{"product_id":"the-other-bennet-sister","title":"The Other Bennet Sister","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne by one, the Bennet sisters have found their place. But what happens to the one left behind? \u003ci\u003eThe Other Bennet Sister\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of Mary Bennet.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeta's review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnyone who knows me is probably aware of my passion for Jane Austen’s fiction. Since reading Pride and Prejudice as an impressionable teenager, I have been an unapologetic fan.  Over the years I have read Austen’s entire oeuvre, as well as any prequel, sequel, spin-off and adaptation written and filmed. And yes, I have strolled around the famous Bath Pump Room, visited Austen’s home in Chawton, and paid homage at her grave in Winchester Cathedral. So when copies of Janice Hadlow’s novel The Other Bennet Sister landed in the shop, there was no question that I would read it (despite its daunting 655 pages). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn The Other Bennet Sister, Hadlow brings to life one of Austen’s minor characters, Mary Bennet. In Chapter 6 of Pride and Prejudice, Austen writes that Mary “had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner.” But since Mary does not possess Elizabeth’s wit or Jane’s beauty, nor the vivacity of Lydia and Kitty, why did Hadlow choose Mary to be the heroine of her novel? In a 2020 interview with the Guardian, Hadlow remarked that she chose Mary because “in truth, I suspected there was more than a little of Mary about me.” \u003cbr\u003eThe Other Bennet Sister is a re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of the middle sister, Mary. Mary is aware of her shortfalls, is constantly taunted by her mother for her lack of beauty and teased by her younger sisters for her constant reading of conduct books.  She longs for her father’s approval, but oblivious, he retreats to his library:  a sanctuary which it seems only Elizabeth can freely enter. The plot also imagines an aftermath for the Bennet family: the other sisters have left home and are successfully married (much to Mrs Bennet’s delight); and when Mr Bennet dies suddenly, forcing Mrs Bennet and Mary to leave Longbourn, Mr Collins and his wife Charlotte take over the estate. Desperately unhappy and acutely aware of her limited options, Mary makes the decision to visit her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London.  And it is here that Mary finds contentment. Away from the stifling judgement of her mother, she becomes the true heroine of her own story. And of course there are beaus, the gentle Tom Hayward and the pragmatic William Ryder, both of whom vie for Mary’s attention and affection.  As with all Austen novels, there is a wedding and a happily-ever-after conclusion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved reading this novel. By allowing Mary to finally step out from the constraints of Longbourn and her family, Hadlow has breathed life into an overlooked character, giving Mary both dignity and importantly, the happy ending. In the novel’s final paragraph, Mary poignantly questions if she deserves this joy, but concludes that the best response to this “unexpected happiness was not to seek explanation for its appearance but simply to embrace it and be glad.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally published in 2020, The Other Bennet Sister has been republished this year to coincide with the new BBC television adaptation. I am looking forward to watching when it screens on the ABC.  For any lover of Jane Austen, or indeed nineteenth-century narratives as a whole, Janice Hadlow’s The Other Bennet Sister is a must-read. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Janice Hadlow","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62866846875807,"sku":"9781035093113","price":26.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/files\/OtherBennetSister.webp?v=1789609968","url":"https:\/\/lanebook.com.au\/products\/the-other-bennet-sister","provider":"The Lane Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}