Mrs. Bennet Has Her Say – Jane Juska

Mrs. Bennet Has Her SayThe Price of Marrying Without Affection...

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

What prompted Mrs. Bennet to marry Mr. Bennet? Was their marriage always one of disinterest and little affection?

These are just some of the things I sometimes wonder about Bennets. Jane Austen paints their marriage as one of unhappiness, inequality, and discontent.  Was there ever a time of happiness and hope?  I was so glad when I discovered that someone published a story about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. I was even more pleased when I discovered that the story was fully comprised of letters and diary entries. And not only does Mrs. Bennet have her say in this book, but Mr. Bennet does too, as the diary entries are from him! With Mrs. Bennet’s letters to her sister and Mr. Bennet’s diary entries readers can observe their honest thoughts, candid feelings, and private experiences. But readers should be warned that the content of these letters are at times very shocking, bawdy, and a bit unseemly. It would appear that the act of physical congress is often the topic of choice in both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s communications… (Recommended for Mature Audiences)

The story begins with their wedding night and it is soon revealed that Mrs. Bennet, at the tender age of fifteen, had a pressing ulterior motive for accepting Mr. Bennet’s sudden proposal. Just like her daughters, Mrs. Bennet liked a red coat very well – a Colonel Millar to be specific – and like her daughters, she was devastated when his regiment left town. But it would appear that a couple of years later their paths cross again. Will their passionate romance be rekindled? Will all be told? Or will Mrs. Bennet find contentment with her family and life with Mr. Bennet?

While I absolutely adore the idea of a Pride and Prejudice prequel about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, I’m afraid this story isn’t one that left me satisfied or happy. The author’s portrayal of Mr. Bennet is most unflattering and unlikable. It seems from the minute he says “I do” he is adamant about procuring a son, and is at his wife incessantly until she is with child. Furthermore, besides being careless and indolent, this Mr. Bennet is obtuse, unfeeling, vulgar, and keeps very poor personal hygiene. (In short, he was a little gross.)

Mrs. Bennet is portrayed in a slightly more favorable light – readers see her attempting to improve herself several times (which is admirable), but in the end it seems she is no better off for those attempts. Nothing positive is gained, no redemption or personal growth. Instead, at the end, the author heavily hints that Mrs. Bennet might be losing her mental faculties and is becoming more and more mentally unstable.

Two other aspects of the story I wasn’t too fond with were Elizabeth and Mr. Collins. Elizabeth was portrayed as a troublesome and angry infant who apparently loathed her mother since fetus. (I think this was just a trifle overdone). Also, the Mr. Collins who comes to visit was the same age as Mrs. Bennet. Not sure how this is possible as in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins (the son) is a “man of five and twenty.”  If it is Mr. Collins (the father), then he would need to have had an illegitimate child three years before the events of this book take place, at the age of fifteen… And why would Mr. Collins and the Bennets assume he is certain to inherit Longbourn’s at this point, they are only three years into their marriage, Mrs. Bennet has still many more years of child-bearing…

While I appreciated the author’s style, tone, and use of language, I’m sorry to say I found the overall content disappointing and disheartening. It wasn’t my cup of tea to see Jane Austen’s characters (who yes, are sometimes seriously flawed and ridiculous) portrayed in such negative and unsympathetic light. Readers who are not ardent admirers of the Austenesque genre may not be as bothered by this, but I’m afraid I was. I think there is a wonderful and compelling story to tell about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their marriage, and I hope one day someone will write it!

Add to Cart   I   Add to Shelf

 

 

12 comments

  1. Thanks for your honest review Meredith. This does not sound like my cup of tea either. Pity as it could have been a really good story

  2. Enjoyed your review Meredith. I see the Bennets’ marriage coming from infatuation on his side, being attracted to a pretty face and bubbly personality into thinking that they had more in common than they did. I think it took years for them to come to the relationship that they ended up with.

    1. Thanks for sharing, Ceri! I agree with you. From this author’s perspective it seemed that the only thing that attracted Mr. Bennet to Mrs. Bennet was that she had the bearing of a good “breeder.”

  3. Thanks for the review Meredith! I too have always wanted a story from Mrs. Bennet’s point of view but I don’t think this will be the one.

  4. This does sound disappointing. Flawed and foolish, yes, I’ll buy that about Mr and Mrs. Bennet, but the darker stuff and that a gentleman of his standing would be vulgar and gross? No. Nice review!

    1. I appreciate it, Sophia! It is never easy for me to write these kinds of reviews. Poor Mr. Bennet, I hope I forget what I read about it him because I don’t want to ever think of him as gross.

  5. I am so appreciative of your reviews. You always give an honest account of your reactions and I admire you greatly for that. This book sounds like it could have been an interesting story but, sadly, did not measure up. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are so mismatched that a good story relating how they came to be a couple would have been enjoyable. I’ll just keep hoping that some author, someday, writes one.

Leave a Reply

Your conversation and participation are always welcome; please feel free to "have your share."