BOOK REVIEW: Emma and the Vampires

I have a secret. I am a MAJOR fan of Jane Austen. M.A.J.O.R. Most peeps don't know that about me. I didn't carry her novels around with me during high school or covert the last copy in the library. No. Back then I probably bought the Cliff Notes. It was as an adult that I fell in love with her prose. The subtlety in which she captures her characters on the page totally floors me.

So for me, I was excited when I was asked to review this book. I'd like to thank Sourcebooks for supplying me with a copy to review.

Title: Emma and the Vampire

Author: Wayne Josephson - original story created by Jane Austen

Genre: catagorized as Adult
Publication date: August 10, 2010

Pages: 304

Favorite segment: Emma Woodhouse, cleaver, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition--had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress her. Until the vampire attacks began.

Go HERE to read a full excerpt. 

Description: What better place than pale England to hide a secret society of gentlemen vampires?

In this hilarious retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, screenwriter Wayne Josephson casts Mr. Knightley as one of the most handsome and noble of the gentlemen village vampires. Blithely unaware of their presence, Emma, who imagines she has a special gift for matchmaking, attempts to arrange the affairs of her social circle with delightfully disastrous results. But when her dear friend Harriet Smith declares her love for Mr. Knightley, Emma realizes she's the one who wants to stay up all night with him. Fortunately, Mr. Knightley has been hiding a secret deep within his unbeating heart-his (literal) undying love for her... A brilliant mash-up of Jane Austen and the undead.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY

This mash-up is written in the air and flair of Jane Austen, and follows the ever-charming Emma Woodhouse on her endless endeavors of matchmaking. She's confident, witty, and just as bright as in Ms. Austen's original telling of the tale. But here, the author adds the electric spice of vampire slayer to Emma's personal bio. Her outer strength carries her through wild and vicious vampire attacks where she gracefully lifts her dress--not too high of course--tugs on the satin ribbon securing her wooden stack to her inner thigh, and kills the beasts. She's also quite good with a sword. However, as in the original story, Emma is blinded by her desire to make things as she'd like them. She not only blithely misses Mr. Knightly's love for her but also the fact that he's a member of the undead.

For those who've never read Jane Austen's EMMA, the original account lends to a smorgeboard of colorful characters. In this mash-up, the author keeps the persona of the characters relatively intact, with the exception of most of the males being vampires, of course.  

The immortal zest of gentlemanly vampires and Emma's obliviousness to their existence is quite funny and is another detail used to point out Emma's internal struggles. Even funnier is when she incorporates the help of her poor friend, Harriet--the girl whose life Emma foolishly misdirects.

I would recommend giving this book to your teen as an introduction to Jane Austen. It has the paranormal flare of today's literature, while keeping in tact the beauty and poise of yesterday's storytelling.

About the Author

Wayne Josephson received his BA from Emory University and his MBA from Wharton. After twenty years on Wall Street, he decided to pursue his long-delayed desire to write, becoming a successful screenwriter. Emma and the Vampires is his first novel. He resides with his wife and three children in Charlottesville, Virginia. (as stated HERE)

Check out what Wayne had to say about writing this on Teenfire. 

Purchase the book at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.