Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This book is perfection. The characters stay true to those originally written by jane austen but i now see all of them in a completely different light.
DNF
Part 1 was a little boring, since it's just a retelling of part of the original from Mary's POV. Part 2 was interesting, but really Mary, how did you think going to Longbourn was a good idea? Part 3 we meet her love interest and they hit it off so well that I'm looking at how much of the book is left and I'm thinking, what could possibly take this long to resolve? That's when I started jumping ahead and lost interest.
Not horrible, but not great
Part 1 was a little boring, since it's just a retelling of part of the original from Mary's POV. Part 2 was interesting, but really Mary, how did you think going to Longbourn was a good idea? Part 3 we meet her love interest and they hit it off so well that I'm looking at how much of the book is left and I'm thinking, what could possibly take this long to resolve? That's when I started jumping ahead and lost interest.
Not horrible, but not great
Words cannot describe how perfect and moving this book is. I identify with her SO MUCH!!
Being an avid reader of Miss Austen, with Pride and Pejudice being a special favorite, I could have done without the recap - in fact it could as well have started at Chapter 31 for me.
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Parts 1-3, compelling and interesting because they are a different take on a story I already know. Parts 4&5 struggled a bit (especially part 5, as by that point I was utterly fed up with the characters inability to recognize each other's feelings and communicate with one another).
I like P&P retellings, so I liked it, but I have notes.
I like P&P retellings, so I liked it, but I have notes.
This is a character study and while written well, it was much to slow for me and I was getting bored.
When you create a fan adaption of an original work, it’s always a double edged sword. You secure the attention of a large preestablish fan base but also the minefield their expectations.
As a whole this was an OK bordering on amusing read. However I strongly disagreed with the way Janice interpreted Jane’s characters.
She had a tendency of pulling out the worst traits of an individual and playing out cruel intentions. Lydia, Charlotte, and Mrs Bennett suffered at Janice’s hands the most. This was done to aid sympathy towards Mary. Which, despite being the main character of this interpretation was also given a rather unflattering character. Pairing together a lack of self-worth with a judgemental nature of those around her was hard on the nerves.
I am of the personally I believe every single member of the Bennett family flaws and all are precious. Whatever Regency struggles aside, they make a charming family.
I can’t look fairly on any interpretation that tries to put a dent in my family bonds.
As a whole this was an OK bordering on amusing read. However I strongly disagreed with the way Janice interpreted Jane’s characters.
She had a tendency of pulling out the worst traits of an individual and playing out cruel intentions. Lydia, Charlotte, and Mrs Bennett suffered at Janice’s hands the most. This was done to aid sympathy towards Mary. Which, despite being the main character of this interpretation was also given a rather unflattering character. Pairing together a lack of self-worth with a judgemental nature of those around her was hard on the nerves.
I am of the personally I believe every single member of the Bennett family flaws and all are precious. Whatever Regency struggles aside, they make a charming family.
I can’t look fairly on any interpretation that tries to put a dent in my family bonds.
I enjoyed the first two parts of this book but then the pace slowed and parts three and four were more of a challenge to read. The eventual resolution was so obvious and yet so drawn out that it was difficult at times and I found myself just wanting to finish it. A little bit more editing would have gone a long way.
The character of Mary was sympathetically written on the whole but her internal reflections became repetitive as the book went on and, even though we know she has always been the downtrodden family member, the constant reminders meant that instead of empathising with her, I found that she began to grate on me. I liked the way the Gardiner family was portrayed and thought that the character of Mrs Gardiner was particularly well-developed. Caroline Bingley, on the other hand, came across as more of a pantomime villain than a fully fleshed out character.
I would give it 3.5 stars on the whole (rounded up to 4) as I liked the premise and felt that it was faithful in its tone to the original novel and was a plausible continuation of the Bennet family story, even if it didn't always have the charm, pace or wit of Austen's writing which would have been difficult to recreate.
The character of Mary was sympathetically written on the whole but her internal reflections became repetitive as the book went on and, even though we know she has always been the downtrodden family member, the constant reminders meant that instead of empathising with her, I found that she began to grate on me. I liked the way the Gardiner family was portrayed and thought that the character of Mrs Gardiner was particularly well-developed. Caroline Bingley, on the other hand, came across as more of a pantomime villain than a fully fleshed out character.
I would give it 3.5 stars on the whole (rounded up to 4) as I liked the premise and felt that it was faithful in its tone to the original novel and was a plausible continuation of the Bennet family story, even if it didn't always have the charm, pace or wit of Austen's writing which would have been difficult to recreate.
The Other Bennet Sister is dedicated to Mary, the grave middle sister from Pride and Prejudice whose personality is left undeveloped, shadowed by the more prominent individuals. But now we see what it’s like to belong to the Bennet family without a companion sister to help bear the mother’s unrelenting marriage expectations; Kitty and Lydia make up a team, as do Elizabeth and Jane, leaving Mary to her own devices. The legendary plot of P&P is featured but forms only portion of this story, most of which is set once the other sisters are safely married. That’s when we follow Mary from house to house, searching for her place, her people and her voice.
I can’t recommend the audiobook format for The Other Bennet Sister highly enough, because Kristin Atherton’s lively narration makes it utterly delightful! To my ears, the prose came across historic enough while easier to follow than actual classical texts.
There’s no doubt that part of my enjoyment can be traced to my love for P&P, but this is a strong book in its own right - its own Austenlike relationship drama and distinctive characters had me throughoutly entertained.
I can’t recommend the audiobook format for The Other Bennet Sister highly enough, because Kristin Atherton’s lively narration makes it utterly delightful! To my ears, the prose came across historic enough while easier to follow than actual classical texts.
There’s no doubt that part of my enjoyment can be traced to my love for P&P, but this is a strong book in its own right - its own Austenlike relationship drama and distinctive characters had me throughoutly entertained.