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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
52 Book Club Challenge: prompt #18- Jane Austen inspired
As a fan of Pride and Prejudice I loved that the author seemed to capture the spirit of that book in her writing. I liked that we were seeing Mary in a new perspective and this book gave her a happy ending also. But this book...it's too long...I was done with the story about 350 pages in and it's 463 pages long (the hardback version). I understand that to capture the same feeling of Austen's book that it had to be written a certain way but it needed to be cut back. I found myself skimming some of the parts because it was just too long. It just felt long winded, especially when it came to describing landscapes, events or dinners they attended and even Mary's thoughts to herself. The story-line was good and like I said, I also appreciate that the quiet, ignored sister was given her chance to be in the spotlight.
Side note: I started watching the A & E version of P & P (with Colin Firth) while reading this book and it made me notice Mary much more than I ever have before.
As a fan of Pride and Prejudice I loved that the author seemed to capture the spirit of that book in her writing. I liked that we were seeing Mary in a new perspective and this book gave her a happy ending also. But this book...it's too long...I was done with the story about 350 pages in and it's 463 pages long (the hardback version). I understand that to capture the same feeling of Austen's book that it had to be written a certain way but it needed to be cut back. I found myself skimming some of the parts because it was just too long. It just felt long winded, especially when it came to describing landscapes, events or dinners they attended and even Mary's thoughts to herself. The story-line was good and like I said, I also appreciate that the quiet, ignored sister was given her chance to be in the spotlight.
Side note: I started watching the A & E version of P & P (with Colin Firth) while reading this book and it made me notice Mary much more than I ever have before.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are a lot of Pride and Prejudice related novels out there and I've read quite a few of them, both good and bad. However, I've never read one with the unique perspective and fresh, sensitive insights of The Other Bennet Sister - or read one that was this moving and emotionally satisfying. I absolutely loved this book. It's hard to find an Austen sequel that feels really worthy of Austen's own novel, but as far as I'm concerned this one hits the mark.
The Other Bennet Sister focuses on Mary, the bookish, priggish, most overlooked sister of the five Bennet girls in Pride and Prejudice, and creates in her a beautifully real and sympathetic character - one who will break your heart and fill you with so much hope and pride as she grows, learns, and ultimately comes to respect herself after a youth spent being berated by her mother, neglected by her father, and alternately picked on or brushed aside by her sisters.
I don't want to spoil anything by going into detail about the journey she takes to get to her happy ending - I knew nothing about what would happen when I started reading and enjoyed being surprised by the twists and turns the novel took. I will say, though, that I really appreciated that the part of the story retelling the events of Pride and Prejudice was relatively short, and that the majority of it took place a couple of years afterward. It made things feel very fresh and new, and not like it was a rehashing of the Austen novel. That said, Austen's spirit infuses The Other Bennet Sister, and the story and its characters feel very much like part of her world.
I truly adored this book and highly recommend it. It's a stunner of a first novel by Janice Hadlow and I really hope some of you read it so we can discuss!
The Other Bennet Sister focuses on Mary, the bookish, priggish, most overlooked sister of the five Bennet girls in Pride and Prejudice, and creates in her a beautifully real and sympathetic character - one who will break your heart and fill you with so much hope and pride as she grows, learns, and ultimately comes to respect herself after a youth spent being berated by her mother, neglected by her father, and alternately picked on or brushed aside by her sisters.
I don't want to spoil anything by going into detail about the journey she takes to get to her happy ending - I knew nothing about what would happen when I started reading and enjoyed being surprised by the twists and turns the novel took. I will say, though, that I really appreciated that the part of the story retelling the events of Pride and Prejudice was relatively short, and that the majority of it took place a couple of years afterward. It made things feel very fresh and new, and not like it was a rehashing of the Austen novel. That said, Austen's spirit infuses The Other Bennet Sister, and the story and its characters feel very much like part of her world.
I truly adored this book and highly recommend it. It's a stunner of a first novel by Janice Hadlow and I really hope some of you read it so we can discuss!
The first section of the book is pretty bleak, as Mary is tormented throughout the source material in ways we’ve all seen, but after that she’s able to get out and improve herself and her situation and it’s lovely.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5 stars- absolutely lovely read if you enjoy Jane Austen and a lot of cheeky little references to her works... the book’s strength is as a perfect Austen mimic but at times that is also its weakness as far as predictable moments, but the predictability doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. I devoured this book and it was the highlight of an otherwise miserable week.