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Mary Bennet
'I prayed for a brother every night. My two older sisters also prayed. They felt the want of a brother equally keenly, for our father's estate was entailed upon a male heir, and without a brother to provide for us or a rich husband to rescue us, we would all be destitute.' Mary Bennet has been long overshadowed by the beauty and charm of her older sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, and by the forwardness and cheek of her younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia. From her post in the wings of the Bennet family, Mary now watches as Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy – and Mr Wickham – glide into her sisters' lives. While she can view these three gentlemen quite dispassionately (and, as it turns out, accurately), can she be equally clear-sighted when she finally falls in love herself? In this elegant retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Mary at last learns – with a little help from the man she loves – to question her family's values and overcome her own brand of 'pride and prejudice'.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2012
569 people are currently reading
1998 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Paynter
2 books17 followersJennifer Paynter was born and educated in Sydney. She is the author of the plays God’s People, Balancing Act, and When Are We Going to Manly?, the last being nominated for a Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle Award and the NSW Premiere’s Literary Award. Her plays have been produced in Sydney and Canberra and for ABC Radio, and her short story “The Sad Heart of Ruth” is an ABC Bicentennial Award winner.
The Sydney Morning Herald hails the Australian edition of The Forgotten Sister as an “impressive literary achievement and a delightful read,” and the Brisbane Courier Mail says it “succeeds in inviting us back into the world of Longbourn and the Bennet family and their preoccupation with marriage, money and social class.”
Paynter lives in Australia with her family.
The Sydney Morning Herald hails the Australian edition of The Forgotten Sister as an “impressive literary achievement and a delightful read,” and the Brisbane Courier Mail says it “succeeds in inviting us back into the world of Longbourn and the Bennet family and their preoccupation with marriage, money and social class.”
Paynter lives in Australia with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
August 2, 2016
“Poor, Obscure, Plain, and Little” Mary
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Alternate Point-of-View, Minor Character
TIME FRAME: From Mary Bennet’s early childhood to 3-4 years after the close of Pride and Prejudice
MAIN CHARACTERS: The Bennet Family, The Long Family, The Lucas Family, George Rovere, Peter Bushell, George Wickham, Mrs. Knowles
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:
I’ve read a couple of novels that placed Mary Bennet in the spotlight and loved them! I know many might find Mary to be dull and priggish, but I’ve always had an affinity for her and felt myself able to understand her feelings of awkwardness and isolation.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Past, Present, and Future: This 400+ page story encompasses a lot of time and events. It begins with Mary’s memories of childhood (the disappointment over a lack of heir and the growing discord between her parents), travels through the events of Pride and Prejudice, and then takes us a couple years beyond the events of Jane Austen’s story where we see what fate has in store for our neglected heroine. I really enjoyed how thorough and extensive this story was. All these details and illustrated experiences of Mary’s life helped manifest a full understanding and appreciation of her character.
- All That We Didn’t See: I especially enjoyed seeing the moments that “happened” during the course of Pride and Prejudice that were not known to us before. Like how Mary catches wind of Wickham’s and Darcy’s true natures before anyone else, how Elizabeth’s reactions and behavior around Darcy are very telling to someone who is observant and knows her well, and what other significant events took place during the Netherfield ball.
- New Characters: Since Mary is neglected by her siblings and parents, we are introduced to other characters she has more interactions with. These include Mrs. Longs nieces – Cassandra and Helen, nephew of the former tenant of Netherfield Park – George Rovere, Mrs. Knowles – the mother of Mary’s former tutor, and a talented fiddle player – Peter Bushell. These new characters were fascinating and wonderfully well-drawn. I loved their distinct personalities and how they had developed storylines…some which felt a little familiar – Mrs. Knowles, I’m looking at you.
- Observant, Sympathetic, and Not Priggish: I like how Mary, because she is slightly removed from the center of the story, sees things others don’t. Ms. Paynter portrays Mary as kind-hearted towards others, loyal in her friendships, and forgiving. She is aware of her own flaws and works on improving her deficiencies of character. When Mary shares her moral extracts, she doesn’t do it to moralize or preach to others, she does it because she is tongue-tied in difficult situations and strives to find something to say. With nothing coming forth in her own mind, she grabs onto the wise words of others – which always seems to be the wrong choice. I agree with Ms. Paynter on all these points and believe that this portrayal of Mary does not stray from Jane Austen’s original character.
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
I may have felt one spot or two was either too drawn out or too brief, but other than that I couldn’t find anything not to my liking.
CONCLUSION:
An honest and intimate look into the heart and soul of Mary Bennet! While Mary may be the “forgotten sister,” this retelling gives her the chance to share the story – the whole story – from her clear-sighted, truthful, and unbiased perspective. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who are sympathetic towards quiet and overlooked characters.
Austenesque Reviews
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Alternate Point-of-View, Minor Character
TIME FRAME: From Mary Bennet’s early childhood to 3-4 years after the close of Pride and Prejudice
MAIN CHARACTERS: The Bennet Family, The Long Family, The Lucas Family, George Rovere, Peter Bushell, George Wickham, Mrs. Knowles
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:
I’ve read a couple of novels that placed Mary Bennet in the spotlight and loved them! I know many might find Mary to be dull and priggish, but I’ve always had an affinity for her and felt myself able to understand her feelings of awkwardness and isolation.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Past, Present, and Future: This 400+ page story encompasses a lot of time and events. It begins with Mary’s memories of childhood (the disappointment over a lack of heir and the growing discord between her parents), travels through the events of Pride and Prejudice, and then takes us a couple years beyond the events of Jane Austen’s story where we see what fate has in store for our neglected heroine. I really enjoyed how thorough and extensive this story was. All these details and illustrated experiences of Mary’s life helped manifest a full understanding and appreciation of her character.
- All That We Didn’t See: I especially enjoyed seeing the moments that “happened” during the course of Pride and Prejudice that were not known to us before. Like how Mary catches wind of Wickham’s and Darcy’s true natures before anyone else, how Elizabeth’s reactions and behavior around Darcy are very telling to someone who is observant and knows her well, and what other significant events took place during the Netherfield ball.
- New Characters: Since Mary is neglected by her siblings and parents, we are introduced to other characters she has more interactions with. These include Mrs. Longs nieces – Cassandra and Helen, nephew of the former tenant of Netherfield Park – George Rovere, Mrs. Knowles – the mother of Mary’s former tutor, and a talented fiddle player – Peter Bushell. These new characters were fascinating and wonderfully well-drawn. I loved their distinct personalities and how they had developed storylines…some which felt a little familiar – Mrs. Knowles, I’m looking at you.
- Observant, Sympathetic, and Not Priggish: I like how Mary, because she is slightly removed from the center of the story, sees things others don’t. Ms. Paynter portrays Mary as kind-hearted towards others, loyal in her friendships, and forgiving. She is aware of her own flaws and works on improving her deficiencies of character. When Mary shares her moral extracts, she doesn’t do it to moralize or preach to others, she does it because she is tongue-tied in difficult situations and strives to find something to say. With nothing coming forth in her own mind, she grabs onto the wise words of others – which always seems to be the wrong choice. I agree with Ms. Paynter on all these points and believe that this portrayal of Mary does not stray from Jane Austen’s original character.
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
I may have felt one spot or two was either too drawn out or too brief, but other than that I couldn’t find anything not to my liking.
CONCLUSION:
An honest and intimate look into the heart and soul of Mary Bennet! While Mary may be the “forgotten sister,” this retelling gives her the chance to share the story – the whole story – from her clear-sighted, truthful, and unbiased perspective. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who are sympathetic towards quiet and overlooked characters.
Austenesque Reviews
October 1, 2016
Thanks Cecilia for this book!
So this was an interesting take on Pride and Prejudice. Personally I've always wondered about the two Bennet sisters who are "left without husbands" at the end of the original story and what might happen to them later - particularly Mary since she hardly features in Jane Austen's novel. But here is one version of what might happen to her.
The book is written in the same style as Austen's novel, which I definitely liked a lot because that makes it seem like a genuine story. It is, however, rather slow and tells everything (yep, everything) that Mary experiences from a kid up until a couple of years after the end of the original novel. And what happens before Pride and Prejudice is rather dull. It takes up the first quarter of the book and took me sooooo long to get through. If this had been a book written in a "more modern" style we'd most likely have gotten this mainly as little flashbacks instead - and it might be that I was simply not used to reading this sort of style of storytelling and that that made it a slow read for me.
Once we get to the arrival of Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy it becomes a lot more interesting and you really get to see what happened to Mary while Jane and Elizabeth were off with their respective beaus and Kitty and Lydia (the latter in particular) flirted with the officers. And Mary's "own Pride and Prejudice" is - in my opinion - an even better love story than that of Darcy and Elizabeth because of that it features the differences between the social classes. I'm not sure Austen would have agreed, but today it's a hit!
I might re-read this eventually and if my slowness with the first quarter is indeed because of that I wasn't used to the style I might end up raising the rating. But for now it's 3 stars from me.
July 21, 2017
Mary Bennet is the forgotten middle sister. Her mother is neglectful, her father and sisters unkind and neglectful and she suffers post-traumatic stress from being farmed out to a wet nurse with an alcoholic husband. When poor Mary tries to get some attention, no one understands. Mary is the quiet, observant sister. Should she speak of what she knows or keep silent and let others speak? Will she be judges or ignored as always if she does speak? When she tries to build a life of her own, she's met with betrayal and opposition.
This is a dark, depressing story with an ending that contradicts what Jane Austen tells us at the end of Pride and Prejudice about Mary's fate. I didn't care for the writing style-it was all told and rarely shown. It took forever to get to Pride and Prejudice with some strange things happening before then. I didn't like how Mary made excuses and how she overheard key conversations. All that totally changes the story and the intentions of the story. Oh Elizabeth wasn't in best looks at the Assembly so that's why Mr. Darcy didn't think her handsome enough to tempt him; oh I was drunk and that's why I kept on playing and singing until my father embarrassed me. Yes the plot relies a lot on coincidences but this adds even more coincidences.
Mary is a dour, melancholy young woman. She's shy, which I can relate to, and her pedantic speech is a way of inserting herself into a conversation when she doesn't know what to say. she draws heavily on maxims from things she's read, including the Bible. I'm guessing this might be intended to be a Christian story or maybe not and it just suits her character. She only starts to show her true nature in the last half of the book. She's passionate and willing to fight for what she wants and not willing to settle for second best, a lot like Lizzie.
I didn't like Mary's view of Lizzie. Lizzie is kind of cruel and selfish at times. I think by nature of being the eldest, Jane and Elizabeth are close and older sisters always ignore their younger sisters and want nothing to do with them. If their parents had been more involved in Mary's life, perhaps she could have been closer to her older sisters. In this novel we see how Elizabeth is prone to make snap judgements about people and how she is blinded by prejudice towards people who pay attention to her. It's Mary who is portrayed as the better judge of character. To be fair to Elizabeth, anyone would make the same assumptions about Darcy and Wickham. I don't get the earlier infatuation though.
Wickham is downright dastardly here. He rivals Willoughby for the honor of top Austen rake. I was surprised at how much he got away with in this novel. I don't get that impression from the original text. I think Wickham is more lazy than that and when opportunity presents itself, he takes it. While Willoughby sets out to woo and seduce on purpose simply for his own pleasure. Wickham's plot here resembles a predictable melodrama.
This story introduces us to several new characters. Of primary importance is the Purvis menage. There's Mr. Purvis, a jovial gentleman renting Netherfield when the Bennet sisters are young teens. His stepsister, Mrs. Rovere lives with him along with her mother and two young sons. George Rovere is Mary's first friend but I didn't like him. He's a fair weather friend. He's spoiled and temperamental. George also has a nasty tongue, always making snide comments about people. He takes after his mother though her judgements take the form of either witty comments or physical acts of violence. I didn't like her either. I did like her mother, Mrs. Falco aka Nonna, for the most part. She's a colorful character.
Then there's Mrs. Knowles, Mary's surrogate mother. I didn't like her very much. Her piousness was a bit hypocritical and she abandoned Mary and picked Mary back up when she felt like it. Plus she turned Mary into a sanctimonious prig. Her brother seems very kind and likable and I don't foresee them getting along for any length of time. Mary's next friend is Cassandra Long. Cassandra is the most interesting character in the whole story and I would have read a novel about her. I shipped Mary and Cassandra. Cassandra is a spinster who still dreams of love. She directs her passion towards painting. I liked her because she wasn't afraid to be herself and because she was plain spoken. She always told Mary the honest truth. Her sister Helen is an annoying young woman. I didn't have a whole lot of sympathy for her.
Finally, there's Peter Bushell, Mary's foster brother and friend. He is an admirable young man. Though his early years were tough, he's determined not to be like his father though he is content with his station in life. His ambitions do not extend as far as Sir William Lucas and others may fear. He just wants a better life, especially for his mother and sisters. At the end though, Mary made things very awkward and I felt really uncomfortable for him.
The very best part of the book comes at the end in the final section. The description of the New World is amazing. I liked the juxtaposition of the seasons, the stars and all the things that would make a newcomer feel disoriented and upset. I did not like the description of the aboriginals from the English point of view, with the exception of Peter who is exactly right.
If you want to read about Mary, I'd recommend The Unexpected Miss Bennet over this one.
Content PG-13:
violence
sexuality-discussion of a shocking story involving a menage a trois between some of the characters
no on page love scenes though there is lovemaking in the story
pregnancy outside of marriage
This is a dark, depressing story with an ending that contradicts what Jane Austen tells us at the end of Pride and Prejudice about Mary's fate. I didn't care for the writing style-it was all told and rarely shown. It took forever to get to Pride and Prejudice with some strange things happening before then. I didn't like how Mary made excuses and how she overheard key conversations. All that totally changes the story and the intentions of the story. Oh Elizabeth wasn't in best looks at the Assembly so that's why Mr. Darcy didn't think her handsome enough to tempt him; oh I was drunk and that's why I kept on playing and singing until my father embarrassed me. Yes the plot relies a lot on coincidences but this adds even more coincidences.
Mary is a dour, melancholy young woman. She's shy, which I can relate to, and her pedantic speech is a way of inserting herself into a conversation when she doesn't know what to say. she draws heavily on maxims from things she's read, including the Bible. I'm guessing this might be intended to be a Christian story or maybe not and it just suits her character. She only starts to show her true nature in the last half of the book. She's passionate and willing to fight for what she wants and not willing to settle for second best, a lot like Lizzie.
I didn't like Mary's view of Lizzie. Lizzie is kind of cruel and selfish at times. I think by nature of being the eldest, Jane and Elizabeth are close and older sisters always ignore their younger sisters and want nothing to do with them. If their parents had been more involved in Mary's life, perhaps she could have been closer to her older sisters. In this novel we see how Elizabeth is prone to make snap judgements about people and how she is blinded by prejudice towards people who pay attention to her. It's Mary who is portrayed as the better judge of character. To be fair to Elizabeth, anyone would make the same assumptions about Darcy and Wickham. I don't get the earlier infatuation though.
Wickham is downright dastardly here. He rivals Willoughby for the honor of top Austen rake. I was surprised at how much he got away with in this novel. I don't get that impression from the original text. I think Wickham is more lazy than that and when opportunity presents itself, he takes it. While Willoughby sets out to woo and seduce on purpose simply for his own pleasure. Wickham's plot here resembles a predictable melodrama.
This story introduces us to several new characters. Of primary importance is the Purvis menage. There's Mr. Purvis, a jovial gentleman renting Netherfield when the Bennet sisters are young teens. His stepsister, Mrs. Rovere lives with him along with her mother and two young sons. George Rovere is Mary's first friend but I didn't like him. He's a fair weather friend. He's spoiled and temperamental. George also has a nasty tongue, always making snide comments about people. He takes after his mother though her judgements take the form of either witty comments or physical acts of violence. I didn't like her either. I did like her mother, Mrs. Falco aka Nonna, for the most part. She's a colorful character.
Then there's Mrs. Knowles, Mary's surrogate mother. I didn't like her very much. Her piousness was a bit hypocritical and she abandoned Mary and picked Mary back up when she felt like it. Plus she turned Mary into a sanctimonious prig. Her brother seems very kind and likable and I don't foresee them getting along for any length of time. Mary's next friend is Cassandra Long. Cassandra is the most interesting character in the whole story and I would have read a novel about her. I shipped Mary and Cassandra. Cassandra is a spinster who still dreams of love. She directs her passion towards painting. I liked her because she wasn't afraid to be herself and because she was plain spoken. She always told Mary the honest truth. Her sister Helen is an annoying young woman. I didn't have a whole lot of sympathy for her.
Finally, there's Peter Bushell, Mary's foster brother and friend. He is an admirable young man. Though his early years were tough, he's determined not to be like his father though he is content with his station in life. His ambitions do not extend as far as Sir William Lucas and others may fear. He just wants a better life, especially for his mother and sisters. At the end though, Mary made things very awkward and I felt really uncomfortable for him.
The very best part of the book comes at the end in the final section. The description of the New World is amazing. I liked the juxtaposition of the seasons, the stars and all the things that would make a newcomer feel disoriented and upset. I did not like the description of the aboriginals from the English point of view, with the exception of Peter who is exactly right.
If you want to read about Mary, I'd recommend The Unexpected Miss Bennet over this one.
Content PG-13:
violence
sexuality-discussion of a shocking story involving a menage a trois between some of the characters
no on page love scenes though there is lovemaking in the story
pregnancy outside of marriage
December 23, 2014
I read 50 pages and it was so amazing bad I couldn't read anymore.Which is weird for me because I usually read around a 100 pages before giving up.This book wasn't true to the characters of the original novel and I hated how the author portrayed Mary.So this is a DNF for me.I am very happy I only payed a 2 bucks for it.If you like your JA fan fiction true to the characters don't read this book.
February 20, 2014
With only half a dozen speeches in Pride and Prejudice Mary Bennet still manages to make an impression. Bookish, socially awkward, and prone to moralizing, it’s hard to picture her as the heroine of a romance novel. Though I’d laugh along at her cluelessness Mary has always had my sympathy, so when I discovered Jennifer Paynter’s The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet’s Pride and Prejudice I couldn’t wait to read it. Would this book rescue Mary from the shadows of Pride and Prejudice? I hoped so.
The Forgotten Sister opens before the events of Pride and Prejudice, with Mary recounting her story in her own words. She begins with an admission of early worries, “For the best part of nine years--from the age of four until just before I turned thirteen--I prayed for a brother every night.” (8) By then family life is strained, but early on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are carefree and happy. Young Jane and Elizabeth are doted on by their parents, who are optimistic there is still time to produce a male heir and secure their entailed estate. Everything changes though when Mary, a third daughter, is born. Worries set in. The Bennets begin bickering. About a month after Mary’s birth Mrs. Bennet has an attack of nerves so acute that Mary is sent away to a wet-nurse, Mrs. Bushell, with whom she stays for several years. From then on, neglect by and separation from her family become recurring patterns in Mary’s life.
The Forgotten Sister provides new background to explain Mary’s personality. A frightening encounter when she is young makes her timid and tongue tied. The kindness shown by her pious instructor pushes Mary toward rigid religious beliefs, though the harsh moralizing mini-sermons she sometimes gives are just an awkward girl’s attempt to join the conversation. Because all four of her four sisters are paired in close bonds, Elizabeth with Jane and Lydia with Kitty, Mary is left without a close companion in the family, and being often on her own does not help her acquire social skills.
At the assembly dance where Jane catches the eye of Bingley and Elizabeth begins her antipathy for Darcy, Mary has her own pivotal encounter. She bumps into the handsome son of her former wet-nurse as he races up the stairs to join his band, and then Mary can’t stop trying to spot Peter Bushell through the crowd. Though far beneath Mary in station he’s a talented musician. When their eyes meet as he is playing his fiddle he smiles and, she cannot help herself, she smiles back, though she then resolves to look at him no further because she “…could not possibly befriend a person of his order.” (110)
But Peter is kind during their brief encounters, leaving Mary alternately relaxed and flustered. Though her feelings are decidedly mixed she’s left with a strong desire to see him again. But would it be proper? Mary’s religion councils her that all people are equal in the eyes of God, but that’s not what society says. Increasingly drawn to Peter, Mary remains deeply divided. How does an inexperienced, devout girl decide what to do?
The unique slant and moving insights of The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet’s Pride and Prejudice kept the book in my hands any moment I had free. It’s fascinating to see younger versions of the characters from Pride and Prejudice, and events that took place before and after that story. I love when a novel incorporates fascinating bits of history or offers vicarious travel pleasures, and The Forgotten Sister has the surprising bonus of taking us by ship around the world to rough and tumble Australia when it is still part penal colony.
Still, Mary was difficult for me to like in the early pages of the book. Her feelings of anger and resentment toward her family are understandable, she’s often left out and sometimes ridiculed, but her spite could be hard to take. And my beloved Elizabeth when seen through Mary’s eyes does not seem quite as wonderful as before, which is disconcerting.
But the realism of Mary’s character and feelings ultimately adds to the strength of the novel. And there’s good precedent in the original for enlivening the story by shaking up the reader’s comfortable notions. The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I abhorred Darcy just as much as Elizabeth did, so when he handed her that letter after his disastrous proposal at Hunsford Parsonage, I was as shocked and disoriented as she was. The Forgotten Sister provides some of that same, wonderful eye opening catharsis, and by the end of the book Mary has a new and promising future.
The Forgotten Sister opens before the events of Pride and Prejudice, with Mary recounting her story in her own words. She begins with an admission of early worries, “For the best part of nine years--from the age of four until just before I turned thirteen--I prayed for a brother every night.” (8) By then family life is strained, but early on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are carefree and happy. Young Jane and Elizabeth are doted on by their parents, who are optimistic there is still time to produce a male heir and secure their entailed estate. Everything changes though when Mary, a third daughter, is born. Worries set in. The Bennets begin bickering. About a month after Mary’s birth Mrs. Bennet has an attack of nerves so acute that Mary is sent away to a wet-nurse, Mrs. Bushell, with whom she stays for several years. From then on, neglect by and separation from her family become recurring patterns in Mary’s life.
The Forgotten Sister provides new background to explain Mary’s personality. A frightening encounter when she is young makes her timid and tongue tied. The kindness shown by her pious instructor pushes Mary toward rigid religious beliefs, though the harsh moralizing mini-sermons she sometimes gives are just an awkward girl’s attempt to join the conversation. Because all four of her four sisters are paired in close bonds, Elizabeth with Jane and Lydia with Kitty, Mary is left without a close companion in the family, and being often on her own does not help her acquire social skills.
At the assembly dance where Jane catches the eye of Bingley and Elizabeth begins her antipathy for Darcy, Mary has her own pivotal encounter. She bumps into the handsome son of her former wet-nurse as he races up the stairs to join his band, and then Mary can’t stop trying to spot Peter Bushell through the crowd. Though far beneath Mary in station he’s a talented musician. When their eyes meet as he is playing his fiddle he smiles and, she cannot help herself, she smiles back, though she then resolves to look at him no further because she “…could not possibly befriend a person of his order.” (110)
But Peter is kind during their brief encounters, leaving Mary alternately relaxed and flustered. Though her feelings are decidedly mixed she’s left with a strong desire to see him again. But would it be proper? Mary’s religion councils her that all people are equal in the eyes of God, but that’s not what society says. Increasingly drawn to Peter, Mary remains deeply divided. How does an inexperienced, devout girl decide what to do?
The unique slant and moving insights of The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet’s Pride and Prejudice kept the book in my hands any moment I had free. It’s fascinating to see younger versions of the characters from Pride and Prejudice, and events that took place before and after that story. I love when a novel incorporates fascinating bits of history or offers vicarious travel pleasures, and The Forgotten Sister has the surprising bonus of taking us by ship around the world to rough and tumble Australia when it is still part penal colony.
Still, Mary was difficult for me to like in the early pages of the book. Her feelings of anger and resentment toward her family are understandable, she’s often left out and sometimes ridiculed, but her spite could be hard to take. And my beloved Elizabeth when seen through Mary’s eyes does not seem quite as wonderful as before, which is disconcerting.
But the realism of Mary’s character and feelings ultimately adds to the strength of the novel. And there’s good precedent in the original for enlivening the story by shaking up the reader’s comfortable notions. The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I abhorred Darcy just as much as Elizabeth did, so when he handed her that letter after his disastrous proposal at Hunsford Parsonage, I was as shocked and disoriented as she was. The Forgotten Sister provides some of that same, wonderful eye opening catharsis, and by the end of the book Mary has a new and promising future.
November 19, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this P&P adaptation more that I expected to. The narrative from Mary's point of view is believable, and the story of her own romance interspersed among the known events from P&P is done well. Paynter has taken the little we know about Mary and given her a distinct personality and an interesting future.
Regarding Elizabeth, some have commented that that characterization was a little "off" and I agree to some extent. It's certainly less flattering, but that's not what bothered me. I'm just not convinced that . She's far more prudent than that.
Regarding Elizabeth, some have commented that that characterization was a little "off" and I agree to some extent. It's certainly less flattering, but that's not what bothered me. I'm just not convinced that . She's far more prudent than that.
June 8, 2015
Austen trimmed her quill razor sharp before committing the character of Mary Bennett to the page. Moralizing, plain, awkward Mary--every reader knows her in real life, and if you think you don't... you're probably Mary. Unlike most Austen-based modern fan fiction, I can actually get behind the idea of continuing Mary's story. Lydia has landed her man, for whatever that's worth. Jane and Elizabeth, obviously, made off like bandits in the marriage department. Generic, forgettable Kitty will probably do fine for herself. But Mary? What is the future for a plain upper class regency girl who spends so much time with her foot in her mouth that she's learned how to moralize through her toes?
There are a lot of directions an imaginative author could go with that premise. She could, at the most basic level, be elevated into society by her sisters' connections far enough to finally land her own Mr. Collins. That's pretty dull, but there could be some decent humor along the way. She could turn out to actually just be a really rude bitch all along, with every perceived blunder just being another ruthless jab. I'd enjoy that. Maybe she was autistic. How would an autistic person navigate the hazards of Regency society? I don't know, but in the hands of a skilled author that could be quite the book! Shit, I don't know, maybe she could snap and take to impersonating a highwayman after living with her mother for a few decades of spinsterhood.
Anything. Anything at all would have been more interesting than this book.
Turns out Mary was just bland and awkward all along. Wooooo. Yaaaaay. The author does an extensive, if dull, job of explaining what Mary MEANT to say before quoting what she DID say in the original text. Eventually the story plods past the end of the original book, shuffles through a few gentle plot turns, and trundles along to its blandly happy conclusion. Not much of note happens in between. The end.
Sorry, Mary. I guess you weren't that memorable after all.
There are a lot of directions an imaginative author could go with that premise. She could, at the most basic level, be elevated into society by her sisters' connections far enough to finally land her own Mr. Collins. That's pretty dull, but there could be some decent humor along the way. She could turn out to actually just be a really rude bitch all along, with every perceived blunder just being another ruthless jab. I'd enjoy that. Maybe she was autistic. How would an autistic person navigate the hazards of Regency society? I don't know, but in the hands of a skilled author that could be quite the book! Shit, I don't know, maybe she could snap and take to impersonating a highwayman after living with her mother for a few decades of spinsterhood.
Anything. Anything at all would have been more interesting than this book.
Turns out Mary was just bland and awkward all along. Wooooo. Yaaaaay. The author does an extensive, if dull, job of explaining what Mary MEANT to say before quoting what she DID say in the original text. Eventually the story plods past the end of the original book, shuffles through a few gentle plot turns, and trundles along to its blandly happy conclusion. Not much of note happens in between. The end.
Sorry, Mary. I guess you weren't that memorable after all.
February 10, 2014
I always found a like for Mary - many claim she was unlikable and forgotten but her role I found the most relatable, for she was somewhat forgotten and held the intelligence of Elizabeth - she always held the ability to be a protagonist in a story.
I enjoyed this adaptation, Paynter worked hard to include mentions of Austen's classic and cleverly made sure to give a clear understanding of Mary and her situation.
Paynter gave Mary Bennett the voice and story she longed for, she did not romanticise circumstances regarding Mary's sisters. Mary was jealous, and almost rightly so, she was home sick and she was questioning herself.
I adore Pride and Prejudice and I am glad I took the time to read this version of Mary's story.
I enjoyed this adaptation, Paynter worked hard to include mentions of Austen's classic and cleverly made sure to give a clear understanding of Mary and her situation.
Paynter gave Mary Bennett the voice and story she longed for, she did not romanticise circumstances regarding Mary's sisters. Mary was jealous, and almost rightly so, she was home sick and she was questioning herself.
I adore Pride and Prejudice and I am glad I took the time to read this version of Mary's story.
May 6, 2012
Everyone knows the story of Pride & Prejudice. It’s one of the most famous novels and has been told and re-told many times. There are sequels, there are adaptations such as Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. This retelling is just a little different.
This focuses on Mary, who sits square in the middle of the five Bennet daughters. Younger than the beautiful Jane and the clever Lizzie, older than the sillier Kitty and Lydia, Mary is in a kind of sibling no-mans land. She isn’t a sympathetic character in the book, portrayed as bookish, prudish, lacking in musical talent and tiresome, a spouter of righteous remarks. Most P&P readers are passionate about the love story of Darcy and Elizabeth, amused by the cute coupling of Bingley and Jane, disapproving of the flirtatious Lydia and embarrassed by the shrill Mrs Bennet. Mary doesn’t enter into most people’s thoughts at all.
I’m not going to give a synopsis of this book because most people are familiar with the story even if they’ve not read the original. What Jennifer Paynter attempts to do here is to take an unsympathetic character, a very unlikable character and seek to give her a background, a reasoning. P&P starts when Mary is probably in her late teens, so we’re given very little insight into their childhood. Whilst this novel retells the events that occur in P&P, it starts before that and also goes past it.
Mary was the third daughter born into a line with an entailed estate, and as such her birth would’ve most likely been a disappointment to her parents. She falls behind two sisters who are very tight and ahead of two sisters who also become quite close, isolating her. Her father clearly favours Elizabeth for her wit and her mother clearly over-indulges the spoilt Lydia. Paynter suggests that Mary’s awkward position within the family helps shape the character she becomes. There’s no doubt that Paynter’s Mary is jealous of her sisters, for different reasons. She herself is quite plain, unlike Jane and Elizabeth who are well famed for their fair looks locally.
Mary Bennet is very much a study on sibling rivalries and relationships. Mary is rather a perfect character to shape into an adaption because the readers of P&P really do know (and care) so little about her. She isn’t a large part of the story in the way that Jane, or even Lydia were and she wasn’t a character that anyone probably spared more than five minutes on. She gets quite the raw deal and is therefore perfect to elevate to protagonist status and give commentary on the events that are occurring. Mary is intelligent, highly bookish and often overlooked, even by her very own family. She doesn’t travel with any of the other sisters when they go away, she isn’t included in their confidences and she’s conveniently placed throughout to give an impartial account on just what happens after Bingley leases Netherfield.
I will be honest – I don’t often read adaptations. I’ve read a couple of ‘what happened after…?’ ones revolving around Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage when I was younger but they were always quite unsatisfactory. But the reason I agreed to read this one is because it was about such a little known (even unimportant) character. And what I appreciated about it was that Paynter didn’t try and change Mary. She didn’t try and make the reader like her, or realise that really she was quite stunningly beautiful once she took off her glasses and got a new dress. Mary is awkward. She is relatively plain, although with quite nice eyes. She is socially inept and she is withdrawn. She’s pious and sometimes tedious and sometimes I wanted to just roll my eyes! Through shaping her a background, a childhood of being left out and mostly ignored, a traumatic event, a slight depression, the reader is instead granted an understanding into Mary’s quirks.
I think the sibling themes are very well explored. There are events in Mary’s childhood that lead to a sort of separation of her from her sisters and thus without her, the two bonds strengthen – the older and more sensible pair of Jane and Elizabeth and the younger and more reckless pair of Kitty and Lydia. And whilst those two pairs do grow they come to regard Mary as a loner, believing her not interested in them, shutting her out more which then intensifies Mary’s resentment and jealousy of her siblings and makes her further determined to withdraw herself from them emotionally. It’s a cycle that perpetuates itself into their adolescence. And because the book is told through Mary’s eyes and in Mary’s voice, she sees various characters quite differently, most notably Elizabeth. Although quite distant and often critical of all her sisters, Mary seems to reserve a particular jealousy for Elizabeth, the closest to her in age and yet so very different from her. Mary also feels as though Elizabeth has no time for her and that the affection she shows her sisters is bestowed upon her grudgingly, mostly at the urging of Jane, who is ever the peacemaker.
Mary does get a life outside of the Bennet family here, having a friend of her own and also a little romance that blossoms slowly. I did really enjoy the choice of love interest for her, I thought he was a perfect balance for the character of Mary and that her interactions with him showed a softer and much more accessible side, even though she made mistakes and found it hard to ‘let go’ of her scholarly ways.
If you like adaptations or you’re curious about the character of Mary, then I would advise to give this one a go. There’s a lot to like and the voice and tone in particular felt quite genuine and very much in keeping with Austen. If you are a very staunch Elizabeth fan and couldn’t bear to see her portrayed in another light, then this perhaps isn’t the book for you! As for me, I found it a very enjoyable and easy read. Whilst it does outline the events of the original P&P they are often glossed over and it doesn’t bog down the narrative repeating things that most people would already know. There were some definite strengths in the parts of the book that were original, the fleshing out of Mary’s character and her motivations.
This focuses on Mary, who sits square in the middle of the five Bennet daughters. Younger than the beautiful Jane and the clever Lizzie, older than the sillier Kitty and Lydia, Mary is in a kind of sibling no-mans land. She isn’t a sympathetic character in the book, portrayed as bookish, prudish, lacking in musical talent and tiresome, a spouter of righteous remarks. Most P&P readers are passionate about the love story of Darcy and Elizabeth, amused by the cute coupling of Bingley and Jane, disapproving of the flirtatious Lydia and embarrassed by the shrill Mrs Bennet. Mary doesn’t enter into most people’s thoughts at all.
I’m not going to give a synopsis of this book because most people are familiar with the story even if they’ve not read the original. What Jennifer Paynter attempts to do here is to take an unsympathetic character, a very unlikable character and seek to give her a background, a reasoning. P&P starts when Mary is probably in her late teens, so we’re given very little insight into their childhood. Whilst this novel retells the events that occur in P&P, it starts before that and also goes past it.
Mary was the third daughter born into a line with an entailed estate, and as such her birth would’ve most likely been a disappointment to her parents. She falls behind two sisters who are very tight and ahead of two sisters who also become quite close, isolating her. Her father clearly favours Elizabeth for her wit and her mother clearly over-indulges the spoilt Lydia. Paynter suggests that Mary’s awkward position within the family helps shape the character she becomes. There’s no doubt that Paynter’s Mary is jealous of her sisters, for different reasons. She herself is quite plain, unlike Jane and Elizabeth who are well famed for their fair looks locally.
Mary Bennet is very much a study on sibling rivalries and relationships. Mary is rather a perfect character to shape into an adaption because the readers of P&P really do know (and care) so little about her. She isn’t a large part of the story in the way that Jane, or even Lydia were and she wasn’t a character that anyone probably spared more than five minutes on. She gets quite the raw deal and is therefore perfect to elevate to protagonist status and give commentary on the events that are occurring. Mary is intelligent, highly bookish and often overlooked, even by her very own family. She doesn’t travel with any of the other sisters when they go away, she isn’t included in their confidences and she’s conveniently placed throughout to give an impartial account on just what happens after Bingley leases Netherfield.
I will be honest – I don’t often read adaptations. I’ve read a couple of ‘what happened after…?’ ones revolving around Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage when I was younger but they were always quite unsatisfactory. But the reason I agreed to read this one is because it was about such a little known (even unimportant) character. And what I appreciated about it was that Paynter didn’t try and change Mary. She didn’t try and make the reader like her, or realise that really she was quite stunningly beautiful once she took off her glasses and got a new dress. Mary is awkward. She is relatively plain, although with quite nice eyes. She is socially inept and she is withdrawn. She’s pious and sometimes tedious and sometimes I wanted to just roll my eyes! Through shaping her a background, a childhood of being left out and mostly ignored, a traumatic event, a slight depression, the reader is instead granted an understanding into Mary’s quirks.
I think the sibling themes are very well explored. There are events in Mary’s childhood that lead to a sort of separation of her from her sisters and thus without her, the two bonds strengthen – the older and more sensible pair of Jane and Elizabeth and the younger and more reckless pair of Kitty and Lydia. And whilst those two pairs do grow they come to regard Mary as a loner, believing her not interested in them, shutting her out more which then intensifies Mary’s resentment and jealousy of her siblings and makes her further determined to withdraw herself from them emotionally. It’s a cycle that perpetuates itself into their adolescence. And because the book is told through Mary’s eyes and in Mary’s voice, she sees various characters quite differently, most notably Elizabeth. Although quite distant and often critical of all her sisters, Mary seems to reserve a particular jealousy for Elizabeth, the closest to her in age and yet so very different from her. Mary also feels as though Elizabeth has no time for her and that the affection she shows her sisters is bestowed upon her grudgingly, mostly at the urging of Jane, who is ever the peacemaker.
Mary does get a life outside of the Bennet family here, having a friend of her own and also a little romance that blossoms slowly. I did really enjoy the choice of love interest for her, I thought he was a perfect balance for the character of Mary and that her interactions with him showed a softer and much more accessible side, even though she made mistakes and found it hard to ‘let go’ of her scholarly ways.
If you like adaptations or you’re curious about the character of Mary, then I would advise to give this one a go. There’s a lot to like and the voice and tone in particular felt quite genuine and very much in keeping with Austen. If you are a very staunch Elizabeth fan and couldn’t bear to see her portrayed in another light, then this perhaps isn’t the book for you! As for me, I found it a very enjoyable and easy read. Whilst it does outline the events of the original P&P they are often glossed over and it doesn’t bog down the narrative repeating things that most people would already know. There were some definite strengths in the parts of the book that were original, the fleshing out of Mary’s character and her motivations.
May 12, 2016
I went through screen after screen on my Kindle looking for something to read that would hold my interest more than some of the stuff I’ve tried lately, and for whatever reason this recommended itself to me. And by golly - it was a good choice. I *like* this. Continuations and alternate POV’s and alternate universe and alternate time periods of Pride and Prejudice are (almost literally) a dime a dozen, and I haven’t had great luck with them ere now. But now and then there's one worth the pixels it's, er, printed with.
So, yes, this is P&P from Mary’s point of view – first person Mary, in fact. I’ve always felt for Mary – clueless, perhaps not as smart as she thinks, discounted because she’s (at least apparently) brainier but less pretty and because she wears spectacles. It was one thing that the Keira Knightley P&P film did well, was break my heart over Mary – in one very tiny moment it was made obvious that Mary had fallen in love with Mr. Collins, poor girl, and she was shattered by the multiple blows of his only looking at her older, prettier sisters, along with Lizzie’s contemptuous rejection of him, and finally his quick engagement and marriage with Charlotte.
“Poor Mary”. That’s her, in a nutshell. So I kind of love that Jennifer Paynter decided to give her a voice, and – gently, surprisingly subtly – to shine a new light on the events surrounding P&P. I’ve used that metaphor before, I know, somewhere, of picking up a lamp and moving it to a different corner of a room; some areas that had been brightly lit before now fall into shadow, but some of the dark and hidden places become plainly visible, all due to a change of perspective. Some of the books that try to do this – like … oh, what was that Darcy POV one? His Good Opinion or some such? – succeed only in showing up patched wallpaper and stained carpet. This, though, this – this is lovely. And the different light shed on the beloved, well-known characters is ...well, illuminating. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how all the blanks were filled in in their histories, but I do have to say it works. And on top of this, there is an extension of the story for Mary, a conclusion – completely unexpected, and unexpectedly satisfying. Well done.
So, yes, this is P&P from Mary’s point of view – first person Mary, in fact. I’ve always felt for Mary – clueless, perhaps not as smart as she thinks, discounted because she’s (at least apparently) brainier but less pretty and because she wears spectacles. It was one thing that the Keira Knightley P&P film did well, was break my heart over Mary – in one very tiny moment it was made obvious that Mary had fallen in love with Mr. Collins, poor girl, and she was shattered by the multiple blows of his only looking at her older, prettier sisters, along with Lizzie’s contemptuous rejection of him, and finally his quick engagement and marriage with Charlotte.
“Poor Mary”. That’s her, in a nutshell. So I kind of love that Jennifer Paynter decided to give her a voice, and – gently, surprisingly subtly – to shine a new light on the events surrounding P&P. I’ve used that metaphor before, I know, somewhere, of picking up a lamp and moving it to a different corner of a room; some areas that had been brightly lit before now fall into shadow, but some of the dark and hidden places become plainly visible, all due to a change of perspective. Some of the books that try to do this – like … oh, what was that Darcy POV one? His Good Opinion or some such? – succeed only in showing up patched wallpaper and stained carpet. This, though, this – this is lovely. And the different light shed on the beloved, well-known characters is ...well, illuminating. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how all the blanks were filled in in their histories, but I do have to say it works. And on top of this, there is an extension of the story for Mary, a conclusion – completely unexpected, and unexpectedly satisfying. Well done.
July 19, 2016
Read this review and others at The Silver Petticoat Review: The Forgotten Sister-Mary Bennet’s Pride and Prejudice
Review by Mandi Bowerman
Overall Rating = 4; Romance Rating = 4
Jennifer Paynter’s novel tells the events of Pride and Prejudice through Mary Bennet’s eyes. The book starts years before the event of Jane Austen’s novel, and seeks to tell Mary’s story and what made her who she is. Here, readers will see Mary in a new light and even understand her better. She is not just the sister who embarrassed her family at Netherfield; she is so much more in the novel. For instance, Mary had it rough growing up: her father belittled her, she lived in the shadows of her sisters, and she was often looked at as slightly unhinged. Mary was sent away frequently, too. The book paints Mary as the oddball throughout the entire novel.
Her fringe existence with the Bennet family helps her observe events objectively. The book even adds in events that could explain some events in the novel. For example, Lizzie falls for a man similar to Mr. Darcy in her youth. The disaster of the love affair could have possibly added to her initial dislike of Darcy. After Wickham arrives in town, he impregnates the sister of Mary’s best friend. This is covered up and Mary is bound to secrecy. Mary’s morals are shaped when she watches her sisters fall in and out of love. The events make Mary a bit rigid and strict in her own behavior. The one outlet to her passion is music.
Mary loves the piano and is actually very skilled. We don’t see this in the films or even the book. Mary is able to be herself when she plays. I liked seeing this side of her in The Forgotten Sister. And in typical romantic fashion, she has a soulmate. Her soulmate goes by the name of Peter who is a poor violinist. The two have a past, his mother was Mary’s wet nurse, and the two instantly connect after not seeing each other for many years. Of course, a relationship between the two is not socially acceptable. Peter wants to head to Australia to make a name for himself, and wants Mary to go with him. The course of true love never did run smooth. Overall, the romance was written pretty well and believable. I did feel like the ending was rushed a bit. However, I do recommend it for Austen fans who want to know about Mary Bennet. It’s a good read and has enough romance to keep you happy.
Adaptation Recommendation
I think a movie about Mary Bennet would be great. It would be interesting to see another perspective on Pride and Prejudice events. I’m thinking a short miniseries would be sufficient to cover this book. I can see a Douglas Boothe or Theo James as Peter. As for Mary, there are lots of good, young actresses out there.
Review by Mandi Bowerman
Overall Rating = 4; Romance Rating = 4
Jennifer Paynter’s novel tells the events of Pride and Prejudice through Mary Bennet’s eyes. The book starts years before the event of Jane Austen’s novel, and seeks to tell Mary’s story and what made her who she is. Here, readers will see Mary in a new light and even understand her better. She is not just the sister who embarrassed her family at Netherfield; she is so much more in the novel. For instance, Mary had it rough growing up: her father belittled her, she lived in the shadows of her sisters, and she was often looked at as slightly unhinged. Mary was sent away frequently, too. The book paints Mary as the oddball throughout the entire novel.
Her fringe existence with the Bennet family helps her observe events objectively. The book even adds in events that could explain some events in the novel. For example, Lizzie falls for a man similar to Mr. Darcy in her youth. The disaster of the love affair could have possibly added to her initial dislike of Darcy. After Wickham arrives in town, he impregnates the sister of Mary’s best friend. This is covered up and Mary is bound to secrecy. Mary’s morals are shaped when she watches her sisters fall in and out of love. The events make Mary a bit rigid and strict in her own behavior. The one outlet to her passion is music.
Mary loves the piano and is actually very skilled. We don’t see this in the films or even the book. Mary is able to be herself when she plays. I liked seeing this side of her in The Forgotten Sister. And in typical romantic fashion, she has a soulmate. Her soulmate goes by the name of Peter who is a poor violinist. The two have a past, his mother was Mary’s wet nurse, and the two instantly connect after not seeing each other for many years. Of course, a relationship between the two is not socially acceptable. Peter wants to head to Australia to make a name for himself, and wants Mary to go with him. The course of true love never did run smooth. Overall, the romance was written pretty well and believable. I did feel like the ending was rushed a bit. However, I do recommend it for Austen fans who want to know about Mary Bennet. It’s a good read and has enough romance to keep you happy.
Adaptation Recommendation
I think a movie about Mary Bennet would be great. It would be interesting to see another perspective on Pride and Prejudice events. I’m thinking a short miniseries would be sufficient to cover this book. I can see a Douglas Boothe or Theo James as Peter. As for Mary, there are lots of good, young actresses out there.
September 10, 2018
Paynter comes up with an unusual back story for Mary Bennet, and concludes her story in an unusual location for Austen spinoffs. Unfortunately, that's the best I can say about this book.
The chief flaw of the novel is that simply no one is likable, except for Mary's love interest. Everyone in Mary's family is either self-absorbed, shallow, or dull, and the non-Austen characters aren't much better. Mary herself shows the occasional flash of spirit, but never really came to life for me. (As it turns out, she's not even all that plain--in time-honored Hollywood style, all she needs to do is take off her glasses, and she's the belle of the ball.)
There are also a number of subplots and episodes that seem quite pointless. For example, one of Mary's friends is seduced by Wickham, gets pregnant, and goes off to bear his child in secret; she gives up the child and then marries someone else. Much later, we learn that the married couple had a quarrel when the man heard about Wickham, and then made it up. That's it. I kept waiting for this subplot to lead to some epiphany for Mary or to otherwise to affect the main plot, but it could have been excised without the least effect.
At one point, a very minor character proposes offstage to Mary. She informs us that she refused, and that's the last we hear about this proposal or about the young suitor. Why bother telling us, then?
Then there is Mary's melancholia. Early in the book, she becomes deeply depressed to the point of having hallucinations and attacking one of her sisters. After enduring a lot of quack "cures," she's sent away to visit a family friend, after which she's suddenly back to her usual, socially awkward but perfectly sane self and is never troubled by melancholia again. Again, what's the point? The only one that I can see is that it provides an explanation for her tendency to spout truisms--but the author could have managed the same thing without the gratuitous mental illness.
And finally, there's the abrupt, strange, and utterly charmless ending, which instead of hearkening to a happy future dwells on the failings of Mary's father. If the author hadn't made it clear that this was indeed the "last word," I would have thought that my Kindle might be missing some text.
All in all, a disappointment. For a more agreeable P&P spinoff that focuses on Mary, try Terri Fleming's "Perception."
The chief flaw of the novel is that simply no one is likable, except for Mary's love interest. Everyone in Mary's family is either self-absorbed, shallow, or dull, and the non-Austen characters aren't much better. Mary herself shows the occasional flash of spirit, but never really came to life for me. (As it turns out, she's not even all that plain--in time-honored Hollywood style, all she needs to do is take off her glasses, and she's the belle of the ball.)
There are also a number of subplots and episodes that seem quite pointless. For example, one of Mary's friends is seduced by Wickham, gets pregnant, and goes off to bear his child in secret; she gives up the child and then marries someone else. Much later, we learn that the married couple had a quarrel when the man heard about Wickham, and then made it up. That's it. I kept waiting for this subplot to lead to some epiphany for Mary or to otherwise to affect the main plot, but it could have been excised without the least effect.
At one point, a very minor character proposes offstage to Mary. She informs us that she refused, and that's the last we hear about this proposal or about the young suitor. Why bother telling us, then?
Then there is Mary's melancholia. Early in the book, she becomes deeply depressed to the point of having hallucinations and attacking one of her sisters. After enduring a lot of quack "cures," she's sent away to visit a family friend, after which she's suddenly back to her usual, socially awkward but perfectly sane self and is never troubled by melancholia again. Again, what's the point? The only one that I can see is that it provides an explanation for her tendency to spout truisms--but the author could have managed the same thing without the gratuitous mental illness.
And finally, there's the abrupt, strange, and utterly charmless ending, which instead of hearkening to a happy future dwells on the failings of Mary's father. If the author hadn't made it clear that this was indeed the "last word," I would have thought that my Kindle might be missing some text.
All in all, a disappointment. For a more agreeable P&P spinoff that focuses on Mary, try Terri Fleming's "Perception."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2013
BEWARE SPOILER!
I really couldn't get into this book. I had seen it around and had already decided not to read it, as I am somewhat of an Austen puritan. However, it was given to me as a gift and so I felt obliged. It was as I suspected, offensive to me. I have often found that it is glaringly obvious when Australians and Americans try to write about the English culture, particularly in historical contexts. Characters are nearly always misconstrued and are relieved of any of the famous English subtlety or wit. Not only did I find it absurdly out of character (SPOILER ALERT) that Elizabeth, even at a younger age, to be involved in an affair, but the mis-interpretation of Austen's unquestionably brilliant characterisations scrunched and deformed to suit the Australian relish for gothic sexualisim and character depravity. It lacked depth and understanding. Having said this, I could not finish the book and therefore am unable to give a full and fair review. However I would consider it an ill omen if an avid reader and Austen lover could not only not finish but drove her to distraction at the tainting of a much loved and cherished classic.
I really couldn't get into this book. I had seen it around and had already decided not to read it, as I am somewhat of an Austen puritan. However, it was given to me as a gift and so I felt obliged. It was as I suspected, offensive to me. I have often found that it is glaringly obvious when Australians and Americans try to write about the English culture, particularly in historical contexts. Characters are nearly always misconstrued and are relieved of any of the famous English subtlety or wit. Not only did I find it absurdly out of character (SPOILER ALERT) that Elizabeth, even at a younger age, to be involved in an affair, but the mis-interpretation of Austen's unquestionably brilliant characterisations scrunched and deformed to suit the Australian relish for gothic sexualisim and character depravity. It lacked depth and understanding. Having said this, I could not finish the book and therefore am unable to give a full and fair review. However I would consider it an ill omen if an avid reader and Austen lover could not only not finish but drove her to distraction at the tainting of a much loved and cherished classic.
November 13, 2019
I really enjoyed this novel. Whilst I don't expect a Jane Austen novel I thought the author did a great job of capturing Jane's Austen's style. This is the first time I've really thought about Mary - the forgotten middle child, and after reading this book I feel a little "ashamed"! The novel re-tells the events of Pride and Prejudice but the stories of Lizzy and Jane are very much in the background with Mary narrating her romance with Peter which was lovely.
What I thought was very clever about this novel was that the author seems to have made Peter and Mary the reverse of Lizzy and Mr Darcy with Mary as Mr Darcy falling in love with Peter who is not of her "class" and Peter as the charming "Lizzy". I loved the ending and as an Australian it was quite nostalgic for me to think of Mary migrating to early Australia and building a life here with Peter.
What I thought was very clever about this novel was that the author seems to have made Peter and Mary the reverse of Lizzy and Mr Darcy with Mary as Mr Darcy falling in love with Peter who is not of her "class" and Peter as the charming "Lizzy". I loved the ending and as an Australian it was quite nostalgic for me to think of Mary migrating to early Australia and building a life here with Peter.
May 18, 2016
I enjoyed this take on Pride and Prejudice which is all from Mary's point of view. Although she really only has two main scenes in the original novel,so the author has quite a bit of freedom to create a life for her during this time period. New characters and storylines were provided that sat outside of the purview of Elizabeth and Jane and that also meant that thank fully we were saved from too much of Mr Collins and Lady Catherine De Bourgh!
A lovely book for fans.
3.5 stars. Visit me here
A lovely book for fans.
3.5 stars. Visit me here
April 6, 2025
4,5 Rounded Up to 5
Published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
The Forgotten Sister follows Mary Bennet’s journey from her early childhood to several years after the events of Pride & Prejudice, and while it recounts much of what we already know, it also adds new situations and characters that enrich the plotline.
The book is narrated from Mary’s perspective in the first person, a style that made me feel more engaged in her story and her struggles. It allowed me to better connect with her and even understand why she behaved the way she did. When a book is well-written, I always find first-person narration more engaging, and that was definitely true here. I did however, started getting tired of seeing her admit she said the wrong thing over and over again because it felt like she was unable to learn on how to behave with other people.
The fact that the book tells us Mary’s story since infancy until after the P&P events was very interesting because it allowed us to understand a little more all the characters and events of P&P while at the same time bringing a refreshing set of new characters and storylines. Some people may feel a bit disappointed with Elizabeth’s portrayal, but I felt it made perfect sense to see her that way if we consider Mary’s perspective.
While I loved diving deeper into Mary’s character and exploring a side of her that was entirely neglected by her family, I didn’t find her love story particularly compelling or believable. Despite that, the final chapters did provide an intriguing and fresh take on her literal journey to finding love, which added an interesting twist. In fact, I loved Mary’s description of her journey to her new home and especially the description of this new world, and how she chose to portray it to her family. Her actions reminded me of the actions that people often have in our modern world where it appears that only a happy and perfect life is acceptable, and that it is the only facet that should be shared with others.
Overall, this is a very interesting and engaging story that gives a whole new perspective on Mary’s character and that remained true to her personality while giving it a much needed context. I highly recommend it to those who love Mary Bennet 😊
Published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
The Forgotten Sister follows Mary Bennet’s journey from her early childhood to several years after the events of Pride & Prejudice, and while it recounts much of what we already know, it also adds new situations and characters that enrich the plotline.
The book is narrated from Mary’s perspective in the first person, a style that made me feel more engaged in her story and her struggles. It allowed me to better connect with her and even understand why she behaved the way she did. When a book is well-written, I always find first-person narration more engaging, and that was definitely true here. I did however, started getting tired of seeing her admit she said the wrong thing over and over again because it felt like she was unable to learn on how to behave with other people.
The fact that the book tells us Mary’s story since infancy until after the P&P events was very interesting because it allowed us to understand a little more all the characters and events of P&P while at the same time bringing a refreshing set of new characters and storylines. Some people may feel a bit disappointed with Elizabeth’s portrayal, but I felt it made perfect sense to see her that way if we consider Mary’s perspective.
While I loved diving deeper into Mary’s character and exploring a side of her that was entirely neglected by her family, I didn’t find her love story particularly compelling or believable. Despite that, the final chapters did provide an intriguing and fresh take on her literal journey to finding love, which added an interesting twist. In fact, I loved Mary’s description of her journey to her new home and especially the description of this new world, and how she chose to portray it to her family. Her actions reminded me of the actions that people often have in our modern world where it appears that only a happy and perfect life is acceptable, and that it is the only facet that should be shared with others.
Overall, this is a very interesting and engaging story that gives a whole new perspective on Mary’s character and that remained true to her personality while giving it a much needed context. I highly recommend it to those who love Mary Bennet 😊
August 2, 2015
Mary Bennet is probably the least developed character in Pride and Prejudice, but Jane Austen gives us enough of her to set an expectation of who she might be. Paynter takes that expectation and develops a full-blown, believable version of Mary, who sees the events of which we are so familiar in a much different light.
Paynter does not focus on simply retelling Austen's story, but departs from it into the things that are central to Mary's life and separate from her sisters. This allows for reading the book with both a sense of the familiar that the characters provide but also a sense of the undiscovered that is necessary to keep an interest. Of course, no one can really retell Pride and Prejudice, Austen has achieved perfection--nothing else required.
By a short distance into the book, this becomes Mary's story and hers alone. Paynter has done a good job of imagining what that story would be and weaving Mary into a character that has depth. If I had any complaint it would be with the departures that she makes from the original character traits that we feel we KNOW about both Jane and Elizabeth. The other characters are not vastly changed, although Mr. Bennet is given a less kindly demeanor...but then it isn't unreasonable to think that different daughters might view their father differently. I am sure that there were sides to my father that my sisters failed to see or appreciate in the same way that I did.
While not an exciting or phenomenal read, this was a bit of fun and not entirely disappointing. I would like to see what Paynter is able to do with an original subject that does not have a background story upon which to build. Her writing style is quite nice and her ability to describe places and people vividly drew me into the story when it departed from the original.
Paynter does not focus on simply retelling Austen's story, but departs from it into the things that are central to Mary's life and separate from her sisters. This allows for reading the book with both a sense of the familiar that the characters provide but also a sense of the undiscovered that is necessary to keep an interest. Of course, no one can really retell Pride and Prejudice, Austen has achieved perfection--nothing else required.
By a short distance into the book, this becomes Mary's story and hers alone. Paynter has done a good job of imagining what that story would be and weaving Mary into a character that has depth. If I had any complaint it would be with the departures that she makes from the original character traits that we feel we KNOW about both Jane and Elizabeth. The other characters are not vastly changed, although Mr. Bennet is given a less kindly demeanor...but then it isn't unreasonable to think that different daughters might view their father differently. I am sure that there were sides to my father that my sisters failed to see or appreciate in the same way that I did.
While not an exciting or phenomenal read, this was a bit of fun and not entirely disappointing. I would like to see what Paynter is able to do with an original subject that does not have a background story upon which to build. Her writing style is quite nice and her ability to describe places and people vividly drew me into the story when it departed from the original.
August 7, 2014
This book was enjoyable but not life changing. It does precisely what you'd expect - it takes you through the world of Pride and Prejudice through Mary Bennet's eyes. The author does an excellent job of maintaining important aspects of Jane Austen's style and language, and I enjoyed getting to re-experience some of my favorite moments from P&P. Mary explains her most cringe-inducing actions with humility, but also demonstrates strength and confidence in amounts that helped me to root for her. If you liked P&P, you will probably enjoy this. If author Jennifer Paynter were to write additional perspectives (Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, Jane, Lydia, Charlotte, etc.), I would read them. I believe she could make me sympathetic even to Mr. Collins. Every real person is more than just a collection of ridiculous flaws that foil another, more important person's attempts at happiness. Paynter shows us this with Mary Bennet. It would be interesting to see her take on this challenge with even more ridiculous characters from the original novel.
April 21, 2014
Excellent extension of Austen's own work from an unexpected viewpoint.
Excellent extension of Austen's own work from an unexpected viewpoint.
If there is one thing that completely destroys our pleasure in reading a modern imitation of Jane Austin's work it is the inclusion of careless anachronisms. Ms. Paynter has done her homework and succeeded in writing a very enjoyable volume from the first person viewpoint of the middle sister Mary, the much-maligned and neglected sister of Elizabeth Bennett. The language and attitudes of persons of the early 1800s has been carefully reproduced. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the original Pride and Prejudice.
Excellent extension of Austen's own work from an unexpected viewpoint.
If there is one thing that completely destroys our pleasure in reading a modern imitation of Jane Austin's work it is the inclusion of careless anachronisms. Ms. Paynter has done her homework and succeeded in writing a very enjoyable volume from the first person viewpoint of the middle sister Mary, the much-maligned and neglected sister of Elizabeth Bennett. The language and attitudes of persons of the early 1800s has been carefully reproduced. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the original Pride and Prejudice.
December 31, 2016
4.5 stars. This was one of the better P&P variations I've read in awhile. There were a few things that didn't sit well with me but the book was so well written and interesting, I quickly overlooked them. I recently read a P&P variation where Elizabeth was practically up for sainthood, this story made Elizabeth not quite cruel but definitely human. This wasn't a everything is roses book but not so dark that it was depressing.
April 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this! The perspective of Mary is one I never considered and I grew to love her quirks and personality throughout the novel. The author stayed true to the original story, but there was more scandal than the original P&P. It was a nice read, and I listened to parts as well and the narrator was perfect. It might have been a slow start but I'm glad I stuck with it. Definitely recommend for Austen fans!
November 19, 2014
You've heard the expression "the 'fun' in dysfunctional"? That's Pride and Prejudice, wherein Lizzy and Jane are two level-headed, good-hearted girls who keep their calm (and sanity) while surrounded by idiots. Thank God for a sense of humor, right?
Not from Mary Bennet's perspective. Relating the same events (and much more) in her first-person voice, The Forgotten Sister portrays a family that suffers deeply from Mr. Bennet's favoritism of his second daughter Elizabeth and contemptuous treatment of Kitty, Lydia, and especially Mary. In this story Lizzy's sparkling wit-- encouraged by her father-- comes off as conceited and hurtful, although flashes of self-awareness redeem her character. (A surprising backstory also adds complexity to her love/hate relationship with Darcy.) And Mr. Bennet's sarcasm absolutely wounds.
But it's Mary who makes this book. While P&P dismisses her as a weak-minded prig, The Forgotten Sister interprets Mary as a survivor-- of depression, childhood abuse, and a dysfunctional family dynamic-- who dares to choose an unconventional future. Every bit as intelligent as Elizabeth (and endowed with the same "fine eyes"), Mary's awe of her father nevertheless reduces her to hiding her own voice behind quotations and platitudes. That embarrassing performance at the Netherfield ball becomes a pivotal moment, surprisingly rich and bittersweet; and her personal growth and ultimate leap of faith had me cheering!
This book's entire concept is so intriguing that I only wish that the author could have told us more about Bennet family psychology. For example, how did Lizzy process her romance with Darcy in light of the posited backstory? Does Lydia have any depth? As it is, the book drags in places-- particularly during the events of Pride and Prejudice-- although it shines when interpreting the sisters' childhoods and lives post-P&P.
All in all, I don't think that this interpretation entirely "convinces"me: It's definitely not what Jane Austen was getting at, and it doesn't "fit into" or complete the classic work with any staggering neatness. Pride and Prejudice fans, however, shouldn't miss it. Originality (will I ever view Mary, Elizabeth, or Mr. Bennet in quite the same light??) and above-average writing make this one worth reading.
....And I'll add that The Forgotten Sister slips in allusions to the 1995 BBC miniseries, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. If you've watched that version as often as I have, you'll know them when you see them!
Not from Mary Bennet's perspective. Relating the same events (and much more) in her first-person voice, The Forgotten Sister portrays a family that suffers deeply from Mr. Bennet's favoritism of his second daughter Elizabeth and contemptuous treatment of Kitty, Lydia, and especially Mary. In this story Lizzy's sparkling wit-- encouraged by her father-- comes off as conceited and hurtful, although flashes of self-awareness redeem her character. (A surprising backstory also adds complexity to her love/hate relationship with Darcy.) And Mr. Bennet's sarcasm absolutely wounds.
But it's Mary who makes this book. While P&P dismisses her as a weak-minded prig, The Forgotten Sister interprets Mary as a survivor-- of depression, childhood abuse, and a dysfunctional family dynamic-- who dares to choose an unconventional future. Every bit as intelligent as Elizabeth (and endowed with the same "fine eyes"), Mary's awe of her father nevertheless reduces her to hiding her own voice behind quotations and platitudes. That embarrassing performance at the Netherfield ball becomes a pivotal moment, surprisingly rich and bittersweet; and her personal growth and ultimate leap of faith had me cheering!
This book's entire concept is so intriguing that I only wish that the author could have told us more about Bennet family psychology. For example, how did Lizzy process her romance with Darcy in light of the posited backstory? Does Lydia have any depth? As it is, the book drags in places-- particularly during the events of Pride and Prejudice-- although it shines when interpreting the sisters' childhoods and lives post-P&P.
All in all, I don't think that this interpretation entirely "convinces"me: It's definitely not what Jane Austen was getting at, and it doesn't "fit into" or complete the classic work with any staggering neatness. Pride and Prejudice fans, however, shouldn't miss it. Originality (will I ever view Mary, Elizabeth, or Mr. Bennet in quite the same light??) and above-average writing make this one worth reading.
....And I'll add that The Forgotten Sister slips in allusions to the 1995 BBC miniseries, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. If you've watched that version as often as I have, you'll know them when you see them!
January 28, 2016
Although this retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is without Austen's writing style or prose, Jennifer Paynter's ability to describe places and people drew me into the story of the forgotten sister: Mary Bennet. Though odd one-liners from Pride and Prejudice (Austen) are present, they seem only to be present to draw Mary Bennet's storyline parallel to Austen's.
It is in many ways a story of a girl that lives a completely isolated life from her family, much by her own choice but also simply by the fact that her sisters confine themselves into pairs.
The tale of Mary Bennet through Jennifer Paynter's eyes is quite the intellect girl that, although innocent, already as a young girl possess a refinement, which her sisters lack. Though her constitution brings her into a fit of melancholia when her best friend leaves Hertfordshire.
When she is quite recovered again we find her a much less talkative person, one that mainly converses with her mind. And although one known the story of Pride and Prejudice, the pride, vanity and prejudice of mind is never quite present in Paynter's version. Therefore, I do not give the book's title any credit. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice gave us a looking glass into her societies vanity and pride, and how that affected their prejudices. However, in Paynter's the Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice we do not revisit this, as Mary is quite without the flaws of her family. Her vanity is only mentioned in regards to her musical accomplishments, the foolishness of her family and lastly her concerns for disregarding society. Her prejudice towards others is by best limited, she is presented as the best of the Bennet girls, who defies her status to be with the man she loves.
That said, I enjoyed reading this tale and would like to read something original by Jennifer Paynter.
It is in many ways a story of a girl that lives a completely isolated life from her family, much by her own choice but also simply by the fact that her sisters confine themselves into pairs.
The tale of Mary Bennet through Jennifer Paynter's eyes is quite the intellect girl that, although innocent, already as a young girl possess a refinement, which her sisters lack. Though her constitution brings her into a fit of melancholia when her best friend leaves Hertfordshire.
When she is quite recovered again we find her a much less talkative person, one that mainly converses with her mind. And although one known the story of Pride and Prejudice, the pride, vanity and prejudice of mind is never quite present in Paynter's version. Therefore, I do not give the book's title any credit. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice gave us a looking glass into her societies vanity and pride, and how that affected their prejudices. However, in Paynter's the Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice we do not revisit this, as Mary is quite without the flaws of her family. Her vanity is only mentioned in regards to her musical accomplishments, the foolishness of her family and lastly her concerns for disregarding society. Her prejudice towards others is by best limited, she is presented as the best of the Bennet girls, who defies her status to be with the man she loves.
That said, I enjoyed reading this tale and would like to read something original by Jennifer Paynter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2016
Having read over 150 P&P novels, variations, sequels, what-ifs it takes a lot of to get my attention. This book delivered. It can't simply be sorted into a prequel or sequel or alternate, it is so much more.
Mary Bennet is the comic relief of P&P; bookish, plain and preachy. I don't think anyone ever read Jane Austen's work and thought 'What about Mary?' In sequels you accept whatever hand she is dealt and go back to reading about Darcy.
This book is truly different. We are transported to Mary's earliest moments, we see how the daughter after daughter wore down Mr & Mrs Bennet. We see how Mary is separated from her family, estranged from her sisters and becomes the sermon quoting priss we all shudder over.
This book treats the other Bennet girls honestly, perhaps too honestly for some fans. For every witty exchange Lizzy gives you are brought to ask - would I want to live with her?
In this story Mary in her early teens suffers from Melancholia and is sent to live with a friend in Bath. When she returns to Longbourn she befriends Mrs. Long's niece and observes the people of Meryton. Her perspective on Lizzy being slighted by Darcy is wonderful.
Because much of the book is truly original it holds your attention and delivers a delightful tale.
Mary Bennet is the comic relief of P&P; bookish, plain and preachy. I don't think anyone ever read Jane Austen's work and thought 'What about Mary?' In sequels you accept whatever hand she is dealt and go back to reading about Darcy.
This book is truly different. We are transported to Mary's earliest moments, we see how the daughter after daughter wore down Mr & Mrs Bennet. We see how Mary is separated from her family, estranged from her sisters and becomes the sermon quoting priss we all shudder over.
This book treats the other Bennet girls honestly, perhaps too honestly for some fans. For every witty exchange Lizzy gives you are brought to ask - would I want to live with her?
In this story Mary in her early teens suffers from Melancholia and is sent to live with a friend in Bath. When she returns to Longbourn she befriends Mrs. Long's niece and observes the people of Meryton. Her perspective on Lizzy being slighted by Darcy is wonderful.
Because much of the book is truly original it holds your attention and delivers a delightful tale.
July 4, 2016
Pride and Prejudice told from the point of view of the third Bennet daughter, Mary. I quite enjoyed this, although Mary did make me impatient from time to time, however I am not sure whether this is a reflection of her character or if it is a result of the fact that I read this while suffering with a relatively bad case of sinusitis or a head cold and everything made me feel impatient!
I felt annoyed with her justifications of things that she said or did as being due to nervousness or uncertainty (rather than superiority and legalistic piety, as seemed to be the case in Jane Austen’s version) and couldn’t decide whether she had been misunderstood, or whether she was actually a sly and deceitful little creature who managed to portray herself in a much better light.
Despite her piety, Mary does not extend too much love towards her sisters, and Elizabeth is especially singled out for her poor attitude toward Mary. So this is not recommended for anyone who likes their Elizabeth Bennet with only the flaws of which Jane Austen wrote!
I felt annoyed with her justifications of things that she said or did as being due to nervousness or uncertainty (rather than superiority and legalistic piety, as seemed to be the case in Jane Austen’s version) and couldn’t decide whether she had been misunderstood, or whether she was actually a sly and deceitful little creature who managed to portray herself in a much better light.
Despite her piety, Mary does not extend too much love towards her sisters, and Elizabeth is especially singled out for her poor attitude toward Mary. So this is not recommended for anyone who likes their Elizabeth Bennet with only the flaws of which Jane Austen wrote!
April 8, 2014
Much better than expected. While Paynter loses steam when the structure of Pride and Prejudice falls away and the romance seems a little far fetched, the rest of the book is a charming exploration of middle daughter Mary Bennet--how and why she is who she is. (If Elizabeth is your favorite character in all of literature, you may not like Paynter's portrayal, accurate though it may feel. Just remember that all of Elizabeth's barbs and cunning remarks have a target...)
In reading fan fiction masquerading as literature, I'd rank this one at the top of my list:
(1) The Forgotten Sister
(2) March
(3) The Flight of Gemma Hardy
(4) Death Comes to Pemberley
In reading fan fiction masquerading as literature, I'd rank this one at the top of my list:
(1) The Forgotten Sister
(2) March
(3) The Flight of Gemma Hardy
(4) Death Comes to Pemberley
March 14, 2018
Well, I wouldn't say it is a very elegant book. And so far I can say that the author should have researched the etymology of Regency words more accurately. Authors who don't research don't get good reviews. This book tries to make Mary Bennet stronger than in the original version of Pride and Prejudice; in my opinion, it doesn't succeed very well. I cannot recommend it.
April 28, 2015
I just downloaded the preview from Kobo.
It was well written but too much of a prequel of P&P for me & I felt the author was overestimating what the Bennets would be able to do, given their financial circumstances.
It was well written but too much of a prequel of P&P for me & I felt the author was overestimating what the Bennets would be able to do, given their financial circumstances.
May 26, 2014
A disappointment. Inconsistencies in writing style and much of the book is a reference to events in the original Pride and Prejudice which I found to be tedious.
December 23, 2016
slow starting. Lizzy is seen as far more unlikable than in P&P.
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