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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Better than a retelling: Ayesha Shamsi’s struggles to balance her dreams and her duties to her family evolve into struggles to manage her flighty younger cousin while interacting with a judgmental and conservative (but handsome) member of her community. This is a fun yet thought-provoking exploration of culture, family, friendship, and (of course), romance!
This isn’t what I would call a typical retelling of Pride and Prejudice—some of the major plot points are similar and the opening line is a great twist on Austen’s original, but a lot of other elements aren’t there. Same for the characters and their motivations. Ayesha is a strong, modern woman and Khalid is a conservative, traditional man. Their respective families have made them who they are and now they are trying to figure out who they want to be.
I enjoyed the book and the modern look at a storyline that some may consider overworked.
This is one of my favorite Austen retellings, not only for its originality but also for its readability. I definitely recommend it.
This isn’t what I would call a typical retelling of Pride and Prejudice—some of the major plot points are similar and the opening line is a great twist on Austen’s original, but a lot of other elements aren’t there. Same for the characters and their motivations. Ayesha is a strong, modern woman and Khalid is a conservative, traditional man. Their respective families have made them who they are and now they are trying to figure out who they want to be.
I enjoyed the book and the modern look at a storyline that some may consider overworked.
This is one of my favorite Austen retellings, not only for its originality but also for its readability. I definitely recommend it.
Generally I don't like romance books, but this was an exception. I liked that it gave me a glimpse into a dissimilar culture and its traditions (and how they interact with a similar culture to my own). I liked not only the strengths of the characters, but the flaws of the characters even more. I liked the character development. And of course, I liked the warm fuzzies it gave me. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for an ARC.
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for an ARC.
I didn’t know I need a Muslim Pride and Predjudice but OMG I REALLY REALLY DID. Yet, I found myself wishing this one was stronger. While the culture of arranged marriages really captures the constraints on the characters in the same way that Austen's original novel does, I never quite bought the underlying premise of their relationship or the friction in their relationship. At the same time, I'm grateful that we are starting to see a diversification of way romantic relationships can look in literature; not everything has to be tumbling immediately into steamy bed.
I’m not going to lie: If you had not told me this was a Pride & Prejudice retelling and instead I was operating under the dreamy assumption that this was an enemies-to-lovers literary fiction-y romance set in a largely Muslim neighborhood in Canada, this review might be a different story.
But only slightly. Three stars is still, by definition, a positive rating.
But this didn’t feel very Pride & Prejudice-y at all.
There was fun stuff in spite of that heartbreaking fact, like how I really like both our main characters (even though I, uh, didn’t love their romance), and the fact that this made me realize I really, really, reallyreallyreally need to read more books with Muslim representation.
But then there’s also The Villains Are So Flat (shoutout to Sheila and Tarek) and Character Arcs Don’t Exist So Our Lydia-Type Annoying Cousin Character Simply Does Two Spur-Of-The-Moment-180s And We Call It A Day.
Which I guess means that even the few parts that did line up with the Pride & Prejudice storyline didn’t #do it for me.
I am a bitter shell of a person.
Bottom line: In spite of this review’s moroseness, this book isn’t bad! Just not what I was told it would be.
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give me pride and prejudice retellings or give me death
(thanks to the publisher for the arc) (sorry it's been a year and a half)
But only slightly. Three stars is still, by definition, a positive rating.
But this didn’t feel very Pride & Prejudice-y at all.
There was fun stuff in spite of that heartbreaking fact, like how I really like both our main characters (even though I, uh, didn’t love their romance), and the fact that this made me realize I really, really, reallyreallyreally need to read more books with Muslim representation.
But then there’s also The Villains Are So Flat (shoutout to Sheila and Tarek) and Character Arcs Don’t Exist So Our Lydia-Type Annoying Cousin Character Simply Does Two Spur-Of-The-Moment-180s And We Call It A Day.
Which I guess means that even the few parts that did line up with the Pride & Prejudice storyline didn’t #do it for me.
I am a bitter shell of a person.
Bottom line: In spite of this review’s moroseness, this book isn’t bad! Just not what I was told it would be.
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give me pride and prejudice retellings or give me death
(thanks to the publisher for the arc) (sorry it's been a year and a half)
3.5
“Sometimes there were no words, only sunshine on your heart.”
“Sometimes there were no words, only sunshine on your heart.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it feels bad to give it a 3, but there were several things that I still didn't like as the story ended so I think I am being fair enough. Hopefully.
At first, I found Ayesha and Khalid written like they're some teenagers when they're in their mid 20s but as the story progressed, Khalid had become someone that I like. He must be such a hottie in that suit. It's also kinda easy to dislike him because of his blunt remarks on things but he also said some of the sweetest things. My feeling on Ayesha still remains a mystery.
As enjoyable as this was, there were too many family drama and conflicts throughout the book, I was left with the feeling of "omg pick a struggle!!!" But all was well in the end, I guess. Though I'd wish a different endings on Tarek, Hafsa and Farzana. Especially Farzana. She deserved all the hell she was put through.
At first, I found Ayesha and Khalid written like they're some teenagers when they're in their mid 20s but as the story progressed, Khalid had become someone that I like. He must be such a hottie in that suit. It's also kinda easy to dislike him because of his blunt remarks on things but he also said some of the sweetest things. My feeling on Ayesha still remains a mystery.
As enjoyable as this was, there were too many family drama and conflicts throughout the book, I was left with the feeling of "omg pick a struggle!!!" But all was well in the end, I guess. Though I'd wish a different endings on Tarek, Hafsa and Farzana. Especially Farzana. She deserved all the hell she was put through.
I was looking for a light read and settled on this novel which I had heard about as a retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Though the book does not follow Austen’s plot slavishly, there are certainly many similarities.
The setting is the contemporary South East Asian Muslim community of suburban Toronto. Elizabeth Bennett is Ayesha Shamsi, a 27-year-old unmarried substitute teacher who yearns to be a poet. Mr. Darcy is Khalid Mirza, a conservative e-commerce project manager who has agreed to have his mother arrange his marriage: “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Muslim man must be in want of a wife . . . [though to] his Indian mother, his own inclinations are of secondary importance.” As expected, the two meet and are attracted to each other, but they repeatedly clash. The ending, of course, is entirely predictable.
The character of Ayesha is appealing. Her outspokenness is the trait that gets her into trouble. Her first encounter with Farzana, Khalid’s mother, is hilarious as Ayesha asks the questions about Khalid that Farzana is asking of Hafsa, Ayesha’s cousin who is being considered as a possible wife for Khalid. Ayesha shows herself to be the exact opposite of what Farzana wants in a daughter-in-law, someone without “’modern ideas about education and careers . . . [who shows] deference and modesty . . . [and is] quiet and refined . . . [and does not] talk back to her mother-in-law . . . [and spends] her days sewing, cooking and reading the Quran.’”
As in Austen’s classic, the characters change as they learn their flaws. At first, Ayesha sees Khalid as “a judgmental conformist, content to bow mindlessly to tradition and the expectations of others.” She calls him a “fundy” – a fundamentalist. Naturally, she gradually becomes aware of her prejudices and becomes more accepting. Khalid also learns that he tends to be judgmental and becomes more compassionate and open-minded.
Many of the characters are rather one-dimensional. Farzana is the controlling, conniving mother who seems to have no redeeming qualities. Likewise, Sheila, Khalid’s Muslim-hating boss, is reminiscent of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Ayesha’s grandparents, on the other hand, are wise and good. For instance, her grandfather quotes Shakespeare and her grandmother dispenses advice while giving cooking lessons: “’A woman plays many roles in her life, and she must learn to accept them as they come.’”
Actually, there are several people who give advice. Ayesha’s best friend tells her, “’Sometimes the only way to move forward is to rock the boat. Otherwise you risk losing everything.’” Her principal warns her, “’Dreams tend to shatter if you’re carrying other people’s hopes around with you.’” An imam advises Khalid to understand his motivations because “’Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will have what they intended.’”
I did have some issues with the book. The number of times people ignore questions directly asked of them in conversation is annoying. People don’t really do that in real life. Also problematic is Ayesha’s loyalty to her shallow, materialistic, impulsive cousin; to justify this relationship, the author has Ayesha thinking, “The loyalty she felt for Hafsa was instinctive and unflinching and didn’t make a lot of sense.” Khalid’s physical transformation at the end seems unnecessary. There are also times when the book drags; I wanted the drama to end.
Though not perfect, the book is mostly an enjoyable read. Having Muslim Canadians as the main characters in a classic retelling not only shines a light on the lives of Muslims, as varied as are those of Christians, but also emphasizes the relevance of Jane Austen’s classic novel.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakauski).
The setting is the contemporary South East Asian Muslim community of suburban Toronto. Elizabeth Bennett is Ayesha Shamsi, a 27-year-old unmarried substitute teacher who yearns to be a poet. Mr. Darcy is Khalid Mirza, a conservative e-commerce project manager who has agreed to have his mother arrange his marriage: “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Muslim man must be in want of a wife . . . [though to] his Indian mother, his own inclinations are of secondary importance.” As expected, the two meet and are attracted to each other, but they repeatedly clash. The ending, of course, is entirely predictable.
The character of Ayesha is appealing. Her outspokenness is the trait that gets her into trouble. Her first encounter with Farzana, Khalid’s mother, is hilarious as Ayesha asks the questions about Khalid that Farzana is asking of Hafsa, Ayesha’s cousin who is being considered as a possible wife for Khalid. Ayesha shows herself to be the exact opposite of what Farzana wants in a daughter-in-law, someone without “’modern ideas about education and careers . . . [who shows] deference and modesty . . . [and is] quiet and refined . . . [and does not] talk back to her mother-in-law . . . [and spends] her days sewing, cooking and reading the Quran.’”
As in Austen’s classic, the characters change as they learn their flaws. At first, Ayesha sees Khalid as “a judgmental conformist, content to bow mindlessly to tradition and the expectations of others.” She calls him a “fundy” – a fundamentalist. Naturally, she gradually becomes aware of her prejudices and becomes more accepting. Khalid also learns that he tends to be judgmental and becomes more compassionate and open-minded.
Many of the characters are rather one-dimensional. Farzana is the controlling, conniving mother who seems to have no redeeming qualities. Likewise, Sheila, Khalid’s Muslim-hating boss, is reminiscent of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Ayesha’s grandparents, on the other hand, are wise and good. For instance, her grandfather quotes Shakespeare and her grandmother dispenses advice while giving cooking lessons: “’A woman plays many roles in her life, and she must learn to accept them as they come.’”
Actually, there are several people who give advice. Ayesha’s best friend tells her, “’Sometimes the only way to move forward is to rock the boat. Otherwise you risk losing everything.’” Her principal warns her, “’Dreams tend to shatter if you’re carrying other people’s hopes around with you.’” An imam advises Khalid to understand his motivations because “’Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will have what they intended.’”
I did have some issues with the book. The number of times people ignore questions directly asked of them in conversation is annoying. People don’t really do that in real life. Also problematic is Ayesha’s loyalty to her shallow, materialistic, impulsive cousin; to justify this relationship, the author has Ayesha thinking, “The loyalty she felt for Hafsa was instinctive and unflinching and didn’t make a lot of sense.” Khalid’s physical transformation at the end seems unnecessary. There are also times when the book drags; I wanted the drama to end.
Though not perfect, the book is mostly an enjoyable read. Having Muslim Canadians as the main characters in a classic retelling not only shines a light on the lives of Muslims, as varied as are those of Christians, but also emphasizes the relevance of Jane Austen’s classic novel.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakauski).
Modern-day Muslim take on Pride and Prejudice. It was a fun, easy read and familiarized me with some Muslim customs and cultures. I loved the nods to Jane Austen and the character parallels.
Oh god I loved this book. It was so easy to read. The links to Pride and Prejudice are subtle but present. It was also a difficult read - the blatant racism was awful and at one point everything was going so badly I didn't know how it was all going to come to a happy ending.
(To clarify: the text was easy to read, the content was not)
(To clarify: the text was easy to read, the content was not)
