Reviews - The Other Bennet Sister

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

2.07k reviews for:

It was good in a published fanfiction sort of way. It was gratifying to read further about the Bennet family and the sister I always sort of felt sorry for. It was a satisfying read but not the most amazing book ever. Yes, there is a bit of retelling from pride and prejudice but it was fairly well handled in Mary's perspective.

hopeless_romantic26's review

4.75

hopeful 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: Yes

I was worried this would not feel enough like Austen, but Hadlow has captured the essence of Mary in this book. She is utterly relatable in her journey of self discovery. You feel every moment of her loneliness, and her joy. Mr Hayward is a romantic hero worthy of our heroine. Altogether a lovely read, perfect for a rainy or cold evening.

Content Warnings

amyheap's review against another edition

4.0

Mary is the most overlooked, unloved Bennet sister, so unsympathetically portrayed by Jane Austen, I was worried she wouldn't make a good protagonist. Janice Hadlow has done a great job of fleshing Mary out, and growing her character. The first part of the story is Mary's perspective on the time at the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, but it moves on to what happens to Mary once her sisters are married. Some of Austen's characters are less appealing here, some are more rounded, and the language is largely appropriate, with many references to Jane Austen's work. It is a heart-warming coming of age story about a thinking woman learning to value herself, and, like its inspiration, is a sweet romance. I'm not sure it needed to be quite so long, but the story was engaging, and the audio very well done.

micahrenck's review against another edition

4.0

While “The Other Bennet Sister” has a slower start, it was worth pushing through the first part (a re-telling of “Pride and Prejudice” from Mary’s POV) to get to the new narrative. The author presents long-beloved characters in a new and interesting light, and while the ending is somewhat predictable, I found this to be a very enjoyable read.

cameron_tief's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 24%

I was expecting this to take Mary Bennett out of the original setting and spin her character on its head. Nope. Mary is still a boring and uninteresting character in this version, and the author tries to be Austen too much. It’s so similar to the original, at least up to this point.

ineedscoffee's review against another edition

4.0

How very refreshing to hear a story from Mary's point if view, one that is actually beneficial to her character development.
While Mary's monotone inner voice became very self appraising toward the end of the novel, I really enjoyed getting to know her character better. The work shed light on the inner thoughts and traits of others, like Charlotte Lucas (now Mrs Collins) and Mrs and Mr Gardiner which was also enjoyable .
I listened to the audiobook, and found the narrator a little depressing at times, but always spirited and keeping in line with the protagonist's experiences.
Well written, a good experience and will probably revisit, this is one for those who enjoy Pride and Prejudice or Austen's work in general.