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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Unmarriageable
by Soniah Kamal
content warnings:
rep:
★ 3.5 stars ★
I've read a lot of P&P retellings, but at a conceptual level this is one of my favorites. Kamal draws insightful parallels between modern Pakistani culture and the society Austen depicts; I also really like that this is overall very true to the plot, characterization, and themes of the original while taking on a new life through vivid setting/cultural details plus a few key changes.
However, it baffles me that P&P is referenced multiple times — specifically its characters and its famous opening line — and yet there is absolutely no acknowledgment of the obvious similarities: plot points, character names, et cetera. I did my best to just let it go, but this just doesn't quite work for me when the obvious solution is for P&P to simply not exist within the narrative; there are plenty of other books that could be (and are) alluded to, including Austen's other works. While their coexistence allows the author to add commentary and make some meta jokes, I'm not sure the tradeoff was worth it.
I also had a few issues with the structure of the writing, though not so much the prose itself. The transitions between chapters and scenes is often abrupt, almost as though the narrator decides to simply move on once the parallel/reference to P&P has been checked off. Also jarring are the occasional peeks into a different character's thoughts; perhaps omniscient third person was intended, but it read more like limited third with occasional brief jumps outside of Alys's perspective. And while in-text direct translations of the Urdu (?) words and phrases was definitely helpful, I would've preferred a more subtle incorporation of their meaning (as appears later on with some of the more frequently used phrases) and, in some cases, the use of the Urdu word and translation interrupted the flow of the sentence without adding much to the context.
Alys does a lot of preaching about social issues, which can be a bit tiresome but does match with what I recall of Lizzie Bennet's dialogue. And it does help build meaningful common ground with Darsee beyond the fact that both like to read; obviously an important aspect of any P&P retelling. There's also some interesting things going on with the sisters: the backstory of Lady's name, Qitty's journey to self-acceptance and body positivity, Mari's entire arc.
Overall, while I think the execution of Unmarriageable could have used a bit more polishing, it's a fantastic retelling of the classic, and one I would widely recommend.
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CONVERSION: 10.35 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Spoiler
classism, colorism, ageism, fatphobia & fat-shaming, mention of past heart attack, shaming of infertility, mention of miscarriages, mention of abortion, slut-shaming, homophobia, mentions of cancer, animal sacrifice (goats & sheep), mention of sexual harassment by an employer, suicidal ideation, religious fanaticismrep:
Spoiler
set in Pakistan, Pakistani cast, Muslim Pakistani MCs, [Binat family], fat major character [Qitty], gay Indian minor character [Raghav], mentioned M/M relationship★ 3.5 stars ★
I've read a lot of P&P retellings, but at a conceptual level this is one of my favorites. Kamal draws insightful parallels between modern Pakistani culture and the society Austen depicts; I also really like that this is overall very true to the plot, characterization, and themes of the original while taking on a new life through vivid setting/cultural details plus a few key changes.
However, it baffles me that P&P is referenced multiple times — specifically its characters and its famous opening line — and yet there is absolutely no acknowledgment of the obvious similarities: plot points, character names, et cetera. I did my best to just let it go, but this just doesn't quite work for me when the obvious solution is for P&P to simply not exist within the narrative; there are plenty of other books that could be (and are) alluded to, including Austen's other works. While their coexistence allows the author to add commentary and make some meta jokes, I'm not sure the tradeoff was worth it.
I also had a few issues with the structure of the writing, though not so much the prose itself. The transitions between chapters and scenes is often abrupt, almost as though the narrator decides to simply move on once the parallel/reference to P&P has been checked off. Also jarring are the occasional peeks into a different character's thoughts; perhaps omniscient third person was intended, but it read more like limited third with occasional brief jumps outside of Alys's perspective. And while in-text direct translations of the Urdu (?) words and phrases was definitely helpful, I would've preferred a more subtle incorporation of their meaning (as appears later on with some of the more frequently used phrases) and, in some cases, the use of the Urdu word and translation interrupted the flow of the sentence without adding much to the context.
Alys does a lot of preaching about social issues, which can be a bit tiresome but does match with what I recall of Lizzie Bennet's dialogue. And it does help build meaningful common ground with Darsee beyond the fact that both like to read; obviously an important aspect of any P&P retelling. There's also some interesting things going on with the sisters: the backstory of Lady's name, Qitty's journey to self-acceptance and body positivity, Mari's entire arc.
Overall, while I think the execution of Unmarriageable could have used a bit more polishing, it's a fantastic retelling of the classic, and one I would widely recommend.
-----------
CONVERSION: 10.35 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5