Pride & Prejudice & Kitties
Pride and Prejudice and Kitties
A Cat-Lover’s Romp Through Jane Austen’s Classic
An hilarious mash-up of cats and Austen
Where the adorable meets the absurd
“Netherfield Park is marked at last.”
“The news caused much romping at the Bennet household for,
as every cat knows, a handsome young tom in possession
of his own territory must be in want of a mate.”
Finally, Chick Lit meets Kit Lit! Pride and Prejudice and Kitties unites the enduring novelist with the endearing feline. Soulful Mr. Darcy gazes at Elizabeth with interest, admiration, or longing. Hysterical Mrs. Bennet complains that no one understands her, somnolent Mr. Hurst passes out after dinner, arrogant Lady Catherine hisses insults at Elizabeth. Pride and Prejudice works perfectly with cats! Pride and Prejudice and Kitties is a book for cat-lovers, Austen-lovers, and people who love to laugh – in other words, just about everyone.
“Forget zombies, Jane Austen + kitties = brilliance.”
– The Daily Dot
Why Jane Austen and Cats?
Pamela and Deborah’s idea of a wild party invite.
I have no clue how I came up with idea of Pride and Prejudice and Kitties – a thoroughly ridiculous idea at best! But then, Jane herself has an appreciation of the ridiculous. And I like having fantasies about my cat’s pursuits and preoccupations. Isn’t that what cat-lovers do, have fantasies about their cats? (Dog-lovers don’t have fantasies because dogs leave no room for the imagined.)
My coauthor, Debbie and I, were roundly accused of copying Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But the (unhappy) truth was we’d had been working on our concept and honing our query for over six years.
When we started out, we didn’t really know what we were doing (and that’s an understatement). We thought it was enough to take a cute cat photo and throw a quote from Pride and Prejudice at it. To is, the idea of illustrating P&P with photos of kitties was so funny that we didn’t even think it mattered if the photograph related to the quote. In fact, to us it was funnier if it didn’t. Here’s an example:
OK, so the letters look more like bills, and Mr. Bennet looks more clueless than surprised, but maybe he’s really bowled over by the thought that his dear Lizzy is about to become Mrs. Darcy!
We needed a lot of help putting together PP&K. Providentially, Pamela’s friend, author and photographer Sally Keehn, set out on an “English Literature on Location” tour in the UK, which included Jane Austen. Sally agreed to take photos of Austen-related settings for us to Photoshop the cats into.
Incomparable graphic artist, Kathryn Hathaway, Photoshopped the kitties into Sally’s settings, which is why we have a photo of Elizabeth throwing up a hairball on Jane Austen’s actual bed in Chawton.
Stay tuned! We may come out with Mansfield Bark before long! When you see our last photo in Pride and Prejudice and Kitties, you will understand!
Praise for this Book
“There are many, many spin-offs and parodies of Pride and Prejudice; from cat crossovers like Pride and Prejudice and Kitties: A Cat-Lover’s Romp through Jane Austen’s Classic.”
BBC America
“Pride and Prejudice and Kitties for those who like their Regency romances with funny pictures of cats.”
Slate.com
“We give you Jane Austen and cats, and that means we’re in it for the long haul.”
The American Library Association’s Booklist Online
All Things Austen: “A celebration of the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice”
Wall Street Journal
“Now that they’ve taken over the Internet, cats are sinking their claws into classic literature.”
Mother’s Nature Network
“Pride and Prejudice and Kitties is a lighthearted labor of love aimed at pure amusement…everyone…can chuckle over a fat Siberian kitty in tartan and lace”
Williamette Week
“Pamela Jane and Portlander Deborah Guyol are the latest to mash up a beloved tale with an improbable situation…Pride and Prejudice and Kitties: A Cat-Lover’s Romp Through Jane Austen’s Classic tells the story from a cat’s point of view.”
StatesmanJournal.com
“I was hooked at the first line: ‘Netherfield Park is marked at last!’ A unique, cleverly written, and utterly hysterical re-telling of Pride and Prejudice. Miss Austen would approve!”
Sharon Lathan, best-selling author of Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One
“If you’re a Jane Austen fan, or a fan of furries, you’re going to fall in love with this book…Janeites will love the photos that include little head-nods to other Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen references–such as the Jane Austen for Dummies book in one photo and the Jane Austen figurine in another. Finding these throughout was a joy.”
The Bennet Sisters Blog
“The cat photos and captions add whimsy to the book…similar to LOL Catz and the Internet…Cat lovers will enjoy the quirky tale.”
Portland Book Review
“Pride and Prejudice and Kitties…has a lot of lolcat style pictures that I really enjoyed. It’s a cute book and actually is one of the first mash-up books that I’ve actually read…a fun gift for the cat or animal lover in your life.”
Paperblog
“Written for clever literature-lovers and fanatic feline-obsessives alike, Pride and Prejudice and Kitties is a fun and furry re-telling of Jane Austen’s classic. Curl up on the couch with your pet and enjoy this ‘purr’-fect 202-page volume!”
modcloth.com
2013 Gift Guide: 30 Gifts for Your Cat Loving Friend
designsponge.com
P&P = Guilt-free TV
I raised my daughter, Annelise, on the BBC P&P – perfect for when she was home sick. You get six fairly guilt-free hours out of it. You can’t say that with any other TV program!
When she was three, I was wheeling her in her stroller at our local mall when all at once she cried out, “Prejudice!”
Everyone turned and looked at me accusingly; what was I teaching my kid?
“Huh?” I said, leaning over the stroller.
A big smile spread over Annelise’s face. “Mr. Darcy!” she cried.
Annelise had the right idea.
Too bad no one at the mall appreciated it!