5 Biggest ‘Other Bennet Sister’ Book-to-Screen Changes (So Far)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book-to-screen adaptation will never produce a verbatim replica of the words once written on the page. The Other Bennet Sister, BritBox’s new series based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, is no exception.

Hadlow’s novel, which itself is a continuation of Jane Austen‘s novel Pride and Prejudice, follows Mary Bennet, the middle sister of one of literature’s favorite families. From finding herself in literature and science to becoming the subject of a love triangle for the ages, The Other Bennet Sister centers Mary as a romantic lead as we have never seen before. After all, why should Elizabeth have all the fun?

While the BritBox adaptation, which aired first in the UK via the BBC, stays fairly faithful to Hadlow’s original story, especially in spirit, during the first three episodes, the adaptation takes some liberties in the timeline of Mary’s coming-of-age and introduces a brand-new character, who drastically complicates the plot of the novel. Read on to find out the most significant differences between Janice Hadlow’s novel and the BritBox TV adaptation so far. (Warning: The Other Bennet Sister book and show spoilers ahead!) 

 1. First-person narration

While Hadlow’s novel is told by a third-person omniscient narrator, much like all of Austen’s novels, the adaptation is narrated by Mary Bennet, played by Ella Bruccoleri. While first-person narration is not as common in TV as it is in books, this seems like a natural switch to us. With limited episodes, viewers instantly get to know who Mary is and how she thinks about the world.

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 2. Mary’s journey before the Gardiners

Mary is sent straight to the Gardiners in the adaptation. In the book, she bounces between her sisters’ houses after their father dies. First, Mary and Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones) join Jane (Maddie Close) and her husband, Mr. Bingley. Finding that intolerable, Mary stays with Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert) and Mr. Darcy (Victor Pilard) for some time before staying with Charlotte (Anna Fenton-Garvey) and Mr. Collins (Ryan Sampson). It is only after she leaves Charlotte and Mr. Collins that she decides to move in with the Gardiners. It’s also important to note that nearly half of the book is spent on Mary’s journey before reaching the Gardiners at the beginning of Part Three.

 3. Mary and Mr. Collins’ relationship

In Hadlow’s novel, Mary’s interactions with Mr. Collins feel far more fundamental to her growth than her interactions with John Sparrow (Aaron Gill) do. The adaptation sees Mary gunning for a shot at Mr. Collins’ heart before Elizabeth declines his offer, and he decides to marry Charlotte Lucas instead. However, in the novel, Mary goes to stay with the Collinses after their wedding and her father’s death, still on pretty good terms with both of them.

At the Collins’ house, which used to be her own, Mary spends a large amount of time in the library, where she frequently crosses paths with Mr. Collins. There, he teaches Mary the Greek alphabet, and the two become quite close. When Mrs. Hill warns Mary that others may perceive their relationship as more than a friendship, Mary tells Mr. Collins that they need to keep their distance, leading him to confess, “I began to think how different my life might have been if I had been less foolish when I first arrived here looking for a wife.” He goes on to say that if he knew marriage was about finding someone you could learn to love, he would have chosen Mary.

Of course, Charlotte picks up on their relationship, which today would probably be described as an emotional affair, and tells Mary that she needs to leave, à la Camila in Daisy Jones & The Six.

 4. Mary becomes a governess for the Gardiners

A small but mighty difference. In the novel, Mary takes Mrs. Gardiner (Indira Varma) up on an offer to visit them after her father dies. Eventually, Mary takes her up on that offer and goes to live with the Gardiner family as a guest. In the adaptation, Mary is sent to the Gardiners as their new governess. This gives her a clear role in the family and furthers Mary’s intellectual journey. While her sisters find the idea of their unmarried sister becoming a governess laughable, it may be the greatest thing that has happened to Mary yet.

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Related

Who Is Ella Bruccoleri? All About 'Other Bennet Sister's Mary Bennet, Her 'Bridgerton' Past

5. Ann Baxter… exists

Here’s a major shocker: In the book, there is no Ann Baxter (Varada Sethu). At the end of Episode 3, Tom Hayward (Dónal Finn), who Mary is clearly starting to fancy, introduces her to the woman he is committed to, Ann Baxter. This means that he is spoken for and plans to get married to Ann very soon. As a reader, this came as a total shock because Tom is a single man in Hadlow’s depiction of the story. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to see how this complicates Mary’s love story in the coming episodes.

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The Other Bennet Sister, Season 1, New Episodes Wednesdays, BritBox