"Pride and Prejudice" Refashioned!

Review by Ronica Wahi

Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan

By Soniah Kamal

First published: January 15, 2019, Allison & Busby.

Pages: 384.

ISBN: 9780749025151

“…Characters’ emotions and situations are universally applicable across cultures, whether you’re wearing an empire dress, shalwar kurta, or kimono.” (p. 262)

So says Alys – Alysba Binat, the female protagonist of Soniah Kamal’s Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan. Since this is a retelling/adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, Alys is clearly the counterpart to Elizabeth Bennet.

Even though the main plot and the characters are well-known, Unmarriageable has much newness to offer. The novel shows what Alys says in the comment quoted above – the emotions and situations presented by Austen are picked up for they are as valid in Pakistan of 2000-01. But with the similarities, there are differences too.

In this postcolonial tale, the culture and the vibe of the subcontinent comes through really well. There are the local settings, traditional attire, food items, native words and style of expression, and that dash of Punjabiyat here and there that people of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh can relate to, of course, and that people from other parts of the world can learn about.

Like Jane Austen - or Jane Khala, as Kamal calls her, “one of those honorary good aunts who tells it straight and looks out for you” (p. 18) - does, Kamal reflects with observation and wit on the society she presents. The marriage game, the class issues, the narrow but yet prevailing definitions of feminine charm and beauty, the double standards that disadvantage women are among the ideas discussed. Kamal also comments on the threats that women face, which are normalized enough to not evoke the kind of strong reactions that they ought to – for instance, Farhat (or, ‘Fart’) Kaleen, counterpart to Mr. Collins, feels the need to point out that he wouldn’t throw acid just because his proposal was rejected and there is no outrage on such a remark, not even from Alys’s family members who heard this.

Happily, but, Unmarriageable is a feminist take on Pride and Prejudice. In effectively showing the changing times and the coexistence of people with conservative, moderate, and liberal outlooks, it shows that steps in the right direction are being taken. So, though Alys – a smart, well-read career woman - teaches at a school that strives to groom girls into “the best of marriageable material”, Alys herself strives to inspire those girls to aspire beyond attaining the status of a wife and a mother. Valentine Darsee, Darcy’s counterpart, displays his respect towards women through some of his dialogues and actions. Also, the fact that he and Bungles, Bingley’s counterpart, two very eligible bachelors, marry women over thirty and older than themselves is a nice change.

In the reflection on the kind of frivolous and silly people who inhabit this society, there is much humour to be found. Certain scenes can even make the reader laugh out loud – such as the one at the clinic wherein Mrs. Binat (playing Austen’s Mrs. Bennet) and Lady (Austen’s Lydia) prove to be utter embarrassments.

As mentioned above, this book is not a replica, even though the plot and the characters are so much like the classic. Accordingly, the narrative, the language, and the pace of the narration do not replicate Austen’s work, but reflect the time and the place in which the action unfolds.

At the end of the book, in a section entitled “Pride and Prejudice and Me”, Kamal says,

“As I read and reread Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and every other character ceased to be English – to me, they were Pakistani.” (p. 373)

And she does manage to turn them so. Pride and Prejudice exists within Unmarriageable not only through the plot but also through repeated references to it. Alys teaches Pride and Prejudice; she lovingly repeats the story so often that she almost as if manifests it into her own life. The narrative ends with Alys and Darsee in Austen’s House Museum in Chawton village in England reading together the famous first sentence of the original, giving the sense that Jane Austen is indeed the one who has orchestrated their lives too.

This adaptation adds new dimensions and issues, for sure. However, there is one aspect in which it falls short: the aspect of romance. This aspect did need more space to blossom. The scenes of Elizabeth and Darcy make the heart flutter on the nth read; the scenes of Alys and Darsee do not affect similarly. One thing that could have been avoided is the closeness to names in the original; true, the similarity does help instantly recognize whom the character in question is modelled on, but since the plot is largely retained, a bit of less similarity would not have been an issue. For as they stand, some of the names do sound awkward.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is hardly easy to produce an engaging adaptation of a work that has stood the test of time. But Soniah Kamal has done quite a fine job overall.

While it is possible to enjoy this book without having read Pride and Prejudice ever, it would be a good idea to read the original too to be able to appreciate how this one uses and deviates from the original.

Certainly worth reading!

To know more about Unmarriageable, and Soniah Kamal’s experiences, writing, and thoughts, do watch her interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guLmjELjgvA

 

Amazon India link for Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan (Kindle): https://amzn.to/3IFnGEo

Amazon India link for Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan (Paperback): https://amzn.to/3IGFjDT

Amazon India link for Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan (Hardcover): https://amzn.to/3GBlITH

Amazon India link for Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan (Audiobook): https://amzn.to/3EHGoJb

Listen to Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan and many other exciting books from a catalogue of over 2,00,000 audiobooks available on Audible. Check it out here:

https://amzn.to/3FFfVPB

                                              

 

DISCLAIMER: Ronica Wahi is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. If you make a purchase through any of the Amazon links provided by Ronica here, she may receive a small commission, without any extra cost to you.