Debut Review: Mary B

Author: Katherine J. Chen

Publication Date: July 24, 2018 

Publisher: Random House

The overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice casts off her prim exterior and takes center stage in this fresh retelling of the classic novel.

What is to be done with Mary Bennet? She possesses neither the beauty of her eldest sister, Jane, nor the high-spirited wit of second-born Lizzy. Even compared to her frivolous younger siblings, Kitty and Lydia, Mary knows she is lacking in the ways that matter for single, not-so-well-to-do women in nineteenth-century England who must secure their futures through the finding of a husband. As her sisters wed, one by one, Mary pictures herself growing old, a spinster with no estate to run or children to mind, dependent on the charity of others. At least she has the silent rebellion and secret pleasures of reading and writing to keep her company.

But even her fictional creations are no match for the scandal, tragedy, and romance that eventually visit Mary’s own life. In Mary B, readers are transported beyond the center of the ballroom to discover that wallflowers are sometimes the most intriguing guests at the party. Beneath Mary’s plain appearance and bookish demeanor simmers an inner life brimming with passion, humor, and imagination—and a voice that demands to be heard.

Set before, during, and after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Katherine J. Chen’s vividly original debut novel pays homage to a beloved classic while envisioning a life that is difficult to achieve in any era: that of a truly independent woman.

Mary Bennett is often the forgotten sister because she has no charming characteristics like Lizzy or Jane that stand out. Jane Austen paints Mary as plain, boring, dull, with her nose constantly in a book. Katherine Chen wanted a chance to put her spin on Mary’s character, and I must say I quite enjoyed this version of Mary, maybe even better than Austen’s (shhhhh!). By the time this novel ends, Mary has found a sense of self-confidence and her place in the world. I love that Chen’s approach to Mary was one of self-discovery. We do see some of the other beloved characters reappear (Lizzy, Darcy, Jane, Mary’s parents). Some I liked as characters in this novel and others I was not a fan of, but I had to remind myself often that this book is supposed to be through Mary’s eyes, so that could change a character’s appearance.

A child does not grow up with the knowledge that she is plain or dull or a complete simpleton until the accident of some event should reveals these unfortunate truths. 

Those who have tended to children or remember being young themselves will know the far range of a child’s imagination.

Because I am plain, others have always assumed in me a disinterest to the opposite sex, to romance, and accordingly, to marriage.

I have loved not once or twice but three times, which is three times more than anyone would believe of me.

Chen’s Mary is a fascinating creature. She is more outspoken than I imagined and she is smarter than anyone she meets in this novel. She is strong and will definitely be one of those female characters that you root for. I loved that Mary did not necessarily get what we see as a “happy ending” but that she was a character who found fulfillment in other places.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Random House in exchange for my honest review***