What would happen if you moved Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to 21st century Pakistan? You would get Soniah Kamal's Unmarriageable. Reading Unmarriageable is not about the story. If you've read Pride and Prejudice, you already know the story - a man and a woman from different classes meet and thanks to their ingrained prejudices, take an instant dislike to each other, a dislike she maintains as he falls grudgingly in love with her. For me, the joy of reading Kamal's interpretation was in learning about Pakistani culture about which I'll admit I was totally ignorant. Chick-Lit, which is what this novel and its Austen ancestor is, often gets a bad wrap but, while it is important to learn about the history and the hardships around the world, I think it is equally important to learn about the ordinary, everyday lives that show us not only the cultural differences but how we are alike and Chick-Lit whether it is set in the US, the UK or Pakistan, does that. Unmarriageable is not a particularly great adaptation of Pride and Prejudice - Alys is no Elizabeth Bennett, Mrs. Binat is even more annoying than Mrs. Bennett, some of the dialogue is just awkward, and the writing tends to be repetitive.

This novel is a retelling of "Pride and Prejudice," set in modern day Pakistan, with the Binat family (instead of the Bennet family) and Mr. Darsee (Mr. Darcy), etc. The early 19th century novel actually translates really well to this setting, where societal norms are still pretty traditional and focused on marriage, plus the book offers an interesting look at life in another country. A really enjoyable read, definitely recommend to anyone who is a "Pride and Prejudice" fan.

A great retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern day Pakistan. This book stays very close to the original story, but I love Jane Austen's story so I didn't mind.

Oh man, while listening to the audio, all I kept thinking about was Bride and Prejudice the movie which I love. I think over 1/2 way, things were starting to slow down for me. I just think this was too close to the original and that I guess I was looking for something new in this book.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a husband!"

Unfortunately, that is not the case for the Binat sisters: pretty Jena, sensible feminist Alys, devoutly religious Mari, fat and picked on Quitty, and wild-child Lady. Once the Binat family had it all, and money for more. All of that is gone when Mr. Binat's older brother took everything from them ten years ago. Now, Mrs. Binat is sure that their luck is about to change: they have been invited to the wedding of the year, and her daughters are sure to be snapped up by husbands! While Jena captures the attention of a rich young entrepreneur named Bungles, Alys engages in a battle of wits, pride, and prejudice with one Mr. Valentine Darsee.

Unmarriageable is a wonderful retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set in early 2000s Pakistan. Ms. Kamal has her characters discuss how many of the best works of literature (Austens' among them) transcend culture, time, and place due to universal concepts regarding humanity, while flawlessly executing what she preaches. Even though based off the characters of Pride and Prejudice, each character feels completely original, unique, fascinating, and realistic. No doubt Ms. Austen herself would approve, and perhaps love to spend many afternoons with Alys, sipping chai and discussing the importance of women's education.

Unmarriageable is a book you do not want to miss!

Thirty and happily unwed, Alys Bina, a teacher at a tony Pakistani girls school, urges her English students to look beyond an advantageous, early marriage. Her mom, determined to find husbands for her five daughters at the season’s biggest wedding, disagrees. Kamal’s inventive retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set among Pakistan’s monied elite. Charms,

Set in early 2000s Pakistan, “Unmarriageable” is a retelling of “Pride and Prejudice”. Don’t shun me, but I’ve never read the classic original “Pride and Prejudice”. The premise here, however, is the same: A close family of 5 daughters (The Binats: Jena, Alys, Mari, Qitty and Lady) - Each daughter is (still) unwed, much to their overbearing mother’s distress.

I enjoyed “Unmarriageable”’s fresh take on a classic story with this newer time period and the incorporation of a different culture. In “Unmarriageable”, I found Mrs. Binat to be especially exhausting and dramatic. I also didn’t feel much chemistry between the male characters and the Binat sisters. While the story started off strong, my interest did fade toward the middle and I felt the momentum really slow down. It did pick up again eventually, but not to the same level as earlier in the book. Not my favorite, but still a solid 3-star read.

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't get into it. I love that the author wrote about Pakistani life in a way that gave those of us that don't know anything about it a little insight. That being said I just found it unrelatable and could never get to into it.

This Pakistani take on Pride and Prejudice absolutely lived up to the hype. The real highlight of the book for me was the way the culture was expressed, allowing the reader to gain greater insight and understanding. I really loved the various family dynamics, specifically between the mother and daughters. It was very enjoyable and I found myself engaged from the beginning until the end.

An artful retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set in modern-day Pakistan. Charming and romantic, like the original.

I love any retelling of a Jane Austen story, but haven't seen anything like this one. The setting of modern day Pakistan is so unique and I loved reading the cultural differences.

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.

Jane Austen's classic novels have undergone numerous retellings, and Pride and Prejudice may be foremost in such attentions. In Unmarriageable, Soniah Kamal frames the familiar story of Pride and Prejudice in a present-day setting of Pakistan. This works exceptionally well. Other modern locales may feel stilted when trying to explain a mother's fierce interest in marrying off her daughters and growing anxious as the older girls fail to find matches, but in a culture of arranged marriages, it fits perfectly.

There's an interesting juxtaposition of some characters being aware of Pride and Prejudice while they also unknowingly play it out; the book opens with the familiar first sentence, rewritten as part of a homework assignment: "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."

Alysba Binat is an English teacher at the local British school; she is adept at connecting with her students, but her position came about when her family fell on financial difficulties after an uncle charged with managing their money transferred their fortune to his own coffers. Alys uses her authority in the classroom to challenge girls to push against the status quo instead of following the expected trajectory to marry early and give up on education and any career aspirations.

Those familiar with Austen's story will find the names will ring familiar: Jena is Alys' older sister, and her younger sisters are Mari, Lady, and Qitty. Instead of dancing at balls like the Bennett sisters, the Binat sisters find themselves invited to attend the coveted NadirFiede wedding celebrations. Slightly altered plot points take place as Jena and Fahad Bingla connect and Alys and Valentine Darsee spar.

I have no doubt this story is fully accessible for readers who have never encountered Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but having that framework made it enjoyable, and I'm impressed with how well it translated to a Pakistani setting, where a scandal late in the book causes reflections of the sort that are timeless when viewed from cultures where image is more important than truth: "Shame on their society, where maintaining unsoiled reputations was considered more vital than exposing scoundrels, for such secrets only allowed the scoundrels to continue causing harm."

Such treatment shows how timeless the original work is, since writers continue to revisit it to put their own spin on a classic story. Kamal's Unmarriageable is one of the best I've encountered.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for my honest review.)

I absolutely loved this refreshingly funny Pakistani version of my favourite book of all time - Pride & Prejudice.
As the author stated, certain personality traits are universal and the plot of Pride & Prejudice is a timeless story of family, community, love, betrayal and forgiveness.
A well written book and a truly enjoyable read, with parts that are laugh out loud funny!

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.

Unmarriageable is a very charming Pakistani retelling of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. If you aren’t familiar with the original, all you really need to know is that it’s a period romance with a lot of social commentary around sexism and classism. Unmarriageable is a fairly faithful adaptation set in Pakistan in the early aughts, so I think if you like the original, you’ll also enjoy this one.

The best part of Unmarriageable, to me, was the social commentary. Not only does Kamal approach the sexism and classism from a more modern Pakistani lens, but she addresses racism and colonialism as well. Pakistani culture in the early 2000s apparently had some attitudes towards women’s place in the home and sex and sexuality that somewhat mirror that of Georgian England. It was (is?) frowned upon to have sex or most types of sexual contact before marriage. Women were expected to tend to the home. Light skinned folks were seen as being more attractive than darker skinned folks. Kamal addresses all of this and much more quite deftly without compromising the swoony romance.

Speaking of romance, if you like Pride and Prejudice for the romance, Unmarriabeable will make you quite happy. Alys Binat and Mr. Darsee are just as likable as their original counterparts (so, in Darsee’s case, it may take a minute to warm up to him). Their chemistry and enimistry is almost palpable. The book definitely swings hard towards being cheesy at times, but that didn’t really compromise my enjoyment of the book.
The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was the Sherry (Charlotte) character. I always thought Lizzie was kind of horrible towards Charlotte, and Sherry and her relationship with Alys get a lot more time and consideration in this version of the classic.

Clearly, I really enjoyed this one. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice, you should definitely check this out. It’s perhaps a bit too close to the original, but as an Austen fan, I wasn’t much fussed by that. 4 stars.

Thanks to Ballentine Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. Unmarriageable is available now!

I'm quite impressed by this one. It is a very different take, yet has the same underlying themes, of Pride and Prejudice. I wasn't familiar with this author and thank NetGalley and Random House for introducing me to her.

This version takes place in Pakistan. Hello, multiculturalism at it's best! One of five children, Alys Binat, has found her niche teaching English literature to schoolgirls. In her society many young girls drop out to get married and start families. With this knowledge, she sets out to teach them about Jane Austen and her other heroes of literature in hopes they become inspired to follow their dreams.

About this time, you can enter in Pakistanian version of balls, men who are easily to love (although, may frown at her family), and the core of Pride and Prejudice. Alys (Elixabeth Bennet) and Valentine Darsee (Mr. Darcy) take a spin through this tale with many of the same plot lines with twists and turns that are true to their culture. It's a very funny, heartwarming, take on the beloved novel. It was fantastic!

A brilliant retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Soniah Kamal does with contemporary Pakistan what Jane Austen did with 19th century England—elucidating and critiquing their respective places, times, and social attitudes, especially with regard to the roles of family and women in society. The transformation of flighty Kitty into the charming, talented, and eventually empowered Qitty was especially delightful. Kamal is a charming writer, and this is a very worthwhile addition to the ranks of Austen retellings!

I know I am a little late to the party in writing my review of UNMARRIAGEABLE. Ms Kamal has already had praises and accolades heaped on her by many prestigious sources. I echo their enthusiasm and delight in this brilliant book.
A few years ago there seemed to be a myriad of Austen themed novels. A reading friend told me that I seemed to be on a journey of "all things Austen". These authors may have been quite different from the original Jane, but they still captured the universal themes that have made Jane Austen's tales live on for over 200 years.
In UNMARRIAGEABLE, the author sticks to re-telling PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. The setting is Pakistan in the first year of the new millennium. Some of the minor characters are a little more fleshed out, but major ones still share the flaws and foibles of the originals.
I knew little about Pakistani culture and loved learning differences and some things we all seem to share. The food sounded so delicious, I wanted to rush out and find a restaurant that served such lovely food.
It still seems even in the twenty-first century, that Pakistani women are expected to get married and raise children as the highest goal. When Alys rebels and speaks out against such practices she is chastised and pitied. Even in modern American culture, where women are marrying later and being single is not frowned on, there is still the undercurrent of getting married to fit in society.
There is a good bit of satire in the story as Ms. Kamal looks at the obsession with class and wealth that includes having the best designer clothes and the most outrageously expensive wedding. As in most cultures looks and body size is of utmost importance for women, but men can get away with pot bellies and less than movie star looks.
I met Sonia Kamal many years ago at a local Barnes and Noble book club. I saw her as a lady with a lovely spirit who was brilliant and articulate. A few months ago I saw her at a local author's event and she gave me a card and told me she had a book coming out in January. I was so happy for her. She has already had many events and I had the pleasure of attending a fairly intimate books talk and signing recently. She shared her journey in writing this book and brought it even more alive for me. She spoke of an earlier book that she could not get published in the United States. I have ordered it and look forward to its different style.
I wish Soniah Kamal all the best with UNMARRIAGEABLE and look forward to future books.

I had a very hard time reading Unmmariageable. I so very much wanted to read a fun, insightful retelling of Pride and Prejudice from my culture. My expectations were too high and instead I read what seemed like a very poor fan fiction of Pride and Prejudice without the charm, wit, and keen cultural criticism which made the original a classic.

The author's writing was solid when it came to the description of events and showing how the world of Austen is not far from Pakistan's culture where woman are still defined by the clothes she wears and who she marries though she does not provide social context to readers who are unfamiliar with Pakistani culture. There are attempts at calling attention to fat shaming and the absurd ideal of beauty but it falls flat. The plot closely follows the original, but the characters are ridiculously named and much like a poke instead of a nudge of addressing the characters, completely flat and unlikable. Even our famous pairing is lopsided in which Alysbeth is completely annoying and insufferable that I had no idea why Darsee would be interested in her at all. There is no character development of Darsee and the romance between any of the characters is virtually nonexistent. Definitely skip this one and watch Bride and Prejudice for a South Asian spin on the classic.