Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Title: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
Genre: Fiction, Mashup, Classic, Horror
Rating: 2/5

As the title implies, this is Jane Austen's classic retold with a twist. Something has transformed the world's oceans and the creatures of the sea have mutated and now hunger for the flesh of man. Amongst all the tentacles and giant lobsters, can the Dashwood sisters find true love?

I was rather disappointed in Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. The premise was intriguing but the writing failed to live up to its promise. The connection between Austen's original and Winters' new scenes felt disjointed and I think Winters would have been better off writing something original. As well, there was a little too much repetition, especially in regards to how disgusting Colonel Brandon's mucous-covered tentacles were. By the fourth or fifth mention I just wanted to shout 'all right already, I get it.' I also found the way everyone looked down on Colonel Brandon and his cursed features contradictory once Winters introduced the idea that John Dashwood was undergoing experimentation in society's fight against sea monsters. However, there was one thing I really enjoyed, the addition of steampunk when Elinor and Marianne go to Sub-marine Station Beta, a London-like city based within a dome on the ocean floor.

Overall, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is not a book that I'd recommend. It's not that I hadn't expected it to be ridiculous, I did, but it was just too much so. I do hope that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was better orchestrated as it's still on my to-be-read list.