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Title details for The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough - Available

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet

by Colleen McCullough
Jen Taylor
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

Lizzy Bennet married Mr. Darcy, Jane Bennet married Mr. Bingley - but what became of the middle daughter, Mary? Readers of Pride and Prejudice will remember that there were five Bennet sisters. Now, twenty years on, Jane has a happy marriage and large family; Lizzy and Mr. Darcy now have a formidable social reputation; Lydia has a reputation of quite another kind; Kitty is much in demand in London's parlors and ballrooms; but what of Mary? Mary is quietly celebrating her independence, having nursed her ailing mother for many years. She decides to write a book to bring the plight of the poor to everyone's attention. But with more resolve than experience, as she sets out to travel around the country, it's not only her family who are concerned about her…

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 1, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780792762140
      • File size: 394019 KB
      • Duration: 13:40:52

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Colleen McCullough's homage to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is either dastardly or delicious, depending on your Austen loyalty. There should be no argument, however, over Jen Taylor's captivating narration. Her portrayal of Mary is spot-on. In this "sequel," the formerly bookish and shy Bennet sister blossoms twenty years later, throws off the protection of Darcy, and sets out to call attention to the plight of England's poor. The other sisters--Lizzie, Jane, Kitty, and Lydia--end up supporting Mary (or just end up) as she establishes model orphanages. Along the way, Mary falls in love with the deliciously Scottish Angus; encounters a highwayman; and is imprisoned by a crazy prophet--all memorably voiced. This is still upper-class nineteenth-century England, and Taylor's tone reflects it. An altogether entertaining listening experience. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 27, 2008
      McCullough’s (The Thorn Birds
      ) sequel to Pride and Prejudice
      vaults the characters of the original into a ridiculously bizarre world, spinning dizzily among plot lines until it finally crashes to a close. The novel begins 20 years after Austen’s classic ends, with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy trapped in a passionless marriage, Jane a spineless baby machine, Lydia an alcoholic tramp, Kitty a cheerfully vapid widow and Mary a naïve feminist and social crusader. Shrewish Mrs. Bennet’s death frees Mary from her caretaker duties, and, inspired by the writings of a crusading journalist, Mary sets off to document the plight of England’s poor. Along the way, she is abused, robbed and imprisoned by the prophet of a cave-dwelling cult. Darcy is the book’s villain, and he busies himself with hushing up the Bennet clan’s improprieties in service of his political career. His dirty work is carried out by Ned Skinner, whose odd devotion to Darcy drives his exploits, the nastiest of which involves murder. McCullough lacks Austen’s gently reproving good humor, making the family’s adventures into a mannered spaghetti western with a tacked-on, albeit Austenesque, happy ending.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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