The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet

Take classic English literature and one of Australia’s most famous modern-day romance novelists, and the result is The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet. This story is a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Its author is Colleen McCullough of The Thorn Birds fame.

Naturally Pride and Prejudice fans will be wary. The concept of any kind of sequel to the classic takes getting used to, especially when another author has turned one of the greatest literary romances of all-time – between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy – into one of the most miserable marriages ever created. This sharp disparity is sure to rile Austen zealots and Darcy devotees.

The protagonist in this story is Mary – the boring, bookish sister in Pride and Prejudice. She is now 38 years old, no longer afflicted with a spotty face and crooked teeth, and has transformed into a feisty and determined woman. An unexpected event triggers Mary’s decision to explore a new-found freedom. She embarks upon a mission of social reformation and encounters many dangerous obstacles along the way.

Of course the story wouldn’t be complete without the presence of a love interest for spinster Mary. She has a number of male admirers but believes herself to be in love with Argus – the author of controversial newspaper letters whose real identity is a mystery.

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet is not a work of literature like the novel that inspired it. Belonging to the modern women’s fiction genre, the style of writing doesn’t imitate the formality of Jane Austen’s. Fitzwilliam Darcy is called “Fitz” and Lydia Wickham, who has become a raging alcoholic, is fond of using fruity language.

McCullough’s story contains humour, excitement and suspense, and the themes of betrayal, deception, love, and greed – all elements of an interesting book. Female independence is obviously a key focus, a subject that is important and relevant to many readers. The book is fun and entertaining. For these reasons The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet is a worthwhile read.

But Mary Bennet will be enjoyed most by people who have never read Pride and Prejudice. It’s impossible not to compare the two books and therefore Mary Bennet isn’t recommended for Pride and Prejudice ‘tragics’. The characters have changed too dramatically and the plot is at times overly outlandish, which will leave Austen fans disappointed and indignant.

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet is just one of the many novels that derive from Pride and Prejudice. Others include;
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith
- Darcy’s story, by Janet Aylmer
- Pemberley: Or Pride and Prejudice Continued, by Emma Tennant
- Lydia Bennet’s Story: A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Odiwe

Also, recently Australian television audiences were treated to Lost in Austen , a delightful two-part British drama about a girl who travels back in time and finds herself in the world of Pride and Prejudice. It’s a very engaging and hilarious take on the classic.

Next month’s book review will be on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers.

Image by oosp.