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The Unexpected Miss Bennet Patrice Sarath 9780425244210 Books

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The Unexpected Miss Bennet Patrice Sarath 9780425244210 Books

I'm always on the lookout for Pride and Prejudice sequels that deal with characters other than Lizzy and Darcy, and when I saw this one about Mary, I was intrigued and excited. I always thought given some time to grow, Mary could have great potential and not remain one of the "silly" Bennet sisters.

And the start of this book seemed to be just what I'd hoped for. Mary starts off by questioning Fordyce's advice, as well as accepting the fact that she could never be truly accomplished in playing the pianoforte or singing. This was just what I'd hoped she'd come to realize, and that she could grow from there. Unfortunately, this book had a weak spot, and it colors the whole thing: the romance. The romance with Mr Aikens is completely unbelievable and as I kept reading, I expected another, more suitable gentleman to come along. Really, I thought Mr Aikens was meant to represent a silly character in Jane Austen's style: a Miss Bates, or Mary Musgrove type person. Surely he couldn't be the only love interest?

But no, I was wrong. Inexplicably, Mary kept turning her thoughts to Mr. Aikens, though their acquaintance was short and the one evening they had spent dancing, she found very odd, instead of a very happy event. After this, the story shifts tone a bit, in having Mary become Anne de Bourgh's companion. As I also enjoy sequels about Anne finally getting out from under her mother's thumb, I was excited by this, but it wasn't what I'd hoped it would be. When Mr Aikens returns to the story, he does something so shockingly stupid that I was turned right off. What little we were told about Mr Aikens led me to believe he seriously had ADHD, as he said he couldn't sit still and couldn't even pay attention more than a page when Mary read to him. And I didn't think a person as lively as he suited Mary at all. I don't want to give away the ending of the book, but suffice to say, he does something incredibly stupid without thinking of what the consequences might be, and that reflects poorly on Mary. Yet, of course, everyone seems to blame Mary for his stupidity.

Later, as the book was drawing to a close, it seems to me the author realized she hadn't really given a good reason why Mary should favor Mr Aikens, and the scene out under the tree on the way to Meryton is rushed, and completely without depth. I didn't believe in their romance at all and it was all I could do just to get to the end of the book.

As for the secondary story of Kitty going to London with Jane, there was hardly a point to it beyond having Kitty be the catalyst to bring Lydia and Wickham back to the story, and there was absolutely no reason for them to be in it. What was accomplished at the end with them? Their situation was, and will be, much the same as it was before, so I'm curious if this was merely filler by the author to reach a certain page count.

Overall, I was greatly disappointed with this book, as it started out so promising. The characters we know from Austen are written true to form, and it was only the new addition of Mr Aikens that was poorly written. He had no depth at all. He loves horses and can't sit still, not even to read. He dances energetically and dresses messily. Also he defers to others to make his decisions for him. That is literally the extent of his character. I didn't believe in the romance between him and Mary, and the only thing they share in common is that neither thinks the other will put up with them. That's not the best thing to base a marriage on.


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The Unexpected Miss Bennet Patrice Sarath 9780425244210 Books Reviews

I love the concept of this book. Mary Bennet grows from the severe and exasperating character portrayed in Pride and Prejudice into someone understandable and likable. I love that Mary is shown as capable of such growth. This novel is also true to the structure of Pride and Prejudice and is consistent with the period of time in which the action occurs. The characters are totally believable as a continuation of the original novel. I read Patrice’s book in three days. Couldn’t put it down.
I am a fan of "Jane Austen Variation" novels, books that use the characters from Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion or Sense & Sensibility and spin them off in new directions, while still keeping true to the voice of Jane Austen. I found this novel to be a great example of this niche genre. The story was entertaining, the characters were fresh and Patrice Sarath's voice was close enough to the spirit of Jane Austen that I felt like I was pulling on a set of comfortable old gloves.

If you loved Pride & Prejudice and would like to read a continuation of this story as seen through the eyes of one of the sister's of Liz Bennet, then do yourself a favor and purchase this wonderful novel.
While I much enjoy Jane Austin, I admit to finding "Fan Fiction" not very well done. It's a real balancing act to keep the author's character clean and believable.

Patrice Sarath does the trick, and I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I found Mary's development engrossing and credible. I also enjoyed the new take on Anne de Brough, who is often either short-shrifted, ignored or sent off into the aethersphere with incredible character changes.
I certainly hope to see "Kitty, the tigers, and Mr. Kent" someday soon.
"I've read lots of P&P sequels, variations, etc, and this is the best one for delineating and revealing Mary Bennet. The author takes her through a growing self-awareness, at times painful.
As a quiet middle sister myself, I felt a lot of sympathy for Mary. The story is well-written, plot interesting, and faithful to Jane Austen's characters.
Mary even spends some time at Rosings and stands up to Lady Catherine!

I only wish that an interesting sub-plot in London involving the Wickhams, Kitty, the Bingleys, and Caroline could have been more developed. But mayhap that's another book the author has in mind.
A really good Jane Austen fan fiction entry. It's one of only a few that focus on the pedantic middle sister, Mary, and it's done in an engaging manner. Mary becomes much more than a shell character, and her development throughout the novel is a study in perfect writing technique. All of our favorite characters appear, and they're all well done and in tune with the original novel.

I won't give away the story, but Mary has unexpected adventures at Rosings and elsewhere, and there is an unexpected suitor. The conclusion isn't so unexpected, and it seemed a bit rushed, but maybe that's because I liked the story so much I wanted more.

A definite good read for Jane Austen fans.
I'm always on the lookout for Pride and Prejudice sequels that deal with characters other than Lizzy and Darcy, and when I saw this one about Mary, I was intrigued and excited. I always thought given some time to grow, Mary could have great potential and not remain one of the "silly" Bennet sisters.

And the start of this book seemed to be just what I'd hoped for. Mary starts off by questioning Fordyce's advice, as well as accepting the fact that she could never be truly accomplished in playing the pianoforte or singing. This was just what I'd hoped she'd come to realize, and that she could grow from there. Unfortunately, this book had a weak spot, and it colors the whole thing the romance. The romance with Mr Aikens is completely unbelievable and as I kept reading, I expected another, more suitable gentleman to come along. Really, I thought Mr Aikens was meant to represent a silly character in Jane Austen's style a Miss Bates, or Mary Musgrove type person. Surely he couldn't be the only love interest?

But no, I was wrong. Inexplicably, Mary kept turning her thoughts to Mr. Aikens, though their acquaintance was short and the one evening they had spent dancing, she found very odd, instead of a very happy event. After this, the story shifts tone a bit, in having Mary become Anne de Bourgh's companion. As I also enjoy sequels about Anne finally getting out from under her mother's thumb, I was excited by this, but it wasn't what I'd hoped it would be. When Mr Aikens returns to the story, he does something so shockingly stupid that I was turned right off. What little we were told about Mr Aikens led me to believe he seriously had ADHD, as he said he couldn't sit still and couldn't even pay attention more than a page when Mary read to him. And I didn't think a person as lively as he suited Mary at all. I don't want to give away the ending of the book, but suffice to say, he does something incredibly stupid without thinking of what the consequences might be, and that reflects poorly on Mary. Yet, of course, everyone seems to blame Mary for his stupidity.

Later, as the book was drawing to a close, it seems to me the author realized she hadn't really given a good reason why Mary should favor Mr Aikens, and the scene out under the tree on the way to Meryton is rushed, and completely without depth. I didn't believe in their romance at all and it was all I could do just to get to the end of the book.

As for the secondary story of Kitty going to London with Jane, there was hardly a point to it beyond having Kitty be the catalyst to bring Lydia and Wickham back to the story, and there was absolutely no reason for them to be in it. What was accomplished at the end with them? Their situation was, and will be, much the same as it was before, so I'm curious if this was merely filler by the author to reach a certain page count.

Overall, I was greatly disappointed with this book, as it started out so promising. The characters we know from Austen are written true to form, and it was only the new addition of Mr Aikens that was poorly written. He had no depth at all. He loves horses and can't sit still, not even to read. He dances energetically and dresses messily. Also he defers to others to make his decisions for him. That is literally the extent of his character. I didn't believe in the romance between him and Mary, and the only thing they share in common is that neither thinks the other will put up with them. That's not the best thing to base a marriage on.