mariamsaidwhat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
everything i could have hoped for
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Classism
danajoy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
What would become of Mary Bennet?
By the end of Pride and Prejudice 3 of her 4 sisters are married. The only other unwed is younger and much more agreeable and handsome so it is fair to assume she wouldn't struggle to find a match.
Bookish, awkward and plain Mary's prospects don't seem to align.
This novel explores the future for the other Bennet sister, starting from before the events of the source material and building on it.
Would it be wrong to call this book fanfiction? The whole gang is back, with some notable new additions. I love Jane Austen's novel and it was lovely to return to the world. A lot of the original story is glossed over and while it could probably be consumed separately to the original this is clearly intended to be a companion.
The story ponders philosophy and the concept of happiness. Mary is very studious and a lot of very notable texts and poets are discussed.
It feels safe to return to a familiar family. Mary is a fine protagonist and comes into her own.
It just didn't quite have the magic of the original or the same degree of sharp wit. I missed Lizzy and Darcy.
By the end of Pride and Prejudice 3 of her 4 sisters are married. The only other unwed is younger and much more agreeable and handsome so it is fair to assume she wouldn't struggle to find a match.
Bookish, awkward and plain Mary's prospects don't seem to align.
This novel explores the future for the other Bennet sister, starting from before the events of the source material and building on it.
Would it be wrong to call this book fanfiction? The whole gang is back, with some notable new additions. I love Jane Austen's novel and it was lovely to return to the world. A lot of the original story is glossed over and while it could probably be consumed separately to the original this is clearly intended to be a companion.
The story ponders philosophy and the concept of happiness. Mary is very studious and a lot of very notable texts and poets are discussed.
It feels safe to return to a familiar family. Mary is a fine protagonist and comes into her own.
It just didn't quite have the magic of the original or the same degree of sharp wit. I missed Lizzy and Darcy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent
mlottermoser's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent
molly_appleby's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved this !! Only criticism was that it could have been far shorter ahaha.
Beautiful characterisation of Mary who is woefully underdeveloped and 2D in canon. She feels sad and human and relatable in a way that many Austen (and other classics authors) heroines do not. Beautifully captures the mundane and trivial yet precarious and concerning position of an unmarried middle/upper class woman at this time. Super interesting to see her freedom/restriction.
Well worth a re read, perhaps in audiobook form ?
Beautiful characterisation of Mary who is woefully underdeveloped and 2D in canon. She feels sad and human and relatable in a way that many Austen (and other classics authors) heroines do not. Beautifully captures the mundane and trivial yet precarious and concerning position of an unmarried middle/upper class woman at this time. Super interesting to see her freedom/restriction.
Well worth a re read, perhaps in audiobook form ?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, and Mental illness
Minor: Classism
aqtbenz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
katiemcgregor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am so pleased to say that The Other Bennet Sister is far more than simply the promised retelling of Pride & Prejudice. As a matter of fact, it is roughly only the first third of the book that predates and takes place during the events of Austen's famous novel. The remainder of this book is truly Mary's story and takes on a life completely of it's own.
Hadlow does an incredible job of very quickly building Mary into a character the reader can root for. She does the same for several other supporting characters from Pride & Prejudice, giving thoughtful insight to their motivations and actions. For example, I quite enjoyed what she did with Mr. Collins' character. But really all of the characters, both preexisting and created purely for this novel, have depth and feel in character.
Mary herself goes through many phases of development and it is so satisfying to see her learn and grow into her own person. I found the romance to be absolutely charming and the conflict of be comprised of a familiar combination of the traditional issues we see in classic literature of the time. Hadlow exceeds at writing a spinoff novel that smoothly aligns itself with the work it is based upon, both in writing and content.
It has been quite some time since I have honestly been able to enjoy a novel for what it is rather that what I wish it to be. The Other Bennet Sister is a must read for fans of Pride & Prejudice.
Hadlow does an incredible job of very quickly building Mary into a character the reader can root for. She does the same for several other supporting characters from Pride & Prejudice, giving thoughtful insight to their motivations and actions. For example, I quite enjoyed what she did with Mr. Collins' character. But really all of the characters, both preexisting and created purely for this novel, have depth and feel in character.
Mary herself goes through many phases of development and it is so satisfying to see her learn and grow into her own person. I found the romance to be absolutely charming and the conflict of be comprised of a familiar combination of the traditional issues we see in classic literature of the time. Hadlow exceeds at writing a spinoff novel that smoothly aligns itself with the work it is based upon, both in writing and content.
It has been quite some time since I have honestly been able to enjoy a novel for what it is rather that what I wish it to be. The Other Bennet Sister is a must read for fans of Pride & Prejudice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Classism
Moderate: Death of parent and Dysphoria
littlewishling's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reading this felt like coming home. Hadlow brought some of my favourite character’s back to life from a new perspective and I loved every moment of it. It’s also made me want to give poetry a proper try.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this. It's over 600 pages but I didn't want it to end. Hadlow has taken the characters from Pride and Prejudice and made a brilliant new story. It starts before the events of P&P, follows that plot from Mary's point of view and then after about 200 pages the story is Hadlow's own, as Mary makes her way in the world. The way she developed Austen's characters felt very faithful and realistic and I was so rooting for Mary. I'll never think of her in the same way again. I'm often wary of retellings but this struck the perfect tone for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent
amibo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent