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angelqueen04 's review for:
The Other Bennet Sister
by Janice Hadlow
The middle child of the Bennet clan comes alive in this brilliant re-imagining of Jane Austen's beloved classic, Pride and Prejudice! Janice Hadlow provides Mary Bennet a story that is both heart-breaking and beautiful, and I could not put the book down, finishing all 450+ pages in two days!
I know many people disliked that Hadlow recovered the events of P&P in the early parts of the book, but I did not mind it. She did not go into too much detail, saddling us with a blow-by-blow recount of the original novel, but rather took specific events within the story and allowed Mary herself to witness and take part in them, with her own views and impressions. We see the Netherfield Ball from her point of view, as well as Charlotte Lucas' engagement to Mr. Collins. So really, the events of P&P (not to mention the first part of the story which gives us a heart-wrenching view of Mary's childhood before P&P) wrap up within the first 100 pages.
Really, I think it was necessary to include the events of the novel (and what came before), if only to establish Mary's character and just what she endured as the middle sister and, essentially, least-loved of the five girls. The results of this retelling are heartbreaking. I was reduced to tears more than once as Mary's family, the ones who should have loved her the most, essentially spent her entire life teaching her to hate herself, particularly her parents. That being said, they did not completely snuff out her spirit, as we see at the Netherfield Ball when Mary calls Elizabeth out for her pushing their father to end Mary's display at the piano in such a way that is an enormous public humiliation for Mary. It truly makes me wish that we could have seen this in the original novel, as I think it truly proved to be something of an educational moment for Elizabeth in actually considering the feelings of one of her sisters (other than Jane, of course).
Hadlow does an amazing job charting Mary's journey as she learns to understand the world and her place in it, particularly in seeking a place of her own. She does not find it at Longbourn, either with her family or when she visits Mr. and Mrs. Collins after they have taken the place up, nor with the Bingleys (where Mary is subjected not only to her mother's casual cruelties, but Caroline Bingley's deliberate ones), nor with the Darcys (who have created their own little circle - Lizzy, Darcy, and Georgiana - and make no attempt to widen it a little to include Mary). Though, to be fair, she does learn something from each place, if only to understand what she does not want in her life. Seeing the end result of Charlotte's decision to marry Mr. Collins and the reasons behind it was fascinating, and not something I can recall ever seeing. Even those who write pastiches have never given this couple much attention, either not addressing it at all or glossing over it. But Hadlow stares it full in the face, showing us through Mary's eyes what comes of Charlotte's decision - an emotionally walled off Charlotte, and a sad, unhappy Mr. Collins (who actually does improve on closer acquaintance, particularly as we discover his own unhappy background, to the point where we actually do feel something for this man other than derision).
But just as Jane and Lizzy often find respite and a safe haven there, so too does Mary find a place to rest and blossom at Gracechurch Street with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. It is there that Mary is able to see the life she ultimately wants for herself, and her journey to obtaining it. Just as with all journeys to love, the road is not a smooth one, but Mary is a Bennet, and perseverance is not something a Bennet lacks.
The Other Bennet Sister is perhaps one of the best P&P pastiches I have ever read (and I've read quite a few over the years). In focusing on a character other than Elizabeth, we are given new and fascinating insight to the characters of the novel, and a closer, deeper look into the dynamics that bound the characters. The Bennet family shines in a whole new light in this book, one that is not entirely to their credit. We see the end result of decisions the characters made in the novel, and the consequences of them. The final result of all of this is a fascinating, brilliant book. Definitely worth the time of any P&P fan.
I know many people disliked that Hadlow recovered the events of P&P in the early parts of the book, but I did not mind it. She did not go into too much detail, saddling us with a blow-by-blow recount of the original novel, but rather took specific events within the story and allowed Mary herself to witness and take part in them, with her own views and impressions. We see the Netherfield Ball from her point of view, as well as Charlotte Lucas' engagement to Mr. Collins. So really, the events of P&P (not to mention the first part of the story which gives us a heart-wrenching view of Mary's childhood before P&P) wrap up within the first 100 pages.
Really, I think it was necessary to include the events of the novel (and what came before), if only to establish Mary's character and just what she endured as the middle sister and, essentially, least-loved of the five girls. The results of this retelling are heartbreaking. I was reduced to tears more than once as Mary's family, the ones who should have loved her the most, essentially spent her entire life teaching her to hate herself, particularly her parents. That being said, they did not completely snuff out her spirit, as we see at the Netherfield Ball when Mary calls Elizabeth out for her pushing their father to end Mary's display at the piano in such a way that is an enormous public humiliation for Mary. It truly makes me wish that we could have seen this in the original novel, as I think it truly proved to be something of an educational moment for Elizabeth in actually considering the feelings of one of her sisters (other than Jane, of course).
Hadlow does an amazing job charting Mary's journey as she learns to understand the world and her place in it, particularly in seeking a place of her own. She does not find it at Longbourn, either with her family or when she visits Mr. and Mrs. Collins after they have taken the place up, nor with the Bingleys (where Mary is subjected not only to her mother's casual cruelties, but Caroline Bingley's deliberate ones), nor with the Darcys (who have created their own little circle - Lizzy, Darcy, and Georgiana - and make no attempt to widen it a little to include Mary). Though, to be fair, she does learn something from each place, if only to understand what she does not want in her life. Seeing the end result of Charlotte's decision to marry Mr. Collins and the reasons behind it was fascinating, and not something I can recall ever seeing. Even those who write pastiches have never given this couple much attention, either not addressing it at all or glossing over it. But Hadlow stares it full in the face, showing us through Mary's eyes what comes of Charlotte's decision - an emotionally walled off Charlotte, and a sad, unhappy Mr. Collins (who actually does improve on closer acquaintance, particularly as we discover his own unhappy background, to the point where we actually do feel something for this man other than derision).
But just as Jane and Lizzy often find respite and a safe haven there, so too does Mary find a place to rest and blossom at Gracechurch Street with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. It is there that Mary is able to see the life she ultimately wants for herself, and her journey to obtaining it. Just as with all journeys to love, the road is not a smooth one, but Mary is a Bennet, and perseverance is not something a Bennet lacks.
The Other Bennet Sister is perhaps one of the best P&P pastiches I have ever read (and I've read quite a few over the years). In focusing on a character other than Elizabeth, we are given new and fascinating insight to the characters of the novel, and a closer, deeper look into the dynamics that bound the characters. The Bennet family shines in a whole new light in this book, one that is not entirely to their credit. We see the end result of decisions the characters made in the novel, and the consequences of them. The final result of all of this is a fascinating, brilliant book. Definitely worth the time of any P&P fan.