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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 stars. I consider myself to be a bit of a Jane Austen snob so I stay far away from retellings and reimagining of her work. To say that I was hesitant going into this would be an extreme understatement. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
The writing was absolutely gorgeous and I liked that part one was Pride & Prejudice from Mary’s point of view and then in part two everything changes as we see what happens after the end of that story. I loved Mary’s character and thought she was the perfect character to follow as she is the one Bennett sister that was just always there in the background. I think Hadlow did a great job with her character and the subtle development she goes through. I was so happy that Mary got her own romance in the end but the story is really about self discovery and growth.
My main complaints were that I feel like a lot of the middle section was incredibly dry. Nothing of significance happens for a big chunk so it was chore to get through. Also, I didn’t like the way Hadlow wrote Mrs. Bennett. She made her the villain pretty much and it was very out of character. Mrs. Bennett is an extremely over dramatic character but she loves her girls dearly. She treated Mary like an outsider and that was disheartening.
Other than those two things, this was a really lovely read and I did enjoy myself while reading it. I would read more from this author and I’m glad that Mary Bennett got her happily ever after.
The writing was absolutely gorgeous and I liked that part one was Pride & Prejudice from Mary’s point of view and then in part two everything changes as we see what happens after the end of that story. I loved Mary’s character and thought she was the perfect character to follow as she is the one Bennett sister that was just always there in the background. I think Hadlow did a great job with her character and the subtle development she goes through. I was so happy that Mary got her own romance in the end but the story is really about self discovery and growth.
My main complaints were that I feel like a lot of the middle section was incredibly dry. Nothing of significance happens for a big chunk so it was chore to get through. Also, I didn’t like the way Hadlow wrote Mrs. Bennett. She made her the villain pretty much and it was very out of character. Mrs. Bennett is an extremely over dramatic character but she loves her girls dearly. She treated Mary like an outsider and that was disheartening.
Other than those two things, this was a really lovely read and I did enjoy myself while reading it. I would read more from this author and I’m glad that Mary Bennett got her happily ever after.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Para ser una historia basada en el universo y personajes de otro autor, está muy bien logrado. Es fiel a la obra original (Orgullo y Prejuicio) de una manera muy creativa pues logra desarrollar a los personajes sin abandonar su esencia original. Te da una perspectiva diferente de los mismos personajes y logra que empatices con aquellos a los que podías ser indiferente y encuentres defectos en aquellos que podías idolatrar.
La autora (Janice) parece tener conocimiento y buen dominio del estilo de la literatura de la época correspondiente a la novela original, además de las costumbres y prácticas de la sociedad de entonces. En ningún momento te saca de la inmersión (como sí lo hacen otras obras actuales ambientadas en esa época) pero aun así, logra integrar conflictos y opiniones más propias de nuestra era como el papel de la mujer en la sociedad y sus limitaciones.
En general, es un gran libro y para aquellos aficionados de Orgullo y Prejuicio o de Jane Austen, será una lectura muy placentera.
La autora (Janice) parece tener conocimiento y buen dominio del estilo de la literatura de la época correspondiente a la novela original, además de las costumbres y prácticas de la sociedad de entonces. En ningún momento te saca de la inmersión (como sí lo hacen otras obras actuales ambientadas en esa época) pero aun así, logra integrar conflictos y opiniones más propias de nuestra era como el papel de la mujer en la sociedad y sus limitaciones.
En general, es un gran libro y para aquellos aficionados de Orgullo y Prejuicio o de Jane Austen, será una lectura muy placentera.
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
There are many, many continuations and adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. They range from wretched, to fun in a totally ridiculous way, to actually really good. I'm pleased to say that this one is firmly in the actually really good category. It is too long-I could have done with a bit less time spent on the events of Pride and Prejudice from Mary's POV, and the time when she and her love interest are separated because of plot was pretty irritating. But overall, I enjoyed the book very much. I will look upon Mary with more fondness and sympathy the next time I read Pride and Prejudice, and I will look forward to any future books written by Janice Hadlow.
Oh wow. I think Jane Austen herself would approve of this book. I have always, always been a fan of Mary Bennet. The more mysterious, “ugly” Bennet sister. This book is the absolute perfect deep dive into her life and how it turns out. This book deserves more hype and dare I say a cinematic movie. Only complaints? Slow first 200 pages, and the ending seemed a bit meh for an Austen romance… I needed more there. Most definitely recommend!
I absolutely loved this book! It mirrors Austen so well and definitely is a must read for all Austen fans.
A very interesting twist on a classic
I very much enjoyed this novel. I'm always a sticker for an unusual narrative and this one hit the spot. The author wires Mary's character with a lot of empathy, and I couldn't help but be drawn in to her point of view. I enjoyed the first section, a retelling of P&P, and was nervous when the story swing to that of Mary alone. However, this section was just as satisfying and I felt it came to a suitable conclusion. I will recommend this title.
I very much enjoyed this novel. I'm always a sticker for an unusual narrative and this one hit the spot. The author wires Mary's character with a lot of empathy, and I couldn't help but be drawn in to her point of view. I enjoyed the first section, a retelling of P&P, and was nervous when the story swing to that of Mary alone. However, this section was just as satisfying and I felt it came to a suitable conclusion. I will recommend this title.