Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

If you don't know me very well, you may not be aware of the love that I have for Pride and Prejudice. OK so maybe Ive crossed that ever so fine line of love into straight out addiction, but thats neither here nor there :)  In light of this fact, when my husband read that they were releasing a book called Pride and Prejucide and Zomies, he ran to it.  Now, of course, I acted shocked, sickened and outright angry at this blatant disregard for Ms. Austen and her amazing pen but If I am to be honest, I have sneaked a few peeks when no one was looking.  Its written in a way that the original words are there, there are just a bunch of zombie stuff thrown in.  Ill have to admit that it is quite funny.  I thought Id share a few of the main ideas with you by listing a a few of my favorite discussion questions in the back (between you and me, I don't want to see the group of people that would be adding this book to their book club reading list, but that's just me).  So pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and here we go!

  Many critics have addressed the dual nature of Elizabeth's personality.  On one hand, she can be a savage, remorseless killer, as we see her in vanquishing of Lady Catherine's ninjas.  On the other hand, she can be tender and merciful, as in her relationships with Jane, Charlotte, and the young bucks that roam her family's estate.  In your opinion, which of these "halves" best represents the REAL Elizabeth at the beginning and end of the novel?

  Mr. Collins merely too fat and stupid to notice his wife's gradual transformation into a zombie, or could there be another explanation for his failure to acknowledge the problem? 

 Who receives the sorrier fate:  Wickham, left paralyzed in a seminary for the lame, forever soiling himself and studying ankle-high books of scripture"  or Lydia, removed from her family, married to an invalid, and childless, yet forever changing filthy diapers?

 Does Mrs.  Bennet have a single redeeming quality?

 Vomit plays and important role in this book.  Mrs. Bennet frequently vomits, when she's nervous, coachmen vomit in disgust when they witness zombies feasting on corpses, even the steady Elizabeth can;t help but vomit at the sight of Charlotte lapping up her own bloody pus.  Do the authors mean for this regurgitation to symbolize something greater, or is it a cheap device to get laughs?

   Is Lady Catherine's objection to Elizabeth merely a matter of Elizabeth's inferior wealth and rank? Or  could there be another explanation? Could she be intimidated by Elizabeth's fighting skills? 

  Some scholars believe that the zombies were a last_minute addition to the novel, requested by the publisher in a shameless attempt to boost sales.  Others argue that the hordes of living dead are integral to Jane Austen's plot and social commentary.  What do you think?  Can you imagine what this novel might be like without the violent zombie mayhem?