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erica_reads_itall 's review for:
Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice
by Katherine J. Chen
As the title makes clear, this is a story of Mary Bennet's life during and after the events of Pride and Prejudice. Mary is the middle Bennet sister, bookish and plain, neither vivacious in company nor well-liked by her family. But in this novel she is possessed of sharp powers of observation and an acerbic wit. She has an undeclared love affair with Mr. Collins before his marriage (hinted at in other adaptations), and her view of his merits provides an interesting balance to Austen's (and Elizabeth's) dismissive attitude in the original novel.
After Elizabeth and Jane's marriages, Mary B is set free from the constraints of the original, and this is perhaps to its detriment. I enjoyed seeing a broader view of the world of Pride and Prejudice, but I felt (and I think many Austenites will feel) that the author was unduly harsh toward its best-loved characters. However the primary concern of the book is Mary herself and her coming-of-age, and this takes such a modern course that the second half of the book feels wholly unconnected to the source material. It's an enjoyable story and worth reading on its own merits, but for most of its length does not feel like an extension of Pride and Prejudice. 3.5 stars.
After Elizabeth and Jane's marriages, Mary B is set free from the constraints of the original, and this is perhaps to its detriment. I enjoyed seeing a broader view of the world of Pride and Prejudice, but I felt (and I think many Austenites will feel) that the author was unduly harsh toward its best-loved characters. However the primary concern of the book is Mary herself and her coming-of-age, and this takes such a modern course that the second half of the book feels wholly unconnected to the source material. It's an enjoyable story and worth reading on its own merits, but for most of its length does not feel like an extension of Pride and Prejudice. 3.5 stars.