Posted on December 10, 2009 by Meg

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett is a new sequel to Pride And Prejudice, by Colleen McCullough. There have recently been a lot of sequels or retellings of the beloved Pride and Prejudice (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, or the Bollywood Bride and Prejudice, to a name a few), just proving how well-loved Jane and Mr. Darcy really are.

I have mixed feelings about Colleen McCullough. On one hand, she wrote the well-researched and racy Caesar’s Women and other novels set in ancient Rome. On the other hand, I haven’t quite forgiven her for Thorn Birds.

Now, I love Pride and Prejudice.The story is an understated comedy of formal manners and romantic expectations, plus nerdy girls everywhere agree that Mr Darcy is a catch. I love it because it also shows that the clever use of sarcasm can make any difficult situation better.

I was excited for some more brilliant Elizabeth / Darcy banter, and I was interested in seeing how the relationship matured. Would seventeen years of marriage to Elizabeth get Darcy laughing and lighthearted, or would she find that the dark, sarcastic, brooding type can be hard to live with? Are Jane and Bingley cheated by every servant, as Mr. Bennett predicted at the end of Pride and Prejudice?

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