I don’t think I’m saying anything too controversial. He is and Lizzy is a little too. Which is why Pride & Prejudice is such a beloved book in a sense — these two goobers who can’t seem to put away their….well…pride and prejudice to get together. Jane writes them as human.
Both of their bad qualities shine in The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow because it’s Mary Bennet who takes the spotlight.
Mary is not a well fleshed out character in the original book — which makes her a bit of insufferable in this version because Hadlow has to work with what she is given until about 2/3 of the way through and then she can really develop her own story. It’s only then that Mary can really stand out.
The Other Sister is about Mary’s quest to love herself while searching for a husband to love. At first she is the studious, simpering sister but grows to become her own woman who doesn’t have to look to her family for self worth.
With Austen, you’re one of two people: people who love to read sequels or books set in that world OR your are vehemently opposed and stick to the original books. I love reading sequels and books from other characters’ POVs in the Austen world but I have friends who would rather throw up than think about reading anything other than Austen’s words.
I think The Other Sister is a good POV Pride and Prejudice book but it’s not my favorite. It takes too long to really like the main character, which is a big grievance for me when I read. I give it 3.75/5 “single men in possession of a good fortune, who must be in want of a wife.”
If you are like me and you DO like other versions of Jane Austen books here is a picture list for you of books that I have liked from that genre.
My name is Laura. I am a librarian and review books on The Alabama Take. You can follow me at bamareads on Instagram where I also talk about books. I really like talking about books. It’s nice to be here. 🙂
thealabamatake.com 
Pingback: Top Books of 2022…So Far