“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.”—NPRAlys 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 … 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)
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Nice book, especially if you are from India or similar countries where marriages are arranged in a similar fashion.
Retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice that takes place in modern day Pakistan. I really enjoyed this is a beautiful blend of Austin’s story and a modern Pakistani family that fell from luxury and money to almost nothing. The lives of the Bennet and the Binat family run pretty much parallel with each other. I especially loved that Alys (Lizzy) loved Austin and would talk about her all the time. Alys and Jena (Jane) are English Lit. teachers at the local girls school, The British School of Dilipabad, and both looked down on because they haven’t married yet. Mari, Qitty and Lady (Lydia) are pretty similar to their counterparts, Mari strict and overly religious, Qitty struggles with her weight and the constant reminder from everyone about how she would be prettier if she lost weight, and then there is Lady selfish, spoiled, crass, and wild. Mr and Mrs Binat aren’t far off from the originals either.
Dealing with the social injustices the Binat’s deal with aren’t that different from the ones the Bennet’s faced and Alys’ feminist views and opinions are quite a bit more harsh than Lizzy’s and I completely understand why Alys needed to be a bit more jaded than Lizzy. Kamal writes a more indepth family background for the Binat’s but it also gives fuel to the fire when Wickaam feeds Alys his lies about Darsee. Mmmm Valentine Darsee, not only did he uphold the Darsy imagery as prideful, sexy, a good friend and brother he proved to be very intelligent and forward thinking. Alys and Darsee are able to talk about literature and a multitude of other topics even when Alys didn’t like him she found he was easy to talk to.
Overall, I really did love how this one played out and what Kamal did to the story to make it her own. It definitely shows that Jane Austen’s works can be adapted to fit different cultures because of how relatable the characters and situations are. I enjoyed reading it because the similarities and the differences between the original and this one and I loved learning new things about a culture I knew nothing about before. It was easy to picture the beautiful Binat sisters in my mind and hear their voices in my head, which they all had British accents because apparently that’s the default setting for accents in my brain. It was an excellent retelling of a classic story through the eyes of a different culture.
Fascinating rework of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set in Pakistan at the turn of the 21st century. I was initially concerned my lack of familiarity with Pakistani culture would prevent me from connecting to the characters and story, but I consistently felt absorbed into the book and never felt left behind because of said ignorance. Once again, the themes of family, love, women’s rights, and societal expectations span centuries and continents.
Like Austen, Kamal’s work is replete with sharp humor, as well as insightful critique of cultural norms and parlor politics. I feel like my understanding and appreciation for Austen’s tome has been expanded by Kamal’s retelling and I look forward to rereading them both!
/ 5 rounded up.
Yesss you guys! I love a good Pride and Prejudice retelling, and Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal is one of the best ones I have read yet.
What it’s about: Set in modern day Pakistan, the Binat family has lost their good reputation and none of their 5 daughters are married yet. All of her sisters want to be married, but Alys (the second oldest) is a headstrong and forward thinking English teacher, and she is perfectly happy being single – much to the chagrin of her mother Pinkie. When the Binat family gets invited to one of the biggest, most prestigious weddings they have been invited to in some time, Pinkie Binat is determined to find rich men for her daughters at it. Her eldest Jena ends up meeting Fahad “Bungles” Bingla, while Alys finds herself being watched by Bungles’s friend Valentine Darsee. But while Jena really likes Bungles, Alys and Darsee don’t exactly get off on the right foot. Drama and hilarity ensue as Pinkie puts even more pressure on Alys and Jena, and the family deals with the consequences.
The setting of Pakistan really brought this retelling to life. I loved the vibrant descriptions of the surroundings and people, and Alys was by far my favorite character. Kamal makes this book so easy to read, and I loved how funny it was. There is definitely a dysfunctional family at the core of this book, and one that I just couldn’t help but love. Due to the setting and the language, I wasn’t able to read this book too quickly, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It is fascinating to read about a different culture, and a great addition to this classic retelling.
You can tell Kamal is a very smart woman, and that comes across in her prose. I just think that this retelling is super smart, and plus I adore the cover!
Final Thought: If you love retelling’s of Pride and Prejudice, and want something a bit different from the others out there, I highly recommend Unmarriageable. This book is whip-smart, and I know a lot of people are going to love it as much as I did. And considering how gorgeous the cover is, it would be a beautiful edition to anyone’s library. This is a book I could definitely see myself rereading which is not something that happens often. I will definitely have to add it to my collection!
Unmarriageable puts the familiar story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in an unfamiliar (to me) setting of Pakistan. This mixture of a familiar story in an unfamiliar culture was both fascinating and frustrating. I loved that through reading Alys and Jena Binat’s story I was learning a new culture, but also frustrating because that culture, even in modern times, doesn’t treat women well. In some cases, worse than the Bennett ladies in 1797 England. My emotions fluctuated from fascination to outrage as each scene was revealed yet kept me reading at the same time- pushing for the finish line because I couldn’t wait for the novel to be finished with the happy ending I fully expected.
As with the Bennett family, the Binat family has fallen on hard times and due to their lack of money their social standing in Pakistan society has fallen. The two elder daughters, Alys and Jena, have an honorable position as teachers in an all girls school, but at the same time are dishonored for having to work and bring in an income for their family. Alys our main protagonist is a modern woman. Outspoken, educated and honest she has visions of living her life without being forced to marry. Her mother, however, just wants to see all of her daughters settled, both for their own good but also to help raise their families social standing. Mrs. Binat was a termagant raised in an era where the quality of your marriage defined your life, she harangued, nagged, and spoke down to her daughters so much that it was hard to see the love behind her words and actions.
Unmarriageble mirrored Pride and Prejudice so much that it took away some of the pleasure of reading the novel. The only good distraction was the setting of Pakistan. An area of the world that I am completely unfamiliar with except in news stories or rare visits to a local restaurant or international grocery store. I really enjoyed reading about the clothing, food, and culture of courtship and marriage, even if I disagreed with the ages of the bride and groom in some instances. Knowing arranged marriages still take place in some cultures is one thing, but this novel made that so much more real.
As far as the actual story, I could obviously identify with the more modern Alys and rooted for her love story with Darsee. I would have liked a little more creative license taken with the storyline but Pride and Prejudice is popular for a reason. Alys does finally see Darsee for the grumpy ‘prince’ that he is and falls in love regardless of her misinterpretations of everything he does throughout the novel. The shenanigans of the rest of the Binat girls added more color, but also gave a great sense of the struggles women in Pakistani culture have balancing the modern with tradition.
The setting, food, and colorful scenery balanced out my frustrations with those original plot similarities leaving me with only a slight sense of dissatisfaction. Did I love the novel? Not really. I enjoyed reading about a different culture and I was left with empathy for the struggles women are going through but in the end it was that lack of adding a newness to an already re-told (a million times) plot that left me in that gray area of it wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad either.
I was given a free ARC of this novel through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!
The perfect book for the armchair traveler, offering an insider’s view into a fascinating country and culture — including a peek at what the wedding of the year looks like in Pakistan. This one is going directly on my keeper shelf; I loved it.
Kamal’s splendid novel is not only light, bright, and sparkling, it’s also sassy, direct, sharp, and funny. Heroine Alysba Binat and her sisters navigate a world of luxury and privilege that pushes them toward advantageous, empty marriages, rather than happily-ever-afters. Fortunately, some of them have read their Austen.
Charming and insightful, Unmarriageable connects the concerns of women across time and cultures in this delightful debut.
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
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.
Unmarriageable is Pride and Prejudice retelling set in modern day Pakistan. I found the updated setting interesting but overall I was mostly bored while reading this book. I thought that beyond an interesting new setting, modern-day Pakistan instead of Regency England, there was nothing new or surprising about this retelling. I enjoyed the first and last few chapters but found the big chunk in the middle very boring and humorless. Where was the wry wit I was promised? Unmarriageable was not a bad book by any means but it just didn’t live up to my expectations.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl can go from pauper to princess or princess to pauper in the mere seconds it takes for her to accept a proposal.” – the opening sentence of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen
This delightful Pakistani re-telling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE starts out with ninth-grade teacher Alys Binat asking her female students to rewrite the opening sentence of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Their writings nakedly reveal their societal status and how they have been taught that marriage is their ultimate goal.
Alys’ heart sinks each year as her students, with their brilliant minds, never consider exploring the world and paving their own ways through life instead of seeing “marrying young and well” as their only options. Yet each year she uses the reading of Jane Austen’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE to show how the mother and the protagonist start out with similar views and goals and where and why they begin to separate in those views.
Alys Binat says she will never marry but, like Elizabeth Bennett, life just did not turn out that way when Darsee entered her life. Kamal manipulated the characters’ names to somewhat match the name of the characters in the classic telling. Some of the nicknames were hilarious – Rum, Gin, Hammy, Dracula. I especially loved the characters of Sherry Looclus (Charlotte Lucas) and Farhat Kaleen (Mr. Collins). Sherry is the kind of friend you want by your side through good and bad. The story was utterly delightful and the writing impeccable.
Charming and funny with relatable characters, this unique re-telling of the classic story PRIDE AND PREJUDICE looks at love, sisterhood, class, and marriage with a fresh twist. Kamal provided awesome insight into human relationships, especially within the Binat family of five daughters and their parents. (“O’Connor, Austen, Alcott, Wharton. Characters’ emotions and situations are universally applicable across cultures, whether you’re wearing an empire dress, shalwar kurta, or kimono.”) Some conversations are pretty much universal, heard in families whatever the culture may be. Example: “Both of you, shut up,” Mrs. Binat said. “For God’s sake, is this why I went through your pregnancies and labor pains and nursed you both and gave myself stretch marks and saggy breasts? So that you can grow up and be bad sisters? How many times must I tell you: Be nice to each other, love each other, for at the end of the day, siblings are all you have.” Tell me you haven’t heard some version of that from your own mother.
I enjoyed the historical tidbits about the partitioning of Pakistan and India and the involvement of the English empire. I suspect she used much farce in her descriptions of modern-day Pakistani culture. A truly delightful story. I end with a quote from the book that I think should be highlighted: “We know that friends can be made anywhere and everywhere, regardless of race or religion.”
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Unmarriageable” by Soniah Kamal
Soniah Kamal, Author of “Unmarriageable” “Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan” has written a thought-provoking, intense, entertaining, witty, unique, cultural and contemporary novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Humor, Romance, Contemporary, and Satire. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her colorful characters as complex and complicated.
I appreciate that Soniah Kamal discusses the cultural differences in Pakistan between the weathy and poor classes. Of noted interest is the dilemma facing the Pakastanian family with young girls, seeking to get them married as quickly as they can. and to someone of both class and wealth. The young girls are faced with pressures of marrying just to be married, love, waiting to be married for sex, being taken care of financially, or financially being able to support oneself, continuing education, and having babies.
The Binat family has certainly had their share of disappointments. After losing most of their wealth to family, they are adjusting as best they can. Two of the five daughters, Alys and Jena are working as teachers. Coincidentally, Jane Austin is discussed in class. Alys questions many of the reasons why a woman should marry. She is intelligent, and believes that education is important.
When one of the wealthiest families sends invitation for a wedding, Mrs. Binat is ready for her daughters to find husbands. She would like them to “fish“ for husbands. Mrs. Binat just wants to see her daughters wed, no matter what. Jena meets “Bungles” a well established man, and her mother is waiting for a proposal for her. Bungles’ friend Valentine Darsee does not seem to impressed with the Binat family. Alys overhears Valentine discussing them.
I enjoyed this witty and entertaining story and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys an alternative and modern day “Pride and Prejudice”. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
“They say blood is thicker than water. I say to hell with that. If blood mistreats you, better water. And if friends prove false, no matter, find better or be alone.” A vibrant story that details the discord that can exist in family and culture. A person can become strangled by the expectations of family as well as culture. In this novel the 5 sisters experience different levels of anxiety as they try to fulfill the hopes and dreams for their future. They are expected to meet certain by society, and family as well as try to fit in their own desires. It also looks at the different types of love and how it is influenced by outside sources. It is a very well rounded story with great characters who are funny and witty.
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice. I can take it or leave it. But I absolutely adored this retelling set in Pakistan. It’s a great update of an old classic, and I loved learning about Pakistani culture. Highly recommended.
In the novel Unmarriageable, the main character Alys discusses literature and authors with a friend: “O’Connor, Austen, Alcott, Wharton. Characters’ emotions and situations are universally applicable across cultures, whether you’re wearing an empire dress, shalwar kurta, or kimono.” Kamal proves that point beautifully with this retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
The characters are familiar–Alys Binat and her older sister Jenna, along with younger siblings Lady, Qitty, and Mari and love interest Valentine Darsee–and their plot lines are straight out of Austen. Yet the refreshing change of scene (and time period–this story is contemporary, taking place in the early 2000s) makes for a fresh spin on the story. Alys is decidedly feminist, and her best friend, Sherry, views things with a more experience eye than Austen’s Charlotte.
One of the things I enjoyed the most was that the character of Alys is an Austen fan herself–she assigns her students to write a different ending to the famous beginning of P&P (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”). Alys is able to discuss the state of women and the social mores of Pakistan with a critical eye, especially in relation to Austen’s time. And in doing so, she (and Kamal) doesn’t shy away from more difficult subjects.
But forget all that. Forget what a clever update this is. Even if you’ve never read P&P, the story is simply fun. The Pakistani food (this novel will make you hungry) and parties and customs are not ones I’ve read much about, so it was a wonderful insight into another culture. The school life was so interesting (Alys and Jena are both teachers), and I learned a lot about what is expected of both the teachers and the students. The romance is sweet, and I was so sorry to leave the Binats’ world when the story ended. A fantastic novel!
Soniah Kamal’s Unmarriageable is an warm story about sisterhood and friendship, as well as a love letter to Pride and Prejudice. The five Binat sisters live in Dilipabad, a small Pakistani town just across the Indian border from Amritsar (the setting of the Bollywood spinoff Bride and Prejudice. Is that not how everyone learns geography?). A family estrangement has left their branch struggling, unable to live as they used to, so the older girls teach English, while Mrs. Binat schemes about beautification to catch wealthy husbands. Teenage Lady flirts with everyone, Mari is a pedantic Quran reader, and youngest sister Qitty is chubby and forgotten. This has everything we love in P&P, with a distinctly Pakistani style.
Jena and Alys are both over 30, a successful updating of the Bennet sisters’ impoverished gentry background, especially since handsome Bungles is only 25. This is exactly what Bingley sisters and gossipy aunties will turn into a massive mismatch and social disaster, when it’s really a tiny obstacle for a loving marriage. The Binat sisters are English teachers at the local girls’ school, which is respectable if not impressive employment, even if Alys keeps getting scolded for running her mouth in class and leading her students to question their roles as wives-to-be.
Alys and her friends have discussions about literature in translation and colonialism. (So yes, I immediately requested all the books that Alys buys in Lahore from my library. Naturally.) There are also some comments on the joys of rereading Pride and Prejudice, which make this feel like a real love letter to Jane Austen, and Unmarriageable characters discuss their favorite Austen characters and Jane’s view of marriage. I particularly enjoyed when Annie, a chronically ill former model with a secret Nigerian boyfriend, talks about how mild and silent Anne de Burgh is. But, if you’ve read P&P, though, how do you trust a Jeorgeullah Wickaam? Alys, don’t be distracted by a handsome face!
The question of marriage and finances is a central part of Austen’s work, but I’m not sure how well the impoverished-family works as a plot device or character background right now. Current American morality sees poverty as a temporary setback to be overcome with hard work, and also considers laziness is an unforgivable personality failing. So, a poor young woman is no longer an unfortunate victim of circumstance, but a lazy taker. BOOTSTRAPS, BENNETS! Ugh. I kind of hate everything right now, and I double hate that our miserable news cycle leaks into my fiction reading.
Sherry Looclus, Alys’ coworker and friend, is even older and even more worried about money than the Binat girls. (OH! And Sir Lucas becomes Haji Looclus, a clever reimagining which took me a while to get. I just figured Haji was his first name, I didn’t realize he’d claimed the title of a Muslim who’s completed the Mecca pilgrimage.) Although it’s easy to see Mr. Collins as a ridiculous figure, we can also see how happy Sherry is to get out of her parents’ house (to fly the pigeon coop, maybe?), to mother her lovely step-children, and to have enough money that she can quit the girls’ school and work on her own projects. Of course she doesn’t have a love match, and Kaleen is still no Darsee, but you can see a partnership here.
Unmarriageable was such a great story that I forced myself to slow down reading it. I loved the revisions of familiar characters in a new setting. This novel is full of Pakistani flavor, but it’s still quite accessible to anyone with a gossipy auntie or a handsome crush.