Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

by Lauren Gunderson, Margot Melcon

A sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set two years after the novel ends, MISS BENNET continues the story, only this time with bookish middle-sister Mary as its unlikely heroine. Mary is growing tired of her role as dutiful middle sister in the face of her siblings’ romantic escapades. When the family gathers for Christmas at Pemberley, an unexpected guest sparks Mary’s hopes for independence, an intellectual match, and possibly even love. 3M, 5W

Genres: Plays, Historical Fiction, Theatre, Fiction, Romance, Drama, Holiday

76 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jay Gabler · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, YOU misted up while reading this play at a supermarket lunch counter.

[Louey · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5

Play #6 halfway there! I cannot explain how excited I am to see this onstage in like a month.

[Peyton Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet little play about the middlest Bennet sister to round out the future of one of the two siblings left unattached at the end of Pride and Prejudice. I liked seeing Mary's growth as a character and finding a source of strength in the character traits that deemed her an annoying, petulant, dour figure in the family in the original novel. The story terrifically fluffy without a ton of substance, but it was wonderful to catch up with old friendly faces like the Darcys, the Bingleys, and the Bennets - what more can you ask of the holidays? A lovely Christmas read!

[Alex Tupper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic job of capturing Austen's characters in this imaginary situation. A heart-warming, witty, and thought-provoking play.

[Amanda Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant!

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

so wholesome, it even made me like lydia. happy christmas :’)

[Shân Petry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little sequel focused on the middle sister.

[Emma Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading this play! The new, compassionate perspectives on the Bennett sisters are so sweet, and I appreciated the Austen-like humor of the dialogue.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I un-ironically loved this. What a sweet Christmas rom-com.

[Melanie Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

The play opens by reminding us what kind of woman Elizabeth Darcy is. At a time when Christmas trees were only a German tradition, Lizzy has one set up in Pemberley, causing everyone to think her odd and ill-mannered. Gunderson and Melcon immediately remind us that Lizzy is unconventional when she defends the tree to Mr. Darcy:

LIZZY: Because it is a Christmas tree. A popular German custom. An evergreen reminds us of life even in the deep midwinter. Isn’t that wonderful?

DARCY: It would be were we suddenly German.

LIZZY: I’m attempting a new tradition at Pemberley.

DARCY: Which entails cutting down perfectly healthy trees and humiliating them in the drawing room.

The banter is on point right away between Mr. Darcy and Lizzy, sending readers (or viewers, if you see the play) right back into Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice (or, if you’re like me, right back to the Colin Firth BBC mini-series).

Soon, guests arrive. The whole Bennet family is coming to Pemberley, as is Arthur de Bourgh, a distant relative of Mr. Darcy, a nerdy, bookish gent who just inherited an estate after that grump Lady Catherine dies. Guess who this love story is about.

Jane and Mr. Bingley arrive first, and we find Jane seven months pregnant. She’s still the top dame in the Bennet sister pecking order, demonstrated by her maturity and trek toward glowing motherhood that outshines Lizzy. Lydia comes solo; her wretched husband is not invited, and we learn that he’s barely around anyway. Lydia is like a puppy; left alone too long, once she’s let out of her domestic cage and into Pemberley, she gets into trouble. Namely, by flirting shamelessly with awkward Arthur de Bourgh. Thus, the characters all feel true to their original selves, and fans of Austen will enjoy this continuation in the world of Pride and Prejudice two years after.

Mary has changed, though. No longer depicted as an insufferably serious drain on warmth and love, she is curious about the world — maps and science, mostly — and has mastered the pianoforte. No more plunking away; she’s a true talent! Arthur de Bourgh is practically a female version of Mary to the point of making you roll your eyes, but it is nice to see serious people represented and shown love, too. In fact, when Arthur tries to write Mary a letter about his feelings, Mr. Bingley encourages Arthur to throw in something about Mary’s eyes or hair, or something. Not only does he struggle to write the words, but readers hold their breath knowing Mary will not appreciate them. In that way, Gunderson and Melcon suggest love transcends physical attraction, even upon first meeting.

A joyful Christmas-time play, I hope that Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is considered for the 2020 season at the theatre where I work. The only concern is people who aren’t familiar with Jane Austen’s novel. I’m thinking even those who know the gist of Pride and Prejudice would enjoy the play. Perhaps when Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley try to explain to Arthur how courtship may not be a straight line will some audience members miss out on the misunderstandings that sidetracked Bingley and Jane and Darcy and Lizzy.

On a final note, I appreciate that the authors, Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, encourage directors to consider interracial casting because “Jane Austen belongs to everyone.”

This book was originally reviewed at Grab the Lapels.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently saw an excellent production of this play and so I just had to read it as well (and own it, of course). The playwrights do an excellent job with the characters, both familiar and new, and the story is an excellent continuation of Pride & Prejudice in a decently Austen-ian style. My only question is with the frequent discussion of one character's pregnancy. I was surprised it was discussed and referred to so much, but maybe I am being too Victorian about the topic and people were a bit more open about it in early 1800s.

Anyway, if you are a fan of Austen and want to see "what happens next," this is an excellent story. I recommend catching a show if it pops up around you at Christmastime

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Gunderson and Melcon were able to use the basis of Mary Bennet's character in Pride and Prejudice and expand on it in (mostly) logical ways. Mary's ability to play piano (and please) has improved (in mostly plausible ways), and I like the way the sisters' relationships were expanded upon. My biggest issue was with Anne DeBourgh, who fully stepped into her mother's shoes. It didn't ring true to me after watching her be subservient to her mother through the whole novel, though the motivation behind it truly worked. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

[SuedePuzzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet play about Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice finding love. Mary is, I think deliberately, a somewhat different character than Austen's. Less moralizing and ridiculous, and more like the contemporary notion of a nerd. While celebrating Christmas at Pemberley, she meets a similarly nerdy lord and romance arises.

There is some comedy and some romance, done fairly well, but not spectacularly so. I have no desire to see the play, but it was a short, fun reading experience.

[Bt · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for being a funny, fun, and sweet play. I was a little skeptical that this could end up being sappy/lame Jane Austen fanfic, but it was actually really well done and a great time. The production I saw of it was also really well cast and produced. I'm generally a little wary of "chick flicks," but as I said, this was genuinely fun and quality.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

More adventures of the Bennet family from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. This time, the focus is on Mary, the middle Bennet sister/daughter. This play is very cute and tidy, perfect fare for Christmas. The dialogue sounds much like Austen's and there's hi-jinx a plenty. It's a little too orderly for me to give it more stars, but it's a good play.

[MB Shakespeare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not a lover of Austen (I know, shoot me), this play was sharp, witty, and fun to read. All the favorite characters are there and the decorum remains with bits of (goodness!) snarkiness to make things interesting. It seems as though the authors were not happy with the way things were left with the Bennets and so they decided to bring themselves some closure. Still a good play.

[Will Farris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to decide what to rate this play. I have never read pride and prejudice, or seen a movie adaptation so this was my introduction to the characters. I definitely think if I had read the book or seen the movie I would have connected with the characters much more. Overall I did like it though.

[Jordan Muschler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun fan-fiction! It may not always capture the unpredictability and sheer spectacle of Austen's romances, but I daresay it contains enough of their spirit to make it an enjoyable read and (I'm sure) delightful show to see staged. Don't know if I'll keep reading the rest of the trilogy, but if a production was around I'd definitely wind up wanting to go.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this!!! I adore Pride and Prejudice and I really love this take on Mary - she becomes a really rich and distinctive character (definitely neurodivergent coded) and the relationship between her and Arthur is really cute. I would love to play Mary even though I'm too old to do it. Highly recommend.

[Mark Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charmer! What a delightful romance and a Christmas story on top of it! It will be the perfect Christmas/Romantic Comedy for the playhouses that stage this classy re-invention of Jane Austen's world.

[Javier Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

And they called it nerdy love... Two bookworms fall in love and live happily ever after. Anyone on Goodreads by rule must love this. I'm sure it's a most serious violation of its policy agreement to not do so.

[Amanda Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

This was an absolutely delightful listen. The voice actors were all fantastic. Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite book and this was a perfect Epilogue to it. My only slight issue was the characterization of Anne. Otherwise, perfection!

I hope I can see a production of this someday!

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the OLLI Interpretive Play Reading Group, 12/2018

[David Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful imagining by Lauren Gunderson of what the characters from Pride and Prejudice might be like at Christmas. I think it would be a lot of fun onstage. Great lines!

[Heather Bottoms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly charming.

[Cammy]

I wish this could’ve been longer — I feel like we didn’t really get to know Arthur or understand why Mary loves him.

[Kendra Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very charming. Good fit for Zeitgeist or Underground.

[tatum]

okay but me as Mary….

[Sarah Alma Angelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm gooey lovely holiday warm gooey love.

[Denelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable

Great production.