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Polite Society
A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma with a touch of Crazy Rich Asians set in Delhi, in which the daughter of a wealthy Indian family aspires to match-make for her friends and family, only to find herself caught up in an unforeseen scandal--and an unexpected match of her own.
Beautiful, clever, and very slightly bored, Ania Khurana has Delhi wrapped around her finger. When Ania finds love for her spinster aunt, she realizes her potential as a force for good.
For her next match, Ania sets her sights on Dimple: her newest, sweetest, and, sure, poorest friend. But her good intentions may be misdirected, and when her aunt's handsome new nephew arrives from America, the social tides in Delhi begin to shift. Surrounded by money old and new, navigating gossip, scheming, and an unforgettable cast of journalists, socialites, gurus, and heirs, Ania discovers that when you aim to please the human heart, things seldom go as planned.
Using Jane Austen's Emma as a springboard, Polite Society takes us into the lives of a group of characters we never want to part with. Pairing stiletto-sharp observation and social comedy with moments of true tenderness, this delicious romp through the mansions of India's elite celebrates that there's no one route to perfect happiness.
Beautiful, clever, and very slightly bored, Ania Khurana has Delhi wrapped around her finger. When Ania finds love for her spinster aunt, she realizes her potential as a force for good.
For her next match, Ania sets her sights on Dimple: her newest, sweetest, and, sure, poorest friend. But her good intentions may be misdirected, and when her aunt's handsome new nephew arrives from America, the social tides in Delhi begin to shift. Surrounded by money old and new, navigating gossip, scheming, and an unforgettable cast of journalists, socialites, gurus, and heirs, Ania discovers that when you aim to please the human heart, things seldom go as planned.
Using Jane Austen's Emma as a springboard, Polite Society takes us into the lives of a group of characters we never want to part with. Pairing stiletto-sharp observation and social comedy with moments of true tenderness, this delicious romp through the mansions of India's elite celebrates that there's no one route to perfect happiness.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2018
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3818 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
August 2, 2019
Mahesh Rao reinterprets Jane Austen's Emma in a novel set in Delhi in India. I should say that Emma is my least favourite in the Austen canon, Emma is not a character that I felt any affinity or appreciation for. In this version, perhaps it is not surprising that I was less than enamoured by the privileged and entitled 25 year old socialite, Ania Khurana, the only daughter and child of the super rich Dileep. With a mother who died when she was too young to remember, this no doubt contributed to her father spoiling her rotten. She is a slightly bored young woman, doing some 'good works' by volunteering, talking about the novel that she is writing, inflating her importance in the exclusive circles she inhabits, although in reality there is very little in the way of actual writing taking place. She plans to rectify this by attending a writing residency in Italy, it is so easy to use her family's influence to get a celebrated writer to recommend her for it.
In the meantime, she decides to dabble in a little matchmaking, beginning with her spinster aunt in her fifties, Renu. Upon meeting a Colonel Suraj Singh Rathore, she decides he is an eminently suitable man for her aunt, organising picnics for them to get to know each other. Feeling she has a gift in this area, she casts her eyes around to find her next target, choosing her newest friend, Dimple, sure she is poor, but that is no reason why she cannot get a man above her social strata. Dimple has other ideas as she fixes on Ankit, deemed by Ania to be unworthy of her dear friend as she lectures Dimple on not settling for such a lowly character. Ania has a much more appropriate man lined up for her, the famous Muslim journalist, Fahim. As Ania engages in her machinations, sometimes rather cruelly, she is to learn the hard way that she is not always right, as pointed by her long term family friend, archaeologist Dev Gahlot, and that she is not beyond making her own personal errors.
Rao updates Emma into the age of social media, where every scandal and gossip finds itself growing to mammoth proportions, the perfect tool for the young, rich, groomed, careless of others, and judgemental social circles with time on their hands, with their social etiquette and codes that it is impossible to know unless you are an insider. I think Austen's Emma would have taken to social media like a duck to water. I found this novel more engaging once Ania starts to understand she is capable of making big mistakes, and she feels an inner urge to earn the respect of Dev. Whilst I struggled with the story at the beginning, I did eventually begin to immerse myself in the life of the Indian Emma, a self obsessed Ania who has to handle what she experiences at the writing residency and other challenges. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
In the meantime, she decides to dabble in a little matchmaking, beginning with her spinster aunt in her fifties, Renu. Upon meeting a Colonel Suraj Singh Rathore, she decides he is an eminently suitable man for her aunt, organising picnics for them to get to know each other. Feeling she has a gift in this area, she casts her eyes around to find her next target, choosing her newest friend, Dimple, sure she is poor, but that is no reason why she cannot get a man above her social strata. Dimple has other ideas as she fixes on Ankit, deemed by Ania to be unworthy of her dear friend as she lectures Dimple on not settling for such a lowly character. Ania has a much more appropriate man lined up for her, the famous Muslim journalist, Fahim. As Ania engages in her machinations, sometimes rather cruelly, she is to learn the hard way that she is not always right, as pointed by her long term family friend, archaeologist Dev Gahlot, and that she is not beyond making her own personal errors.
Rao updates Emma into the age of social media, where every scandal and gossip finds itself growing to mammoth proportions, the perfect tool for the young, rich, groomed, careless of others, and judgemental social circles with time on their hands, with their social etiquette and codes that it is impossible to know unless you are an insider. I think Austen's Emma would have taken to social media like a duck to water. I found this novel more engaging once Ania starts to understand she is capable of making big mistakes, and she feels an inner urge to earn the respect of Dev. Whilst I struggled with the story at the beginning, I did eventually begin to immerse myself in the life of the Indian Emma, a self obsessed Ania who has to handle what she experiences at the writing residency and other challenges. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
August 24, 2019
I’ve been on a roll for almost the past year, trying to read as many modern Jane Austen retellings as I can. So when I found that there was a new version of Emma set in Delhi, I just had to get my hands on it.
Emma is one of those books that’s not easy to like, especially because of our titular character. The retellings which stay close to the original tend to have similar concerns, so I really wanted to see how the author would manage to make me like the story here. I think the author’s decision to set it among the uber rich elite class of Delhi was perfect for this story. The pretentiousness of this group of people really comes through and one can’t help but wonder how far away they are from the country’s reality. The book really feels like a satire and I could enjoy it because of that. The first half of the book does a neat job of establishing the characters, giving us a look into their backgrounds and motivations and the general culture among this crowd. However, it’s the second half where it really faltered for me. We follow many characters and I thought it’ll be fun to see where they all end up, but it felt like the story meandered a lot and we never got any proper resolution to most of the characters’ arcs. The ending felt very abrupt and open ended and I’m not really a fan of those. Another problem I had was that some of the English vocabulary used was completely unfamiliar (with some French words also thrown in the mix) and I found it all a bit tough to follow - it’s totally a me problem and others would probably enjoy it too.
This book has a huge ensemble cast but I didn’t end up connecting to anyone. No one here is written to be likeable, so that’s not the issue - it’s just that I felt a huge divide between them and myself, so I couldn’t find myself invested in any of their issues. I’m not even a fan of Emma from the original but she manages to redeem herself a bit towards the end, however I didn’t feel the same about Ania. She is a snob and a creature of privilege, always sure that she is doing the right thing and feels herself to be superior to other mere mortals. But I did sympathize with her when some unfortunate incidents happened, but we never see her actually contemplate or learn anything from them so it didn’t make any difference. Even towards the end, I don’t think that she realized any of her faults - just that things didn’t go her way. So, I was pretty disappointed with this missing character development. And that’s the case with most of them in the book. Things just happen to the characters in their life and they move on to something else, but we never really see anyone reflect or try to change or even empathize with others.
In the end, I thought this was mostly a faithful retelling of Emma (atleast all the characters of Emma’s family and Harriet). It has a well written satirical tone which made the book interesting to read, and I also absolutely adored the narrator Deepti Gupta whose voices for each character was unique and beautiful. But the lack of character development and unresolved arcs left me feeling dissatisfied. If you like desi Jane Austen retellings or previously have enjoyed reading The Windfall by Diksha Basu, you probably will enjoy reading this one too. I also recommend the audiobook because of the wonderful narrator.
Emma is one of those books that’s not easy to like, especially because of our titular character. The retellings which stay close to the original tend to have similar concerns, so I really wanted to see how the author would manage to make me like the story here. I think the author’s decision to set it among the uber rich elite class of Delhi was perfect for this story. The pretentiousness of this group of people really comes through and one can’t help but wonder how far away they are from the country’s reality. The book really feels like a satire and I could enjoy it because of that. The first half of the book does a neat job of establishing the characters, giving us a look into their backgrounds and motivations and the general culture among this crowd. However, it’s the second half where it really faltered for me. We follow many characters and I thought it’ll be fun to see where they all end up, but it felt like the story meandered a lot and we never got any proper resolution to most of the characters’ arcs. The ending felt very abrupt and open ended and I’m not really a fan of those. Another problem I had was that some of the English vocabulary used was completely unfamiliar (with some French words also thrown in the mix) and I found it all a bit tough to follow - it’s totally a me problem and others would probably enjoy it too.
This book has a huge ensemble cast but I didn’t end up connecting to anyone. No one here is written to be likeable, so that’s not the issue - it’s just that I felt a huge divide between them and myself, so I couldn’t find myself invested in any of their issues. I’m not even a fan of Emma from the original but she manages to redeem herself a bit towards the end, however I didn’t feel the same about Ania. She is a snob and a creature of privilege, always sure that she is doing the right thing and feels herself to be superior to other mere mortals. But I did sympathize with her when some unfortunate incidents happened, but we never see her actually contemplate or learn anything from them so it didn’t make any difference. Even towards the end, I don’t think that she realized any of her faults - just that things didn’t go her way. So, I was pretty disappointed with this missing character development. And that’s the case with most of them in the book. Things just happen to the characters in their life and they move on to something else, but we never really see anyone reflect or try to change or even empathize with others.
In the end, I thought this was mostly a faithful retelling of Emma (atleast all the characters of Emma’s family and Harriet). It has a well written satirical tone which made the book interesting to read, and I also absolutely adored the narrator Deepti Gupta whose voices for each character was unique and beautiful. But the lack of character development and unresolved arcs left me feeling dissatisfied. If you like desi Jane Austen retellings or previously have enjoyed reading The Windfall by Diksha Basu, you probably will enjoy reading this one too. I also recommend the audiobook because of the wonderful narrator.
July 27, 2019
2.5 stars
I am a huge Jane Austen fan and love to read retellings of her books (unless they involve vampires or zombies) so I was excited to read POLITE SOCIETY, a modern retelling of EMMA. I realize that retellings would be boring if they took the original tale and just copied it with a new setting or other background. However, I found it very distracting that POLITE SOCIETY seemed to diverge so greatly from EMMA, and then the ending sort of fell apart which ruined the book for me. Maybe I am just not the audience for this one.
I am a huge Jane Austen fan and love to read retellings of her books (unless they involve vampires or zombies) so I was excited to read POLITE SOCIETY, a modern retelling of EMMA. I realize that retellings would be boring if they took the original tale and just copied it with a new setting or other background. However, I found it very distracting that POLITE SOCIETY seemed to diverge so greatly from EMMA, and then the ending sort of fell apart which ruined the book for me. Maybe I am just not the audience for this one.
August 22, 2019
Polite Society is a modern day re-telling of Emma, by Jane Austin set in India. Normally I'm not a fan of re-tellings because I like the original too much, with the possible exception of fairy tales and fables. However, because of the caste system or class structure in India, this particular version works well. The story is cleverly written with a lot of wit and charm. Sadly, for me, I didn't enjoy Polite Society as much as I had hoped. I think there is too much feminist in me to think anything about this type of social construct is acceptable. I prefer to imagine that all of this died with the Victorians even though my intellectual side knows differently.
August 7, 2019
Combining Jane Austen’s Emma with Crazy Rich Asians and setting it in the upper class of contemporary Delhi society is not a bad idea - after all, they’re two great (though very different) books about the mores of the often foolish wealthy. But Polite Society lacks Austen’s deeply developed characters and her affection for them, and the tone lacks Kwan’s fizzy exuberance. The plot neatly matches Emma, though adds in a lot more background about the secondary characters as well as frequently switching to their point of view, but there are a lot of loose ends (is the author thinking sequel?) The tone never quite knows if it should be light or dark; it feels like it should be a romp but there is genuine misery and misfortune and many of the characters seem adrift. The pacing is leisurely and often meanders but then the ending feels rushed and unfinished. Having said all that, I was quite taken by all the goings on of Ania (Emma) and her circle but never felt truly absorbed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the digital review copy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the digital review copy.
December 6, 2019
Jane Austen’s Emma is not a favourite of mine. I’ve read it only once, unlike a few of her other titles, as I never particularly liked Emma, the main character, finding her and her high-handed meddling in others’ lives irritating.
Mahesh Rao transports this story to present day, terribly smoggy Delhi. Ania Khurana is a 25-year old socialite, breezily moving through her life, who takes it upon herself to interfere in Dimple’s life. Dimple is attracted to a young man, Ankit, whom Ania decides isn’t worthy. There are other parallels to the 19th century work, with Mahesh Rao centering the story on Ania’s circle of friends and acquaintances.
We see the rich of Delhi, in their superficiality, small-mindedness, insecurity, and nastiness. Ania is completely unaware of the extent of her privilege, and unknowingly bulldozes over others such as Dimple. And while her comeuppance and growth occur due to several incidents over the course of the story, I wasn’t sure that I was seeing a markedly more mature person at the end.
Rao’s writing is competent, and I found myself smiling occasionally, painfully, at situations. My discomfort with the original source material no doubt influenced my appreciation for this book, though, I was impressed at Rao’s ability to create so many unpalatable characters.
Mahesh Rao transports this story to present day, terribly smoggy Delhi. Ania Khurana is a 25-year old socialite, breezily moving through her life, who takes it upon herself to interfere in Dimple’s life. Dimple is attracted to a young man, Ankit, whom Ania decides isn’t worthy. There are other parallels to the 19th century work, with Mahesh Rao centering the story on Ania’s circle of friends and acquaintances.
We see the rich of Delhi, in their superficiality, small-mindedness, insecurity, and nastiness. Ania is completely unaware of the extent of her privilege, and unknowingly bulldozes over others such as Dimple. And while her comeuppance and growth occur due to several incidents over the course of the story, I wasn’t sure that I was seeing a markedly more mature person at the end.
Rao’s writing is competent, and I found myself smiling occasionally, painfully, at situations. My discomfort with the original source material no doubt influenced my appreciation for this book, though, I was impressed at Rao’s ability to create so many unpalatable characters.
January 26, 2019
Ania is just as exhausting as I remember Austen's Emma so Rao hit that mark perfectly. Actually maybe a little more because she had social media preoccupation & lived in a state of perpetually being accessorized appropriately just in case some random took a pic and posted on Instagram (she'll carry around an empty hatbox just to look "casually" perfectly accessorized). Admittedly, while I'm an Austen fan and always want to get my hands on retellings, Emma is not my favourite work. I'm a Persuasion and Anne devotee so based on personality and tone alone, Emma's disposition is, for me, a harder sell as anything remotely charming. But Rao reeled me in by vividly painting the landscape that is Dehli, the Khurana estate and environs and all of the others who populate these places and have to deal with Ania's breathtaking entitlement and machinations (the self-serving explanation of "check your privilege" she gives to her father was hilarious). There's rich detail expressed in landscape, furnishings, food and even the weather. It was witty, immersive and I was swept up in the entire story. I even admit to taking complete delight in Ania's spectacular failures of judgment. Couldn't happen to a more deserving meddler.
There are also enough pieces that are a bit of a departure from Emma as a consequence of the modern setting that I think elevated the story and kept my interest. While in the end, Ania is mostly as she began, remaining ever "Emma" and to my mind, the case still isn't made as to why her "George" would fall for her, I don't hold it against the story as it's true to the original. If Austen didn't convince me, Rao need not. I did very much enjoy the trajectory of others but most especially of Nina. Hers was quite heartbreaking in the end and all the realizations she comes to while at the Royal Opera House will remain with me. It was one of my favourite parts of the story.
With regard to wit and its clear look at the monied class and all its attendant conceits, obsessions and quirks, this definitely reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians. And I was actually a bit sad this is a standalone because I wouldn't mind checking in on many of these characters again, especially Ania (because growth is a thing and she's got plenty of room to grow).
I'd gladly read another from Rao and will be looking forward to it. Definitely recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy.
There are also enough pieces that are a bit of a departure from Emma as a consequence of the modern setting that I think elevated the story and kept my interest. While in the end, Ania is mostly as she began, remaining ever "Emma" and to my mind, the case still isn't made as to why her "George" would fall for her, I don't hold it against the story as it's true to the original. If Austen didn't convince me, Rao need not. I did very much enjoy the trajectory of others but most especially of Nina. Hers was quite heartbreaking in the end and all the realizations she comes to while at the Royal Opera House will remain with me. It was one of my favourite parts of the story.
With regard to wit and its clear look at the monied class and all its attendant conceits, obsessions and quirks, this definitely reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians. And I was actually a bit sad this is a standalone because I wouldn't mind checking in on many of these characters again, especially Ania (because growth is a thing and she's got plenty of room to grow).
I'd gladly read another from Rao and will be looking forward to it. Definitely recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy.
August 29, 2019
Polite Society offers the listener a window into the glam life of Delhi's wealthiest with this colorful modern tribute to Jane Austen's Emma.
Ania Khurana is the apple of her widowed father's eye and has it all her own way as she navigates the glitzy social scene of Delhi. She has her charities, her pet projects like the book she is writing, a poor friend, Dimple, to guide, and now she wants to try her hand at matchmaking since she was so successful with her Aunt Renu. Childhood, straight-talking friend Dev warns her off this endeavor of messing with people's lives and things get really interesting when her aunt's nephew arrives from America. Ania is riding high on her own perfection until she takes a hard tumble and learns that she can and has made some huge mistakes.
I found this one fun because I enjoyed spotting the familiar characters and situations from the original Emma and it also fascinated me with its look at the outlandishly rich and the culture of India. The narrator Deepti Gupta was as amazing as ever telling Ania's story.
But, as engaging as I found these aspects, I have to say that I never really took to these characters or felt more than shallowly vested in their story. I didn't find them developed into people interesting enough to care. I think that this was audio and I was enjoying the narrator so much is what kept me going and gave it a sparkle that it might not have had in print. She had a great voice and captured all the characters and situations well.
Now, I didn't dislike this story and don't want to give that impression, but I finished it with a feeling of something lacking. I thought the tribute to the classic story hit the mark well and the setting of India was a great backdrop for it. I can recommend this one, particularly in audio, to those looking for modern renditions of the Jane Austen classic Emma.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt Clue: something red on the cover 1 pt.
Ania Khurana is the apple of her widowed father's eye and has it all her own way as she navigates the glitzy social scene of Delhi. She has her charities, her pet projects like the book she is writing, a poor friend, Dimple, to guide, and now she wants to try her hand at matchmaking since she was so successful with her Aunt Renu. Childhood, straight-talking friend Dev warns her off this endeavor of messing with people's lives and things get really interesting when her aunt's nephew arrives from America. Ania is riding high on her own perfection until she takes a hard tumble and learns that she can and has made some huge mistakes.
I found this one fun because I enjoyed spotting the familiar characters and situations from the original Emma and it also fascinated me with its look at the outlandishly rich and the culture of India. The narrator Deepti Gupta was as amazing as ever telling Ania's story.
But, as engaging as I found these aspects, I have to say that I never really took to these characters or felt more than shallowly vested in their story. I didn't find them developed into people interesting enough to care. I think that this was audio and I was enjoying the narrator so much is what kept me going and gave it a sparkle that it might not have had in print. She had a great voice and captured all the characters and situations well.
Now, I didn't dislike this story and don't want to give that impression, but I finished it with a feeling of something lacking. I thought the tribute to the classic story hit the mark well and the setting of India was a great backdrop for it. I can recommend this one, particularly in audio, to those looking for modern renditions of the Jane Austen classic Emma.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt Clue: something red on the cover 1 pt.
November 18, 2019
I made it to 20% of this book. Chick lit is just not my genre. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
February 28, 2020
When I read the opening of Polite Society on First Look Book Club I was intrigued, and when I won a copy of the novel I was pleased.
The story is inspired by Jane Austen's Emma, only set in Dehli among the upper strata of society.
Early on I was laughing out loud. I even selected a sentence to share on David Abram's Sunday Sentence on Twitter. Roa's satire permeates the story.
In some ways, Ania's initial interest in Dimple's affairs could be placed on the same spectrum of charitable instincts as the one that left her to the animal shelter. When Dimple stared in confusion, widening her large brown eyes, Ania's heart gave a little flip. But over time she had become genuinely fond of Dimple and didn't see why the girl shouldn't reap the rewards of a superlative Delhi social life just because of her unfortunate beginnings.~ from Polit Society
I was halfway into the book when I picked up another book to read for my library book club and afterward found it hard to get back into this novel. I realized I did not know what it was 'about', other than the absurdities of the wealthy. I also realized that I didn't like the characters.
I kept reading because I had already read 75% by this time. I was disappointed in the end.
On the plus side, Rao can be very viciously funny. I had not realized how sophisticated and worldly India's rich are, a mirror of Western society. There are comments about the legacy of British Colonialism and the conflict between Hindi and Muslin. There were some interesting twists to characters, bringing their story into the 21st c.
On the negative side, the growth of the characters does not mirror that in Austen's Emma. I found some actions distasteful, especially a scene near the end involving masturbation. I did not feel the satisfaction of Austen's happy ending.
Updating a classic Austen novel is not easy. This one didn't work for me.
The story is inspired by Jane Austen's Emma, only set in Dehli among the upper strata of society.
Early on I was laughing out loud. I even selected a sentence to share on David Abram's Sunday Sentence on Twitter. Roa's satire permeates the story.
In some ways, Ania's initial interest in Dimple's affairs could be placed on the same spectrum of charitable instincts as the one that left her to the animal shelter. When Dimple stared in confusion, widening her large brown eyes, Ania's heart gave a little flip. But over time she had become genuinely fond of Dimple and didn't see why the girl shouldn't reap the rewards of a superlative Delhi social life just because of her unfortunate beginnings.~ from Polit Society
I was halfway into the book when I picked up another book to read for my library book club and afterward found it hard to get back into this novel. I realized I did not know what it was 'about', other than the absurdities of the wealthy. I also realized that I didn't like the characters.
I kept reading because I had already read 75% by this time. I was disappointed in the end.
On the plus side, Rao can be very viciously funny. I had not realized how sophisticated and worldly India's rich are, a mirror of Western society. There are comments about the legacy of British Colonialism and the conflict between Hindi and Muslin. There were some interesting twists to characters, bringing their story into the 21st c.
On the negative side, the growth of the characters does not mirror that in Austen's Emma. I found some actions distasteful, especially a scene near the end involving masturbation. I did not feel the satisfaction of Austen's happy ending.
Updating a classic Austen novel is not easy. This one didn't work for me.
May 23, 2020
One of my favorite tropes to read is when authors decide to write renditions/variants of classic novels and even more so when they bring them into the modern centuries. This one grabbed my attention at the library, especially after seeing the movie Emma at the cinemas. Polite Society is a modern version of the classic Jane Austen story "Emma" and is set in India. Our Emma is Ania Khurana and her best friend is Dimple whom we knew in the original story as Harriet. Our Elton, the character she wants as a more suitable option for Dimple is journalist Fahim and then we have our George Knightley who is known in Polite Society as Dev Gahlot who is an archaeologist. In parts I did find the story a slow burn, but overall as I knew what to expect with the basis of the original Emma - at the same time, it meant I was enjoying myself as I was waiting to see what the author did with the vital parts of the classic Emma. Mahesh Rao did an amazing job at capturing the character's essence especially the spoiled side of Ania which Emma was famous for and the creepy side of Fahim.
If you love Jane Austen's Emma and wanting to read a more contemporary version as well as get a bit of diversity in your reading with the book set in India and a strong focus on the Indian culture, then check out Polite Society by Mahesh Rao today.
If you love Jane Austen's Emma and wanting to read a more contemporary version as well as get a bit of diversity in your reading with the book set in India and a strong focus on the Indian culture, then check out Polite Society by Mahesh Rao today.
February 19, 2023
Thanks to BookTrib and Penguin/Random House.
I just couldn't get into this book at all and gave it 100 pages (my usual time to stop reading a book if it doesn't get flowing).
Sometimes you have to be a fan of a classic book, in this case, a Jane Austen Emma fan to read this because it got lost in translation for me, as do a lot of modern retelling of books.
It was definitely a chick lit book since she was in her 20s. I got bored seeing her trying to fix up her best friend Dimples with a man on the whole 100 pages I read. I thought she was a spoiled rich girl whose only employment was having parties in her mansion. At the beginning of the book she mentioned that she was trying to write her novel for the 3rd time which I saw no indication of when I skimmed before closing the book for good.
I just couldn't get into this book at all and gave it 100 pages (my usual time to stop reading a book if it doesn't get flowing).
Sometimes you have to be a fan of a classic book, in this case, a Jane Austen Emma fan to read this because it got lost in translation for me, as do a lot of modern retelling of books.
It was definitely a chick lit book since she was in her 20s. I got bored seeing her trying to fix up her best friend Dimples with a man on the whole 100 pages I read. I thought she was a spoiled rich girl whose only employment was having parties in her mansion. At the beginning of the book she mentioned that she was trying to write her novel for the 3rd time which I saw no indication of when I skimmed before closing the book for good.
Read
January 29, 2020DNF @ 25%, just could not get into the characters...
Read
December 25, 2019DNF no star rating.
Around chapter 13 I started skimming and decided I wasn't enjoying the story or relating to any of the characters. Not my cup of darjeeling.
Around chapter 13 I started skimming and decided I wasn't enjoying the story or relating to any of the characters. Not my cup of darjeeling.
July 14, 2021
Finished three YA books and still on my physical book/trying to read through my bookshelves (sigh I gotta move one day LOL) and found this Advanced Copy of a book that is reviewed as an Indian Crazy Rich Asians and a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma (read that too long ago so have to rewatch the movie LOL)
.Love that I get a view of the scandals, secrets and relationships of the rich and those who live in an entirely different place-New Dehli, India..such a rich and beautiful culture and you begin this one meeting Ania..a twenty-something boldly working on a novel and in need of inspiration..She decides to ask her father in between his quest to remain forever young and raise his daughter without her mother..
“His sister never spoke of his wife in his presence, nor did his friends. In their dark
verandahs and chilly drawing rooms, old scandals were carefully tended and stoked at a great remove from the principal players.” (Pg. 10)
Also living with Ania and her father is her unmarried aunt Renu, well in her fifties with no job or aspiration to do more than live with her brother; when Ania decides it's time for her to date and finds her a man, a colonel and the two get engaged despite her father’s sudden misgivings--
“He came to view Renu like the rosewood furniture that he inherited from his
grandmother: handsome pieces with sturdy legs that represented a precious link to the
past.” (Pg. 17)
There is Dimples, Ania’s best friend just trying to find her way into society on the coattails of Ania’s fabulous life..and Ania goes about in her newfound passion of matching people up with her latest project being Dimple and a journalist friend named Fahim---
“Her experience with dear Renu had taught her that people were often unaware that they
required assistance……….What was required was a good-looking and charismatic man
whose family was not too overbearing, some who would appreciate Dimple’s qualities: her curiosity, her loyalty, her good sense. She had to arrange matters to Dimple’s best advantage. She would make the people she knew accept Dimple in the way she herself did. ” (Pg. 34)
“It would take a little more effort but she was confident that Dimple would see sense. It was Ania’s job to point out that ambitious girls did not fall in love with garment shop owners from Lajpat Nagar. When Dimple came to the farmhouse with Ankit, she would discover that this was Delhi’s most undeniable truth.” (Pg. 79)
Dimple and Fahim’s couplehood was sadly never to be and forced Dimple to face the hard truth about her friendship with the wealthy Ania-
“It was a question of information, and people like her would never have enough: a crucial nugget would always be withheld.” (Pg. 218)
In a fit of pettiness and anger at being set up Fahim decides to marry another girl and instantly regrets it..there .there are side plots of scandal and disgrace from Renu’s nephew and a hidden but definitely budding something between Ania and her oldest friend Dev..
This was written in smart-academia stream of consciousness-get as many big words as you can on a page kind of way and it was intense to read..it was a little too verbose and not as plot heavy as it should have been plus there were too many side issues and descriptions that didn’t move the story as fast as it should have..I thought Ania was interesting and wanted more of her and her relationships primarily not her father and all these other viewpoints..
.Love that I get a view of the scandals, secrets and relationships of the rich and those who live in an entirely different place-New Dehli, India..such a rich and beautiful culture and you begin this one meeting Ania..a twenty-something boldly working on a novel and in need of inspiration..She decides to ask her father in between his quest to remain forever young and raise his daughter without her mother..
“His sister never spoke of his wife in his presence, nor did his friends. In their dark
verandahs and chilly drawing rooms, old scandals were carefully tended and stoked at a great remove from the principal players.” (Pg. 10)
Also living with Ania and her father is her unmarried aunt Renu, well in her fifties with no job or aspiration to do more than live with her brother; when Ania decides it's time for her to date and finds her a man, a colonel and the two get engaged despite her father’s sudden misgivings--
“He came to view Renu like the rosewood furniture that he inherited from his
grandmother: handsome pieces with sturdy legs that represented a precious link to the
past.” (Pg. 17)
There is Dimples, Ania’s best friend just trying to find her way into society on the coattails of Ania’s fabulous life..and Ania goes about in her newfound passion of matching people up with her latest project being Dimple and a journalist friend named Fahim---
“Her experience with dear Renu had taught her that people were often unaware that they
required assistance……….What was required was a good-looking and charismatic man
whose family was not too overbearing, some who would appreciate Dimple’s qualities: her curiosity, her loyalty, her good sense. She had to arrange matters to Dimple’s best advantage. She would make the people she knew accept Dimple in the way she herself did. ” (Pg. 34)
“It would take a little more effort but she was confident that Dimple would see sense. It was Ania’s job to point out that ambitious girls did not fall in love with garment shop owners from Lajpat Nagar. When Dimple came to the farmhouse with Ankit, she would discover that this was Delhi’s most undeniable truth.” (Pg. 79)
Dimple and Fahim’s couplehood was sadly never to be and forced Dimple to face the hard truth about her friendship with the wealthy Ania-
“It was a question of information, and people like her would never have enough: a crucial nugget would always be withheld.” (Pg. 218)
In a fit of pettiness and anger at being set up Fahim decides to marry another girl and instantly regrets it..there .there are side plots of scandal and disgrace from Renu’s nephew and a hidden but definitely budding something between Ania and her oldest friend Dev..
This was written in smart-academia stream of consciousness-get as many big words as you can on a page kind of way and it was intense to read..it was a little too verbose and not as plot heavy as it should have been plus there were too many side issues and descriptions that didn’t move the story as fast as it should have..I thought Ania was interesting and wanted more of her and her relationships primarily not her father and all these other viewpoints..
September 23, 2019
The televisions series "Made in Heaven" dealt with a class of Delhi that I knew existed but never got to deal with. The class of the jet-setting millionaires, addicts, and farmhouse-owners. Since, then, each time I see someone who 'fits the bill', I silently address them as the "Made in Heaven" types!
Rao's "Polite Society" has now become the book equivalent of the "MIH" series for me. Rao tracks a bunch of families loosely connected through affairs, businesses and the Delhi cocktail party circuit. It was only after I completed the book that I found the work is a re-imagination of Austen's "Emma",
Rao's "Polite Society" has now become the book equivalent of the "MIH" series for me. Rao tracks a bunch of families loosely connected through affairs, businesses and the Delhi cocktail party circuit. It was only after I completed the book that I found the work is a re-imagination of Austen's "Emma",
June 17, 2019
I received a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Some of the descriptions in Polite Society are lovely, but I found the characters to be flat and vapid. Any attempts at humor are lost because while the characters make tone-deaf remarks, there is no complexity to balance their ignorance. I ultimately decided not to finish the novel because the characters weren't sustaining my interest.
Some of the descriptions in Polite Society are lovely, but I found the characters to be flat and vapid. Any attempts at humor are lost because while the characters make tone-deaf remarks, there is no complexity to balance their ignorance. I ultimately decided not to finish the novel because the characters weren't sustaining my interest.
September 8, 2019
2.25
A full point+ deduction for the ending. An excellent Emma(Ania)/Mr K(Dev) combo...but they are together rarely. Best Harriet Smith(Dimple) I've encountered but other minor characters are various shades of vile. Unhappy endings for most minor characters...Edith "I've never met an unhappy I didn't want to write" Wharton would have impressed! Yikes!! And many know how I feel about Jane Fairfax. Worst "Jane Fairfax" EVER!!!!! Boooooohissss.
A full point+ deduction for the ending. An excellent Emma(Ania)/Mr K(Dev) combo...but they are together rarely. Best Harriet Smith(Dimple) I've encountered but other minor characters are various shades of vile. Unhappy endings for most minor characters...Edith "I've never met an unhappy I didn't want to write" Wharton would have impressed! Yikes!! And many know how I feel about Jane Fairfax. Worst "Jane Fairfax" EVER!!!!! Boooooohissss.
February 25, 2021
I had to quit almost halfway through. I have not read Emma but I just found no plot or climax after finishing halfway. I was looking for some sort of story but it just seemed to be stories about the characters and no main theme.
November 7, 2019
I'm a sucker for a Jane Austen re-telling and especially an Indian one. What I really enjoyed about this book was that, yes, it had the comedy-of-manners sort of wry humor you'd expect from something Austen-ish. But was also serious and sad around the edges. The chapters would end in this lovely sort of zoom out from the ridiculous-ness of the lives of these very wealthy Indians to a tiny glimpse of the world for everyone else. The pool boy at the very end of the book. A woman in the market. I respect that Rao seemed to want to round out this silly world with peeks into what's happening just out of sight. So, it's Austen made subtle (the romance between the "Emma" character and her "Mr. Knightley" is so understated in such a beautiful way) and a little more serious for being positioned within a larger world. Highly recommend!
Read
June 20, 2023Didn’t enjoy this book. Found the characters unlikeable, not sure if that was the point, and if it was, well done to the author. Just didn’t like being in the judgmental heads of so many people and watching sad circumstances play out for almost all of them.
Also, I haven’t read Emma so I’m not sure if this was true to the original text it was reworked off of, but there was basically no closure at the end of the story. We missed the moment if Dev and Ania getting together and ended off with the tiniest nod to it after focusing on Dileep binging and purging. The last lines are about the pool after it’s been cleaned and if there was significance to that, I had no understanding of it.
Also, I haven’t read Emma so I’m not sure if this was true to the original text it was reworked off of, but there was basically no closure at the end of the story. We missed the moment if Dev and Ania getting together and ended off with the tiniest nod to it after focusing on Dileep binging and purging. The last lines are about the pool after it’s been cleaned and if there was significance to that, I had no understanding of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2020
An Indian retelling of Emma which did justice to the scathing but hilarious social commentary of Jane Austen but fell short in the domain of the main love story. I wish there was a slightly more focus on Ania/Dev's relationship, especially towards the end. Felt the lack of those big Emma/Mr Knightley confrontations, even the movie "Aisha" had them ffs.
My complaints as a romance reader aside, this should be one of THE books to read if you want to know more about India. It has some really beautiful and insightful writing.
@ Netflix/Prime: time to adapt!!
My complaints as a romance reader aside, this should be one of THE books to read if you want to know more about India. It has some really beautiful and insightful writing.
@ Netflix/Prime: time to adapt!!
February 8, 2021
I truly love a book that revolves around a culture and background that I am not familiar with, and Polite Society did that. I learned a lot about Indian culture and Delhi that I did not know, while enjoying the story of Ania, who enjoys trying to set people up to become couples. It is a reimagining of Jane Austen's Emma, and so enjoyable!
August 1, 2019
I've never loved Emma, but found, in this novel, a glittering gathering of old friends in new paper and old melancholy. This one stands out as what Crazy Rich Asians should have been but without the sourness and overall malaise.
September 4, 2019
must admit that Emma is not among my favorite books and after reading this book i am not sure that if i remember the book correctly and or that all i remember is the gwyneth paltrow movie, which i really didn't like. so that said, the only thing that made me want to read the book was the delhi setting, and for me the first third of the book was definitely like the gwyneth paltrow movie, i was thinking of giving up and then the book changed, it got darker and the characters and writing more interesting. by the end i was happy that i hadn't given up and read it all the way.
September 22, 2019
DNF. So boring.
March 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great adaptation of the story of Emma while still holding true to modern society
August 28, 2019
(I received an ARC of this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway)
(2.5 stars rounded up)
Before stating anything else, I'll admit that I've never read Emma and I am not a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, however; the idea of a modern day Emma meets Crazy Rich Asians set in Delhi truly intrigued me.
While I loved Rao's beautifully descriptive writing, I found the pacing a bit slow and some of the characters to be rather dry. However, having been somewhat familiar with Austen's writing style and how she introduces her characters, I'm pretty sure this is probably spot on to how Emma reads. So if you're an Austen fan, be sure to pick this book up!
(2.5 stars rounded up)
Before stating anything else, I'll admit that I've never read Emma and I am not a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, however; the idea of a modern day Emma meets Crazy Rich Asians set in Delhi truly intrigued me.
While I loved Rao's beautifully descriptive writing, I found the pacing a bit slow and some of the characters to be rather dry. However, having been somewhat familiar with Austen's writing style and how she introduces her characters, I'm pretty sure this is probably spot on to how Emma reads. So if you're an Austen fan, be sure to pick this book up!
October 7, 2018
Never read Emma. But this was mostly fun. A lot of satire, and eventually becoming darker.
Yes, you also get the feeling of being left behind, as right from the start to end, Ania remains mostly where she was, but the rest enter her life and mostly move on. I wonder if that was part of Emma too.
What really works is the very precise language, where people use words like "civilastrice" and not feel out of place. And I was really glad for the print. That's the second novel from this year that I've read, and both have been flawless. Hope this keeps up.
Yes, you also get the feeling of being left behind, as right from the start to end, Ania remains mostly where she was, but the rest enter her life and mostly move on. I wonder if that was part of Emma too.
What really works is the very precise language, where people use words like "civilastrice" and not feel out of place. And I was really glad for the print. That's the second novel from this year that I've read, and both have been flawless. Hope this keeps up.
September 25, 2018
This is a book about the lives of the south Delhi and other socialites. Tongue in cheek, the author tries to make situations humorous but doesn't really succeed. A number of interesting characters are described, party scenes, gossip, anecdotes and incidents. A compilation of Shobha Dey type of articles.
Fails to keep the reader hooked. Narrative is weak. I wish it was better as we identify with most places especially of Delhi.
Fails to keep the reader hooked. Narrative is weak. I wish it was better as we identify with most places especially of Delhi.
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