Period drama lovers will not be able to resist a charming Jane Austen adaptation hailed ‘masterful’ by fans.
Fans of The Other Bennet Sister, which is set to receive a three-part Christmas special, are being urged to seek out an Austen-inspired film widely celebrated as “a classic”.
Drawn from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the opening series of the BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister pulled in 7.3 million UK viewers during its first four weeks on air.
Since its triumphant run, devotees of period drama have been desperately seeking out comparable shows and films to plug the gap while the Christmas special gears up to enter production.
A 2007 film starring Felicity Jones and JJ Feild has emerged as a firm recommendation, serving as an adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1817 novel of the same name.
View 3 ImagesNorthanger Abbey is a charming Jane Austen adaptation
Northanger Abbey is the title in question, following a young Catherine Morland (Jones), who travels with family friends to Bath and discovers she has captured the hearts of both Henry Tilney (Feild) and John Thorpe (William Beck).
When she receives an invitation to stay at Northanger Abbey, Catherine’s fanciful imagination runs wild as she muddles reality with the Gothic romance found within the pages of her beloved novels.
Viewers have flocked to IMDb to voice their opinions on the film, with one declaring: “Classic!” Another hailed it a “must-watch”, adding: “The 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey is a delightful and faithful rendition of Jane Austen’s novel.
“From the charming performances to the captivating storyline, the film brings Austen’s wit and satire to life. Felicity Jones shines as Catherine Morland, perfectly capturing her innocence and imagination, while JJ Feild makes a dashing and charismatic Henry Tilney.
“The adaptation stays true to the novel’s themes, blending romance, humour, and gothic intrigue seamlessly.”
View 3 ImagesThe film has been hailed a classic by fans
One final enthusiast described it as “masterful”, elaborating: “This is a really lovely TV/film version of this book, and of course… the script is by master adapter Andrew Davies. He is just magnificent. ENJOY this masterful adaptation!”.
A Reddit user put forward the film, which is available to purchase on Prime Video for just £1.89, as a comparable watch to The Other Bennet Sister, commenting: “Surprised Jane Austen adaptations have barely been recommended, unless those are too obvious.
“The Other Bennet Sister is not only a spin-off of Pride and Prejudice with many familiar characters from that story, but in many ways it takes inspiration from other existing Austen novels, which is very Austen of the author, because her stories frequently recycled/reworked the same characters/plot-lines.”
One devotee took to Reddit to express their desire for a fresh Northanger Abbey adaptation off the back of The Other Bennet Sister’s triumph, writing: “@BBC thank you for adapting this rather than another round of endless adaptations of Austen’s books that already have so many amazing adaptations!
“@Netflix take notes! Fans don’t want you to ruin Austen’s work with crummy adaptations that don’t do the original ones justice.
“Let’s adapt other beautiful stories instead! Honestly, I would be fine with another Northanger Abbey adaptation or maybe a Mansfield Park adaptation if it’s absolutely needed.”
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Northanger Abbey is available to buy on Prime Video for £1.89