The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet I bought this (hardcover!!!) when it first came out. Colleen McCullough is a famous Australian author, so I assumed that it would be good. I paid for my naivety. Did anyone else make the same mistake I did, and waste their time reading this story?https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60433#msg-60433Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:53:32 +0100 Phorum 5.2.22 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,62918#msg-62918 Re: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet/reviewhttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,62918#msg-62918 Rae Elaine JAFF LibraryThu, 09 Dec 2010 00:27:17 +0000 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60534#msg-60534 Re: You're mocking me, right?https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60534#msg-60534

But it's not like all of those are main plot points a lot of them are just minor but memorable bits]]> Shemmelle JAFF LibraryMon, 11 Oct 2010 22:16:44 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60533#msg-60533 Re: You're mocking me, right?https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60533#msg-60533 Jessical JAFF LibraryMon, 11 Oct 2010 21:59:12 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60521#msg-60521 You're mocking me, right?https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60521#msg-60521
Also ... I think I don't want to know about the horse urine ...]]> Mari A. JAFF LibraryMon, 11 Oct 2010 17:49:23 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60507#msg-60507 OH OH This lets me quote my favourite Part! (and the Gothic/Romance cliches this book contains!)https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60507#msg-60507Charlie Son of Fitzwilliam (Fitz) Darcy: Grandfather? Harold Hunsford Darcy?

Fitz: Yes, Harold Darcy. Thank God every day that you never knew him, Charlie. A truly evil man. He ran dens of thieves, cutthroats - and Brothels! - in Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, many other northern cities. Why? To amuse himself! He was so bored by the life of a gentleman that he took to crime. Indeed, he fancied himself a master criminal.


Its the last sentence that makes it....I am laughing even now...

But Jessica's summary is quite correct except this is a whole chapter when Mary falls in Horse Urine and then goes on and on about it.

And I found the list of gothic romance bits!

Secret Siblings
Caves
Evil Monks
Kidnapping
Cults
Highwaymen
Nefarious Use of Animal/Obsession with animals
Revelations about the past of now dead people
The Sublime
Mary Sue Heroine
Mistress in Jamaica
Plight of the Poor
Blue Stocking
Murder
Character Assasination
Secret Identities
Political Machinations
Water (particularly rushing water ie waterfalls)
Gunpowder, treason and plots
Cottage in deep hidden in the forest
Horse Urine
Taking inappropriate transportation (forced or chosen)
Religious Overtones disucssions of Lucifer/God/Jesus/Satan
Imprisonment
Won't anyone think of the innocent children
Brothels
Aspersions about masculinity
Star Crossed Love
Ruined Castles (or other creepy old buildings)
Drunkedness
Debauchery
Tyrannical Aristocracy
Stash of treasure of untold worth
Chance/Fate/Coincidence
Unexpected pregnancies/miracle pregnancies
Seduction
Sudden change of character for no reason whatsoever.
Doing Good Work for the Poor

Oh and I entirely wiped from my memory about the fact there was this whole segement about the poor children defecating (with their 'brown sausages) the ballroom (?) of Pemberley?

Ah Memories]]> Shemmelle JAFF LibraryMon, 11 Oct 2010 11:27:41 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60500#msg-60500 Re: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennethttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60500#msg-60500



It has been a few years since I have read it and don't have my copy to hand, so I will try and remember some of the bits that annoyed me the most. Mary is suddenly incredibly beautiful and feisty and traipses around the country, trying to support poor workers (or something of that sort). Darcy is a jerk, especially to Elizabeth, for most of the book, and even at one point reflects with regret that he didn't marry Caroline Bingley (!!!). Elizabeth has lost most of her wit and spirit - Darcy crushed it out of her. Eventually they become reconciled, but it seems pretty forced. Darcy is also very nasty to his son, thinking that he is weak and gay because he is a clever and 'pretty' young man. He finds out that he misjudged his son, but from memory doesn't apologise for his years of nasty comments. Bingley is a cheating cad, with heaps of illegitimate children, which Jane calmly accepts. Finally, old Mr Darcy turns out to have been a smuggler, involved in all sorts of shady dealings. The shades of Pemberley are polluted, indeed!]]> Jessica C JAFF LibraryMon, 11 Oct 2010 06:24:48 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60461#msg-60461 Re: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennethttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60461#msg-60461
I have no wish to read this book, but I would dearly wish to know more about its frustratingly stupid contents which seem to have aggravated so many people --- does either of you care to enlight me?]]> Mari A. JAFF LibrarySun, 10 Oct 2010 09:44:11 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60460#msg-60460 Re: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennethttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60460#msg-60460
(I tried to describe the first 20 pages to Arleen thusly: well Darcy hates that he married Elizabeth. Is a politician who somehow in his past fought Napoleon and hates his womanly son Who he wishes would just be manly.He controls everyone's lives dolling out the money
and thisis page er...20?)

And then the CAVE and it being a sheet. She could have escaped at any time.

And the whole chapter about Horse Urine.

See I can't be upset I read it because it was one glorious What in the World, What in the World, What in the World that you can just horrify people with. I mean at this distance I can view it with fondness but at the time I was so very annoyed

However it probably is the reason I no longer buy books unread! Unless by a very very very trusted author.]]> Shemmelle JAFF LibrarySun, 10 Oct 2010 09:19:59 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60458#msg-60458 Re: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennethttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60458#msg-60458
Quote
Shemelle
But it was like ever bad gothic or bodice ripper cliche in one book!!

It was indeed! The writing was pretty poor, too. It felt as though the whole editing process had been skipped - or the editors were too afraid to point out the spelling mistakes, historical inaccuracies, plot holes and general silliness of the story.]]> Jessica C JAFF LibrarySun, 10 Oct 2010 07:45:20 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60450#msg-60450 Re: The Independence of Miss Mary Bennethttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60450#msg-60450
But it was like ever bad gothic or bodice ripper cliche in one book!!]]> Shemmelle JAFF LibrarySun, 10 Oct 2010 01:51:53 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60433#msg-60433 The Independence of Miss Mary Bennethttps://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?16,60433,60433#msg-60433 Jessica C JAFF LibrarySat, 09 Oct 2010 14:25:13 +0100