Name: Unmarriageable
ISBN: 9780525486480

Soniah Kamal

Includes Random House Reader's Circle reader's guide (questions and topics for discussion).

A Novel

Unmarriageable

“This inventive retelling of Pride and Prejudice charms.”—People “A fun, page-turning romp and a thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society.”—NPR Alys Binat has sworn never to marry—until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider. A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won’t make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and have children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire the girls to dream of more. When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat, certain that their luck is about to change, excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for rich, eligible bachelors. On the first night of the festivities, Alys’s lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of Fahad “Bungles” Bingla, the wildly successful—and single—entrepreneur. But Bungles’s friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her and quickly dismisses him and his snobbish ways. As the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal—and Alys begins to realize that Darsee’s brusque manner may be hiding a very different man from the one she saw at first glance. Told with wry wit and colorful prose, Unmarriageable is a charming update on Jane Austen’s beloved novel and an exhilarating exploration of love, marriage, class, and sisterhood. Praise for Unmarriageable “Delightful . . . Unmarriageable introduces readers to a rich Muslim culture. . . . [Kamal] observes family dramas with a satiric eye and treats readers to sparkling descriptions of a days-long wedding ceremony, with its high-fashion pageantry and higher social stakes.”—Star Tribune “Thoroughly charming.”—New York Post “[A] funny, sometimes romantic, often thought-provoking glimpse into Pakistani culture, one which adroitly illustrates the double standards women face when navigating sex, love, and marriage. This is a must-read for devout Austenites.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

quite good! i found it a mostly faithful adaptation of pride and prejudice overall. the anti-religious sentiments and the fatphobia were big issues for me that prevented me from giving it a higher rating

zoe m

Patricia Nelson

I received this book from NetGalley to review, and enjoyed it! This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice in a Pakistani setting. The characters were varied, and there were many that I could see in my own life here in the U.S., proving once again how universal families and relationships are. There is much to think about with the expectations forced on us as women, as members of families, and as members of communities, and with the changeable nature of what is acceptable based on your station in society or who your family is. I enjoyed this book and the author is skilled at bringing the reader to the setting of the story and making you feel like you understand what it is like there.

Wafaa S

I really enjoyed every moment of this book!

Hope Gamble

Wonderful retelling of Pride and Prejudice!

Zahia Saeed 

When I learn how to write great reviews I will come back here 

Only thing I can say now is that THIS BOOK IS PERFECT AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH

Lauren Sullivan

A retelling of Pride & Prejudice set in Pakistan? Yes, yes, a thousand yes’s! From meeting Mr. Darcy and Bungles at the Pakistani wedding of the year, to talking about partition and the place of English literature in Pakistani history, this is an amazing reimagining of my favorite Austen book.

“I want,” Mrs. Binat announced, “the girls to fish for husbands at the NadirFiede wedding.”
Alys gritted her teeth. She could see before her eyes a large aquarium of eligible bachelors dodging hooks cast by every single girl in the country.
“Aha!” Mr. Binat said, taking a samosa. “Nadir Sheh and Fiede Fecker are getting married so that our daughters get married. So kind of them. Very noble! I suggest you also line up, Pinkie, my love, because between you and the girls you are still the most beautiful one.”

The book starts with English teacher Alys going over her students’ latest assignment – to come up with their own version of P&P’s famous first sentence, “It is a truth universally acknowledged…” and the characters continue ruminating on that story throughout the book, though they never recognize the similarities between it and their lives. In a lot of ways, the book sticks pretty closely to the original, which is insightful in some ways and a bit tedious in others. The character names, for instance, “Looclus” instead of “Lucas,” were a bit over the top. Where it excels, though, is showing the similarities between Regency English and near-modern Pakistani society, and in Ms. Kamal’s humor and insight.

“You live the life I’d like to lead,” Jena said softly. “To be able to contribute happiness to the less fortunate.”
“Jena,” Mrs. Binat said, “concentrate on grabbing Bungles, and, once you’re married, you can do whatever you want.”
“That’s a lie.” Alys gave a derisive laugh. “The dangling carrot to lure us into marriage.”
“Lost cause,” Mrs. Binat muttered, gazing sorrowfully at Alys. “You will die of loneliness if you don’t get married.”
“I’ll never be lonely,”—Alys gave a satisfied sigh— “because I’ll always have books.”

I seriously want to be BFFs with Alys. She’s hilarious, with a biting wit and the courage to continuously remind her students that there is life beyond matrimony. Unlike some retellings I’ve read, Ms. Kamal doesn’t shy away from making Alys a flawed, if very empathetic, character. Sometimes it seems like an author forgets that there are two parts to the book’s title – pride and prejudice – where Darcy is such a conceited peacock to the point that Eliza’s continued dislike of him is viewed as completely just. In this book, though, while Darsee still has a version of his famous line when asked about the second oldest Miss Binat, it’s not too long before the reader comes to see that while he’s certainly arrogant, Alys’s continued dislike of him is unfair. In similar ways, I found all of the characters very realistic, and even the ones who tend to be overly caricatured, like Mrs. Binat, were handled with a deft touch and a lot of empathy. I especially loved Sherry – Charlotte Lucas – who marries Mr. Farhat Kaleen. Though some of her lines were lifted directly from the book, I found her a refreshing remake, especially in terms of her marriage bliss, and how pleased Alys was with her friend’s happiness.

I especially adored the Pakistani setting! I loved the Urdu phrases sprinkled throughout the book, and since my only brush with it comes from watching Zindagi Gulzar Hai on Netflix, I also appreciated Ms. Kamal’s deftly inserted translations. And the food! I spent a lot of time googling all the delicious things the characters were eaten. The humor, the wit – Mrs. Binat, who I usually consider a trial, had me in stitches several times – everything was excellent and had a wonderful sense of place.

“It was a truth universally acknowledged, Alys suddenly thought with a smile, that people enter our lives in order to recommend reads.”

Overall, this has easily become one of my top 5 P&P retellings! Highly recommended!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Liz Carpenter

I'm always a bit skeptical about P&P adaptations, but this one is a winner. The translation from British Regency society to modern Pakistani seems to make a lot of sense, and was so much fun to read.

always, annej 〄

Huge thanks to Ballantine Books for sending this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love this book! It was a slow burn enemies to lovers retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in Pakistan. Which for me, the author did a witty and quirky spin of the original classic. The names of the characters are twisted in that catchy way plus their last name had also a nice ring to it – from Bennet to Binat. The pace of the story is perfect enough as festivities, funny scenes and more and more characters are introduced. It is a romance book but there wasn’t any sex scene included. However, I still felt the butterflies in my stomach the way romance books with steamy scenes had. The romance is more of an intellectual type, not based on physical attributes alone but on wit, perspectives, and the inner soul. In short, the true beauty hidden by money and flashy material things. I think a pair like that is inseparable and unbreakable, to be built in stronger foundations more than what the eyes can see. I love the Mr. Darsee in the story, with his snobbish attitude that suits his gorgeous face and wealth plus his love of reading! Alysba, the female lead who also loves books, is a very interesting character, hilarious, quick-witted, mouth full of meaningful things to say and to counter with Mr. Darsee. It was lovely to witness how their character developed from having that misguided outlook of one another into that shockingly romantic spin. It was a very eventful journey with the Binat sisters. With Mari and her religious views, Qitty and her art which received its deserving praise in the end. I also love Jena, her adorable personality that is easy to fall in love with. She’s lovely! Mrs. Binat was also a very promising character, with her unending comments and talks of marriage. She resembles all the Asian moms out there! She’s very funny in that concerned and loving way. Mr. Darsee’s sister was also a nice touch to the story, taking out the soft side of her brother. Alysba’s uncle and aunt has that one of a kind marriage same with their world views and personalities. Their charitable and inspiring deeds. It’s hard not to adore this couple.
 You live the life I’d like to lead. To be able to contribute happiness to the less fortunate. 
The story was a bit slow in the beginning but as I continue to read it, the changes that took place became more and more interesting. Which made it harder to put down. I literally laughed a lot thanks to their hilarious conversations. Who wouldn’t love Mrs. Binat? Even though Alys opposes marriage in the start, who knows? Maybe she’ll change her mind, right? It’s hard to resist the charms and intellect of Mr. Darsee. The other side characters spiced up the story too. Each of them are planned well, entering and exiting the scene when deemed necessary. The perfect combination of romance and humor makes this story live. I really enjoyed Unmarriageable until the very last page and I am hoping to read more of this author’s writings. Her narrative will make you fall in love with her characters and the story she weaves. I also learned lots of Urdu words and phrases with its numerous usage in,On fyh the book. After reading it, I kind of suffered from hangover that made me crave books with royalties, enemies to lovers tropes, romance & comedy, and strong female lead. Most importantly, books with characters who prefer intellect over looks (well, the looks is just a bonus) just like Alys love to say it, it must be
 books over looks. 




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You’ve read this book and is wondering what same reads have the same feels? Here are some recommendations you might also fall in love with:

  

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai features a Pakistani female lead having the same practices as the ones in Unmarriageable regarding marriage. The female lead is also funny having the same 4 sisters and conservative parents. The male lead possessed that wealthy but lowkey attitude of Mr. Darsee. He’s also very gentleman with an affectionate character towards his niece (just like Mr. Darsee to his sister). No sex scenes too.


  

Stalking Jack the Ripper features an enemies to lovers romance that bloomed from witty banters of intellect. The female lead is also strong willed, the male lead is insufferably gorgeous and wealthy. But this one has a mystery mixed with (I can’t say no bed scenes) romance in petticoats and tail coats. It is a historical fiction based on the mysteries of the real Jack the Ripper in 1800s England.



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Liz Whitehead

I’ll read a modern retelling of pride and prejudice any day and this one was really fun. I found all of the social commentary to be really interesting and loved the added depth to the Binat sisters and Sherry.

Sahi K

I have always enjoyed reading Jane Austen retellings and reimaginings because it's fascinating to see how her thoughts and ideas translate into our modern world or how modern authors can interpret them. I have liked a few and been disappointed by others, so I knew not to have a lot of expectations from this one. But Pride and Prejudice set in 21st century Pakistan held too much appeal and I couldn't stop myself from requesting the ARC. And I am so glad to report that this book exceeded all my expectations in a delightful way.

There is not much I can say about the individual characters because the author stays pretty close to the original - in terms of both the plot and the characterization. However, making both Jena and Alys unmarried women in their 30s who take up the teaching profession to help their family make ends meet, and then thrive in their independence was a deft touch. The Binat family has also extensively traveled abroad and their kids educated in international schools before the downturn in their fortunes, hence it's quite easy to believe Alys as a modern well read woman who loves her country and culture, while also being very critical of a hypocritical society that puts undue pressure on young women to be virtuous and marry and serve their husbands but the men are never expected to respect or value their partners.

The whole book is full of social commentary about the class and societal prejudice that felt all too real. I've seen enough of the snobbery and gossip mongering and the too much importance given to people with money, both in the Indian media and in my real life; and even the belief that a woman's life is only fulfilled by getting married and bearing children and not by being a person of intellect and with a voice of her own - all of this hit too close to home and that's what makes this book so special. There were some great conversations in the book which resonated with me - about finding home and identity when you've grown up with foot in your culture and traditions and the other foot trying to adapt to more western sensibilities; about how we as a country can better celebrate our history while also putting the lasting effects of colonization into context; about trying to voice an opposing opinion regarding the place of women in a society that tries to cast them into a mould. 

The other strength of this book and one that I truly enjoyed was the very "desi" feel of it. I'm not a Muslim nor Pakistani, so I won't comment on how true that rep is but it did feel quite similar to some of the Pakistani TV dramas I've watched. But the culture, food and language are still very much similar to my own and it was such a delight to read about all of that in such glorious detail. All the wedding ceremonies and clothes that were described made me want to run to India and buy some nice extravagant clothes 🤩🤩 The narration about all the food in detail throughout the book is mouth watering and reading about everyone enjoying these delicacies made me want to join in all the fun. And I really adored the generous use of Urdu all through the book - it's nice to see some familiar words in conversations and especially the use of famous proverbs. The book also lots of nods to Austen's works, right from the first line to the last and some other prominent authors, so be ready for some nice recommendations.

Despite how much I enjoyed reading this one, it's not perfect. I really loved the few subplots that the author incorporated, but for the most part it's too close to the original. The romance between Alys and Darsee also felt very rushed and I would have liked to see them interact more and fall in love slowly. However, the society and world of P&P does translate well into the modern Pakistani setting and the characters felt very believable. The story is also very funny and entertaining and I couldn't put it down.

If you love Jane Austen and like reimagining her stories, then do give this one a try. And if you are from the subcontinent, then I definitely recommend this book. You will really really enjoy this desi Pride and Prejudice.

Kayla 

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal is a retelling if Pride and Prejudice set in early 2000s Pakistan! This was absolutely amazing! I loved everything about this novel. I adore a Jane Austen retelling and I’ve read and watched a lot of them but this was by far the best one yet. Alys Binat is a strong, independent, Elizabeth Bennet type character who is a teacher at a prestigious girls school in a small city in Pakistan. She strives to show her students that they can aim for more than an ambitious marriage. .
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We meet all of our favourites, Jena Binat, Bungles, Valentine Darsee, Sherry Looclus, and our not so favourites Beena dey Bagh, Jeorgeullah Wickaam. This modern retelling has all the drama, romance and sassiness that we love in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with a Pakistani cultural twist which I personally loved. .
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It was fun to read the Urdu words to my boyfriend and have him explain the meanings to me (Although they are explained in the book as well) I think this is my favourite way to learn a language lol. I now say Log Kya Kahenge and Chumchee all the time as a joke. Plus I got to wear my Pakistani bracelet, my boyfriends mom gave to me, for the picture! Please go read this amazing book!
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In this one-of-a-kind retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider. A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won't make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and have children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire the girls to dream of more. When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat, certain that their luck is about to change, excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for rich, eligible bachelors. On the first night of the festivities, Alys's lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of Fahad "Bungles" Bingla, the wildly successful--and single--entrepreneur. But Bungles's friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her and quickly dismisses him and his snobbish ways. As the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal--and Alys begins to realize that Darsee's brusque manner may be hiding a very different man from the one she saw at first glance. Told with wry wit and colorful prose, Unmarriageable is a charming update on Jane Austen's beloved novel and an exhilarating exploration of love, marriage, class, and sisterhood. Advance praise for Unmarriageable "[A] funny, sometimes romantic, often thought-provoking glimpse into Pakistani culture, one which adroitly illustrates the double standards women face when navigating sex, love, and marriage. This is a must-read for devout Austenites."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Unmarriageable is a joy to read! It transforms a familiar story into something new and fresh and different, but keeps all of the warmth and intelligence of the original. I loved everything about these characters and spending time in their world."--Jasmine Guillory, author of The Wedding Date "Unmarriageable raises an eyebrow at a society that views marriage as the ultimate prize for women. Crackling with witty dialogue, family tensions, humor, and rich details of life in contemporary Pakistan, it tells an entirely new story about love, luck, and literature."--Balli Kaur Jaswal

Stephanie Midolo

I thought that Pakistan was the perfect place to drop this classic story.

Kaitlyn Krna

So amazingly good! I love Pride and Prejudice and when I saw this sitting out at the library, I knew that I needed to pick it up. Unmarriageable is a charming retelling of Pride and Prejudice that takes place in Pakistan the early 2000's. Soniah Kamal captures the essence of the original and at the same time creates something new by transporting the characters and the plot to modern day Pakistan. 

I adore this book. I really appreciated getting a peek into the lives of women in Pakistan in the early 2000s. I don’t know much about current Pakistani culture, but it all just felt real. Kamal's writing shines when she takes on Pakistani culture.  She did a fair amount of research and it really shows.

Kamal doesn’t mirror the plot of Pride and Prejudice exactly, instead she chooses to  retain enough of the original story while putting her own unique spin on it. This book is a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice that I highly recommend.

Stephanie dOtreppe

I found the book to be slow and I was forcing myself to pick it up every night. Story was a cute take on Pride and Prejudice but was a little too obvious with its inspiration.

 Bruna Acioly Leão

I appreciate what the author accomplished with this book: which was a very detailed retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, only set in 2001 Pakistan. 

It is incredible how similar the rules of England's 18th century society were to those of this much modern setting. Austen has written a novel that makes a commentary on the expectations of society on women and the hypocrisy of class relations, a lot of which stays true to this day.

That being said, while this book had its good moments, it just wasn't the right book for me. I have realized upon reading this that I much prefer my retellings to be loosely based on the original, but to bring a new spin to the story. Everything matched P&P's plotline perfectly and although some things had a new spin and those were the parts I found most interesting, most of the book was just the same story and the same interactions I have already seen over and over again.

I will try reading other P&P retellings and assert if this is really the problem or if maybe I just don't care to read retellings of this classic at all.

Unmarriageable A Novel

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