Janice Hadlow

One has to admire the industry of the author of this long (650 pages) book about the destiny of plain Mary Bennet, the odd one out of the Bennet sisters from P&P. It follows a logical structure, showing Mary trying to deal with her sisters and mother in the years soon after P&P takes place, then replaying some of P&P from her point of view when Mr Collins is there, then her staying with Charlotte Lucas at Longbourn (hint) and then the healing effect of going to stay with Aunt Gardiner. I think it's fair to say that the book is at its strongest in the sections which are furthest awat from the original, in particular the last parts dealing with her time in London and the Lake District with the Gardiners. These are very good. It's a bit more laboured in the first sections. But overall for fans of P&P very well worth taking the time to read it. Worth noting that in most of the book Hadlow makes to no attempt to write in Austenesque language (though it isn't 'modern' either), and all the better for that.… (más)

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Recommended:
For fans of Pride & Prejudice, for those who enjoy the slower Victorian kind of story, for an expansion on familiar characters

Thoughts:
This has the same slow deep language as the original it emulates, and is a fitting addition to their world. I was very impressed with the phrasing and style that's so closely mimicked Jane Austen's own. There were some scenes and quotations that are recognizable from Pride and Prejudice, although I can't confirm if conversations are identical to what we originally knew. Even if they are not exact, they are believable and the characters maintained their personalities and integrity.

They are given their own new depths of life, though. Seeing characters like Lizzy and Charlotte through Mary's eyes is revealing of aspects of their character not included in the original. Many of the side characters are more thoroughly investigated since Mary sees herself as a side character anyway.

The story does continue in years after where P&P ended, so some of it is wholly original. Some people may end up hating that, but I found it quite fascinating to see Hadlow build them in a believable way.

It's inevitably tedious at times to listen to a character hate on herself constantly. Likewise with listening to all the diatribes on society and customs, or the detailed philosophical debates and musings. It's around the halfway mark when the story shifts a bit, not necessarily in Mary's view of herself but in pacing and the kind of events.

Overall this was a very slow languorous read, though not an unpleasant one. It was simply not a book I rushed through, and instead enjoyed the words used and the characters written. This is a good one to enjoy slowly over a long rainy weekend.

Thanks to Goodreads and Henry Holt & Co. for a free copy from Goodreads in exchange for a review!… (más)