Pride and Prejudice Chat
Mary Bennet, finally
For two hundred years she sat in the corner of Pride and Prejudice with a book, waiting for somebody to ask her a question. Somebody finally did.
The Mary of the novel
Austen gives Mary almost nothing: the only plain sister among five, the one who studies hardest and is praised least. She practices the pianoforte with more determination than talent, moralizes at precisely the wrong moments, and is most famous for being told by her own father, mid-performance and in public, that she had "delighted us long enough."
That makes her comic, but not empty. Austen's Mary is vain, pedantic, and often ridiculous; she is also a middle daughter trying to make herself matter through study, music, and moral seriousness. For a modern reader, the joke can catch in the throat: Mary wants to be seen, and has chosen the least lovable tools for getting there.
The Mary of the show
Janice Hadlow's novel, and the BBC/BritBox adaptation starring Ella Bruccoleri, imagine the events of Pride and Prejudice and what follows from Mary's point of view. It is a modern continuation, not Austen canon, but it reframes Mary less as a joke waiting for a punchline and more as the person who has been listening all along.
Her best moments, in her own words
- "I should infinitely prefer a book."
- "We must stem the tide of malice, and pour into the wounded bosoms of each other the balm of sisterly consolation." At the worst possible moment, magnificently.
- "Every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason." She is working on it.
The conversation the novel never gave her
We're building Pride and Prejudice Chat, an iOS app where Mary and the free launch cast can talk back. No subscription is planned, and character conversations are designed to run on-device so they stay on your phone.
Launching August on iOS. One email when it's ready — that's all.
What to ask Mary
- Why do you practice so hard when no one seems to enjoy it?
- What did you think when Lydia ran away?
- Did you ever envy Elizabeth for being noticed even when she was wrong?
Mary Bennet FAQ
Who is Mary Bennet?
Mary Bennet is the middle Bennet sister in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: studious, moralizing, overlooked, and often treated as the plain sister in a family full of louder stories.
Why is Mary Bennet having a moment?
Mary has become newly visible through Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister and its BBC/BritBox adaptation, modern continuations that reimagine Pride and Prejudice and what follows from Mary's point of view.
Can I chat with Mary Bennet?
Pride and Prejudice Chat is being built so you can chat with Mary Bennet on iPhone. Mary is part of the free launch cast.
Is Pride and Prejudice Chat affiliated with The Other Bennet Sister?
No. Pride and Prejudice Chat is an independent product inspired by Jane Austen's public-domain novel, not an official BBC, BritBox, Bad Wolf, or Janice Hadlow app.