Mary B tells the story of Mary Bennet, one of the quietest characters in Pride and Prejudice. When rewriting or reworking such a beloved book, there are bound to be fierce critics. Pride and Prejudice happens to be my favorite, too, and as such, I was curious to read this new take on Mary. It's a solid book, with imaginative characterization and thoughtful plotting. It isn't quite satisfying, because I felt Mary never came across as very charismatic, however, it was an enjoyable read.

As I worked my way through the first third to half of the book, I came to the realization that its biggest challenge is Mary Bennett. She is just not that likable. You do feel a little sorry for her, but at the same time, she is her own worst enemy. Honestly, she's irritating.

“Gloom, despair, and agony on me… Deep, dark depression, excessive misery…” GLOOM, DESPAIR AND AGONY ON ME From the TV show “Hee-Haw” (1969 – 1992) Buch Owens & Roy Clark

Warning: To those who love P&P and Austen’s characters… this could be hazardous to your blood pressure. What was I thinking? Apparently, I wasn’t. Reading a story that features secondary and even tertiary characters of a popular book is iffy at best. This story focused on Mary, the middle child of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Within a few minutes of starting the story I was impressed with the Regency style of writing. The use of words and the attempt to mimic the Austenesque style was impressive. However, that soon bogged down as if I were walking six-inches deep in mud. As I continued reading… I was forced to put the book down several times in order to lower my blood pressure. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a good story with Mary, as I have read several that left me smiling and I was glad I read them.

This work was in three parts. Part 1 ended at 42% and I was ready to slit my own throat. If I were to categorize Mary… I’d say she suffered from Middle Child Syndrome. In birth order, she was sandwiched between Jane [the beauty], Lizzy [the lively wit and her father’s favorite], and the two younger, silly, sisters Kitty and Lydia [her mother’s favorite]. She felt overlooked, unappreciated and neglected.

This was not a happy reading. It was dark, everyone abused and taunted Mary. She was the butt of a cruel joke by the neighbor boy as he tried to garner Jane’s attention. Even in the presence of their mother, the younger sisters would taunt her. Many times, their father was nearby and would simply shake his head and smirk… doing nothing. And that mother… she was quick to scrutinize Mary looks, appearance, her body and lack of enticing features… it was horrid. There were moments when Jane tried to comfort her but even then… Mary couldn’t overcome her abused feeling and wounded heart.

When Part 1 ended, Collins had married Charlotte, leaving Mary with a broken heart. Lydia had reached her youthful and silly goal of marrying before her sisters. Jane and Lizzy married their hearts desire and Mary was invited to visit Pemberley.

We were in her head for the POV… it was self-reflecting, self-evaluating and a rather dismal place. All the negative emotions known to man were experienced by our Mary and thought upon ad nauseam. To be honest… I didn’t like her one bit. At times she was cruel and vindictive and just plain nasty. Just when I wanted to chuck the whole thing, she would have an endearing conversation with Darcy. I liked him… until I started to suspect something wasn’t just right. Since Part 1 followed the Austen timeline, I knew that Part 2 would be uncharted territory as Austen ended with only a shadow of future felicity between the older married sisters and their younger siblings.

Part 2: this was certainly not Austen… this was more Brontë with its dark reflection and soul shriveling, dejected angst. Mary was a series of contradictions and a far cry from Austen’s character. Who was this woman? What was her purpose in the story except to pull the reader down into her world of being bullied, neglected and ignored by everyone around her. With every ray of sunshine, our author provided a cloud or pouring rain. With every compliment, we were given a resounding negative feature of her person or character. Why am I still reading this book?

OMG!! The unthinkable has happened at Pemberley on more than one level and I am so disgusted. This is not Mary and certainly not Elizabeth. Our dear Colonel is no longer so dear or so nice. Oh-My-Gosh! I have an idea where I think this is going. Surely this author will not breach that trust. I think our author is on a quest to see how many ways thing can go really WRONG in Austen’s universe. Everything that could get screwed… did. Was this a ruse to squash the love the JAFF community has for Austen’s characters? Was this a treatment to diminish their behavior to the uncanny and ridiculous? What was the purpose of this story? Where was the love… this was a pale and thinly veiled impression of love? I didn’t see it.

OMG! It happened as I thought and then the author took this beyond… to the ridiculous… the inexcusable… the unthinkable… and finally, the unforgivable. I am so mad… I want to scream, to throw something, to cuss [I don’t curse but I might take it up], I want to burn this book [except it is an e-book], I am so upset I can’t breathe. This is not our beloved Austen characters… this is Dickens, Brontë and all those that write dark twisted and nefarious stories where the sun NEVER shines on our characters. Everything that could go dark did. Who is this Lizzy? Who is this Darcy? OMG! No-no-no-NO!!!

I am so disgusted. I hate this and wonder why I continued reading this... horrid, horrid story. I have NEVER seen this twisted plot-line before and I certainly hope I never see it again. I do not recommend this to my fellow JAFF readers unless you want a Twilight Zone type of story. I hate not finishing a story but I may do myself harm if I continue with this depressing dark story. Read it at your own will. Famous last words… like a train wreck… I had to look. I did finish it with shock and amazement at what the author did to this ending. DANG!!

I volunteered to read an uncorrected proof via the publisher and NetGalley... and now wish I hadn’t. The views expressed are my own. I barely finished this with my jaws clinched so hard I may need to see my dentist. I chose 3-stars for the creativity and the writing style. It was beautifully written for such a horrid outcome to our beloved characters. I am seriously displeased.

Mary B: A Novel by Katherine J. Chen is a delightful addition to the assorted novels linked to the characters of Pride and Prejudice. The writing style and content are reminiscent of Jane Austen's work, so much so that from the first page you are transported familiarly into the Bennet household. Chen reunites the reader with the five sisters and their engaging personalities, and most notably with Mary, the "plainest" of the siblings. Fans of Pride and Prejudice will not want to miss this one,

Why do so many people think they need to write their own version of Pride and Prejudice. This version didn't add anything,

I enjoyed this retelling quite a bit. The way the more beloved Pride & Prejudice characters are portrayed from Mary's point of view felt very authentic, given the nature of the story and what we know about Mr. Darcy, Lizzy & Mary. I think the second half of the story lagged a bit, and that's what kept me from giving this more stars.

I'm sad to say I was actually disappointed with this one. As a big Pride & Prejudice fan, I always enjoy checking out new takes on the story, and I was really intrigued by the concept of this book: finally getting to hear Mary's story. I'm not sure exactly why I was disappointed in this story; if it was because of the actual writing/story or if it was because this Mary was so different from the Mary I know and love. I appreciate the author's attempt at shedding new light on this mysterious character, it just wasn't the story for me.

This book is an interesting read for fans of Pride and Prejudice.Mary B tells the story of life in Regency England from the middle Bennet daughter, Mary's, perspective. Mary is the often ridiculed and neglected Bennet sister.

The first section of the novel is a scene very familiar to readers of Pride and Prejudice, Mr Collins visit to Longbourn and his rebuffed proposal to Lizzy. That he formed a deep friendship with Mary made perfect sense, and upon rethinking, it would have been a better match for all concerned if he had selected Mary as his wife.

The rest of the book occurs after the events told in Pride and Prejudice. Much of it is set at Pemberley, the home of Mr Darcy and Lizzy. Mary, away from the ridicule of her family, is allowed to blossom, and I did enjoy this very much. Her newfound confidence was wonderful to read. What I take issue with is how her relationship with Lizzy was handled. I rather resented that several of the most beloved characters in Pride and Prejudice were redrawn to the point of making them abhorrent to the reader. Add to that the fact that some of the plot points strayed from historical accuracy, and frankly, should have been fact checked.

But all in all, I did like this book. There is a great sense of liberation when the plain and (self proclaimed) uninteresting character of a book is able to bloom like a flower, find her inner voice and her passions, and become an independent woman. Is this too modern a sentiment for a Regency novel? Perhaps. But it certainly worked for Jane Austen when she wrote her most evolved character, Anne Elliot, in Persuasion. So why shouldn't Mary Bennet also find her own voice as a woman? Well done, Mary B.

I’ve read a number of Pride and Prejudice variations and sequels. Few of them have focused on Mary. While Mary B was very well written, I can’t say that I enjoyed the book. It deviated so much from the original that the characters of the original were essentially destroyed, so if other readers are devoted fans of Pride and Prejudice this book probably won’t be for them either.

This is not a sympathetic Pride and Prejudice variation. Readers for these books usually fall roughly into three categories: (1) the readers who want a new slant but keeping the main characters intact, (2) the readers who want to go completely off the rails from the original story, or (3) those who are reading for the historical fiction alone with no particular interest in Jane Austen's work. I fall into the first category and consequently found this variation changed too many characters' personalities. I don't feel this novel is particularly well written, but even if it had been there would have been too many beloved characters sacrificed in order to give Mary Bennet her own story.

I had always felt a little sorry for Mary Bennet so the premise of a novel from her viewpoint was intriguing. Ms. Chen certainly gave Mary her own chance to be center stage. Unfortunately in order to give Mary the lead role the author made the decision to substantially change almost everything I love from the original story. Mary has taken up writing and turns out her first novel in record time so this book is filled with Mary planning, plotting and writing a novel that Chen portrays as more Gothic than the Gothic novels of the period. For me, even the novel within the novel was poorly done.

I received a digital galley of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. Thank you.

This story is about exploring different endings than what was envisioned in Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice. The middle sister, Mary, is perceived as plain and that is how she lives her life. Until one day, she decides to escape her boring life and start writing… The writing starts Mary Bennett on a fantastic journey of adventure and heartbreak, love and sorrow as she grows into who she wants Mary B to become. Mary B is a regular pioneer in her time, fighting against the stereotypes of women. This novel is about relationships- yes, romance of course…but it is much more than that. It is about how the familial relationships set your path in life and how hard it is to break free from those patterns. Mary B struggles to find herself and then to love herself, and in this aspect it is a beautiful journey toward self-love. If you are wanting a really good, adventurous and meaningful read on an independent woman's journey... this is the book for you!!!

Pros: The writing is good. I felt like the author shows the reader what it is like to be Mary as a plain woman, often overlooked by family and friends. The adventures and the plot are good and keep me going, especially the last half to last third of the book.

Cons: Some readers may not like the way characters of Pride and Prejudice are portrayed in Mary B. If you are a die-hard fan of Austen’s work and appalled at the thought of the characters living a different life than the life that Austen set for them….skip reading this book. If you are open to reading a different version, then by all means dive into Mary B!

This is a pleasant read about a family with only daughters who find their only option is to marry well. But Mary Bennet wants to write and she does.

A different perspective of Pride and Prejudice as told from Mary Bennett’s point of view. A oftentimes sad story of a bullied young woman whose family takes her for granted and her bullish attitude toward those around her. Her intelligence and hope for acceptance has her unsure of herself and searching for love. A coming of age story that vastly differs from the original and changes the much loved characters you have enjoyed to one dimensional characatures of Lizzie, Jane, and Darcy.

Mary Bennet, undervalued by all, finds her redemption through writing. Chen provides sidelights on Austen's characters that bring a new depth to the events depicted in Pride and Prejudice - Elizabeth Darcy is not as fun as we imagined her, and Mr Collins reveals why he is so obsequious.

I greatly disliked this book.

First, the good. The prose is really, really great. There were some fantastic lines and keen, witty, insightful observations on life and society, which I really enjoyed. Mary's internal musings on wallflowers at a dance, for instance, were hilarious and sad and cutting and true, and given her permanent outsider status, she's got lots of these types of zingers. I loved that part of it and would love to read more from this author provided it is NOT a dismantling of a British classic.

Which brings me to what I didn't like: the reimagining and rewriting of a beloved classic. I like Pride and Prejudice. I'm not a diehard fan like some, but I liked it enough to have read it a couple times and watch the movie and miniseries. What this book helped me realize is that the only thing I really liked about P&P is Lizzie and Darcy and their growing relationship. What I hated about P&P is the rest of Lizzie's family (apart from Jane), who are just intolerable. What the first half of Mary B. does is mostly cut out Jane and Lizzie and their stories and focus on all the highly dislikeable characters, i.e., Mary, Lydia and Kitty (who are just unbearable), their mother, and Mr. Collins. Oof. This was a recipe for disaster in the making.

I need to confess that I stopped reading after Mary moves in with Lizzie and Darcy, more than halfway through the book, once I saw the continuing downward progression of Lizzie's character. It was rewritten and portrayed in such a negative light at distinct odds with P&P, and I didn't want to stay and witness beloved Lizzie's complete disintegration, all so that the unfavored sister could shine more brightly. I couldn't handle it. There was nothing attractive about the idea of forcing myself to finish just so I could see Mary get her happy ending at such a high cost to the reader.

I told a friend about this book and described the premise (essentially, P&P from Mary's perspective, and what happens afterward). Her reaction ("I don't think that book needed to be written") summed it up for me pretty well too.

My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my (unfortunately) honest review.

What a joy to read and kudus to the author for imagining a life for Mary as an independent woman. Looks are truly deceiving and what a heroine she is.

I am a sucker for almost any period piece whether it is literature, a play or some other literary device. However to make this book palatable I had to suspend any and all comparisons with the book it was supposed to imitate. OK, Pride and Prejudice is out of there mix and I am looking at this as a new period piece set in England during that wonderful period where women counted for less than nothing.

The characters in the book are despicable, unlikeable, miserable people who prey upon one another’s weaknesses and ultimately they all fall down. Lamentable events, tragedy, and more humiliation than one person can handle describes the narrator, Mary Bennet. I felt pity for her until I realized it was a wasted effort. She is her greatest enemy and perhaps of all those around her. A calamitous situation befalls her, boom on to the next and the next and the next.

Putting all that aside, I liked the book, I liked the writing, I wanted to know the next horrible embarrassment that was to be shouldered by our Poor Mary. Despite its fussiness the stilted language flowed nicely and was very readable.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC

I'm a sucker for anything that reads/sounds like Jane Austin. This is middle sister, Mary's story and what a story it is. You really get an insightful look at what makes Mary tick. I really liked this book and it kept my interest - in fact I stayed up late one night just to see if I could finish it. I received a free copy to read and review. The opinions in this review are mine and are what I feel about the book.

Mary B. started out promising; Chen does an adequate job capturing the tone and feeling of Austen's world in the early chapters of the book. The best parts of the book look at what might be hiding in the corners and behind the scenes in Pride and Prejudice, in the relatively blank spaces left in some of the lesser characters and scenes. Unfortunately, once the scenes inspired by the original have taken place, the novel quickly veers off course and Chen forces Mary to take on a temperament much closer to Jane Eyre than to Jane Austen. Chen redraws Darcy, Elizabeth, and other characters as well in ways that ring untrue and contradict unequivocal statements by Austen in the original text. This book might appeal to readers who crave an alternate world, where Mary could stand in for Austen herself, but not to those wanting more of the original.

Pride and Prejudice retold from the viewpoint of Mary Bennett, the plain and unpopular middle Bennett sister. In this version Mary's unattractiveness obscures an unexpected intelligence and wit, but Mary is improved at the expense of Elizabeth Bennett, who loses her sparkle and becomes whiney and shallow. No longer a comedy of manners, the story becomes sad and ponderous, and while the reader may feel sorry for Mary, she never becomes a likeable character. Readers who enjoyed Pride and Prejudice are likely to be very disappointed with this book.