Yet another in the series of Jane Austen “mash-ups,” Mansfield Park and Mummies (an indulgent 555 pages, by Vera Nazarian) uses Mansfield Park—one of the more 'difficult' Austen novels. The premise is less of a stretch: Egyptological excavations were occurring during that period, and it is not impossible that the vain Lady Bertram should collect sarcophagi and urns and... the living undead. The story: 3,000 years ago an Egyptian Pharaoh died and was mummified and eventually transported to Mansfield Park as part of Lady Bertram’s fashionable obsession with all things Egyptian. He comes to life... and seeks his bride! The Bertram family is cursed by the Pharaoh. Aunt Norris howls at the moon and Mr. Rushworth forages for small animals in the shrubbery; The servants stagger around, zombies. The Crawfords are vampires that plague Mansfield Park. That is why the saucy Mary Crawford is uncomfortable in the chapel at Sotherton and doesn’t like the clergy. The necklace she gives Fanny doesn’t fit through the ring of the cross. Meek little Fanny alone is unaffected by these events. It is she who must save Mansfield Park and its inhabitants... Can you believe this???
14 January 2010
Mansfield Park and Mummies
Yet another in the series of Jane Austen “mash-ups,” Mansfield Park and Mummies (an indulgent 555 pages, by Vera Nazarian) uses Mansfield Park—one of the more 'difficult' Austen novels. The premise is less of a stretch: Egyptological excavations were occurring during that period, and it is not impossible that the vain Lady Bertram should collect sarcophagi and urns and... the living undead. The story: 3,000 years ago an Egyptian Pharaoh died and was mummified and eventually transported to Mansfield Park as part of Lady Bertram’s fashionable obsession with all things Egyptian. He comes to life... and seeks his bride! The Bertram family is cursed by the Pharaoh. Aunt Norris howls at the moon and Mr. Rushworth forages for small animals in the shrubbery; The servants stagger around, zombies. The Crawfords are vampires that plague Mansfield Park. That is why the saucy Mary Crawford is uncomfortable in the chapel at Sotherton and doesn’t like the clergy. The necklace she gives Fanny doesn’t fit through the ring of the cross. Meek little Fanny alone is unaffected by these events. It is she who must save Mansfield Park and its inhabitants... Can you believe this???
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what I cunt believe is you actually read it :P beauty.
ReplyDeletebutu know i luv all things silly and suoer slapstick!
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