February 1, 2018
Though Mary Bennet lays claim to only a few lines of dialog in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, she's the character with whom recent Princeton graduate Chen identifies. In a debut that encompasses events before, during, and after Austen's novel, introverted Mary bears witness to a scandal that brings out the best in her.
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March 15, 2018
This retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of middle sister Mary Bennet promises a witty tale of romantic adventure. In the original, Mary is portrayed as prim, plain, and moreover, tone-deaf socially and musically. But first novelist Chen invites us to reconsider the inner life of the often overlooked Bennet sibling. After a witty prolog about the family, that wry and elegant tone unfortunately deteriorates into sappiness as Mary recounts the three loves of her life. A bit of satire and parody in the Austen tradition could have leavened Chen's interpretation. Reimagining Elizabeth Bennet as manipulative and gentle Charlotte Lucas as proud misses the point of Austen's timeless and beloved characters, and the author's many fans expect the protagonists in any retelling to be consistent with the originals. VERDICT For fans of retellings of classic literature looking for a continuing story of their favorite characters. Austen devotees should consider instead P.D. James's Death Comes to Pemberley or Jo Baker's Longbourn. The more adventurous might try John Kessel's Pride and Prometheus, in which Mary Bennet falls for Victor Frankenstein. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/18.]--Cheryl Bryan, Orleans, MA
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.