions and observations brought up within the novel itself. Seriously, this is an element that I immediately found myself jumping into! I just wish I had someone else to call up and talk with in regards to those questions! Damnit, I was ready to jump right in and start discussing this book!

This is the synopsis provided with the sell sheet:

“As out 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?”

Here is what ZombieMall will add to that; If you are into Lovecraft, enjoy pirates and sea monsters, can’t get enough steampunk (yes steampunk), then look no further than Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. There are several deaths in the first few pages as well as blood stained beaches. There is a wonderful “city” deep under sea, a large living island, and much much more. If you are looking for an escape into a different reality, this is certainly the book for you.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is set to be released on September 15th.
It is in Paperback and runs at 344 pages and has a retail price of $12.95 US Dollars.
It should be available at places like Amazon and all of your major book stores.

Check this out! It’s a trailer for the book!