Mr Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.
(Click here to view at the Probably at the Library YouTube channel)
In an attempt to give Mrs Bennet a helping hand, author Rose Servitova and I chatted with Melissa from Probably at the Library about Mr Bennet as a character, father, and husband.
Of course, when you get three Austenites in a room together, the conversation soon turns to other matters, including Mr Collins’s breakfast, humour writing, and why Darcy deserves more respect (even more respect than he already gets).
More and more authors seem to be exploring stories around some of Austen’s minor characters. Rose, of course, wrote the wonderful The Longbourn Letters about the correspondence between Mr Bennet and Mr Collins, as well as a completion of The Watsons.
I recently read The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley, for example. This was a lovely and sensitive portrayal of Charlotte Collins (née Lucas) and her new life after marrying our vegetable-loving rector. And I’m seeing lots of good reviews for Katherine Cowley‘s The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, published only a few days ago on April 22nd.
Mary, of course, plays a significant role in Port and Proposals. Nice to see her get a bit of attention, especially after all that embarrassment at the Netherfield ball.
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