Pride and Prometheus

Pride and Prometheus merges Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, focusing on Mary Bennet, the bookish middle sister from Austen's novel. The story picks up several years after the events of Pride and Prejudice, as Mary encounters Victor Frankenstein at a ball in London. Mary's interest in natural philosophy and science draws her into Victor's orbit, despite his mysterious and troubled demeanor. Their paths continue to cross as Victor pursues his dark work in England, while his Creature shadows their movements from a distance. The novel maintains authenticity to both source materials in style and characterization, incorporating themes and narrative approaches from both Austen and Shelley. The story moves between Mary's domestic sphere and Victor's scientific pursuits, building tension as their worlds intersect. This genre-crossing work examines the conflict between Enlightenment rationality and Romantic sensibility, while exploring questions of love, loneliness, and what it means to be human. The novel considers how society's expectations shape identity and the consequences of pursuing knowledge at any cost.

Readers appreciate the seamless blend of Jane Austen's and Mary Shelley's writing styles, with many noting how Kessel captures both authors' voices while creating something new. The psychological depth of both Mary Bennet and Frankenstein's creature resonates with fans of both original works. Common praise focuses on the thoughtful exploration of science vs. faith and the authentic period details. Several reviewers mention the satisfaction of seeing Mary Bennet developed into a complex character. Major criticisms include the slow pacing in the middle sections and some readers find the scientific discussions too detailed. A few reviews note that familiarity with both Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein is needed to fully appreciate the story. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (150+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (90+ ratings) "A perfect marriage of Gothic horror and Austenian wit" - Goodreads reviewer "Gets bogged down in scientific minutiae" - Amazon reviewer

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🔖 This novel combines Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," following the story of Mary Bennet and Victor Frankenstein. 🏆 Author John Kessel won the Nebula Award for Best Novelette in 2009 for the shorter version of this story, "Pride and Prometheus." 📚 The book explores themes from both source novels while maintaining the distinct writing styles of both Austen and Shelley, seamlessly blending Regency romance with Gothic horror. 🎭 Mary Bennet, often overlooked in the original "Pride and Prejudice," is reimagined as a scientifically-minded woman fascinated by natural philosophy and geology. ⌛ The events of the novel take place in 1815, after the conclusion of "Pride and Prejudice" but during the timeline of "Frankenstein."