Reviews

Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid

banned_book's review

4.0

While emotionally and financially unable to deal with the trauma of losing his mother, Daru Shezad finds himself spiraling into a pit of cynicism that he can't seem to climb out of. The nonstop barrage of negative thoughts leads him to find relief and forgetfulness in destructive and self-sabotaging behavior. He rationalizes through each downward step that there is no other direction for him to take. His country is collapsing around him, after all.

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, and Gun violence

poorlywordedbookreviews's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯.”

   

Following the downward spiral of 20 something Daru after he loses his banking job in 90s Lahore. Struggling to keep up with the circle he only tenuously moved in, he ends up falling into drink, drugs, crime, and an unadvised love affair with his oldest friend’s wife. Eventually he ends up on trail for a murder he may or may not have committed, creating a spectacle of ‘entertainment’ as his life is laid on display. 

   

This is is Hamid’s first book and it’s honestly better than his later work - with the exception of A Reluctant Fundamentalist obviously. The characters are so well drawn, the plot somehow simultaneously obvious in its inevitability but uncertain in its outcome. It’s a great insight into a city that’s so multifaceted. And the character of Mumtaz is particularly well done, with a subtle, but genuine feeling, portrayal of postpartum depression I didn’t expect. 

   

Hypocrites, contradictions, and dualities abound.   No one is really lovable, but they are all sympathetic in their own way. And Daru’s decline can be read as a mirror to the challenges facing the wider country, as greed and survival get intertwined.

poweredbycroissants's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

nicolac's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

elsaaqazi's review

4.0

This book was amazing!!

4.25 stars

The infamous trial of Darashikoh and Aurangzeb (sons of Shah Jehan) after the wars of succession was used as an allegory to explain the main plot of the book. What is worth noticing is that though Daru and Ozi were friends, their relationship in the beginning was that of brothers, thus the allegory consisting of two brothers. They turned against each other and Aurangzeb was the doom of his own brother.

The social and political problems of our society at the time of the nuclear tests are the main focus of the book. But I think this book still represents much of what is happening in Pakistan: Corruption, unemployment, nepotism, class differentiation, and every other problem arising from these. Need to know how is Pakistan doing these days? Read Moth Smoke.

This book was the harsh reality of the problems faced by Pakistan.

Coming to our infamous protagonist Darashikoh Shezad. It was totally unfair that he rot in jail for what Ozi did. Also true that he didn't kill the boy in the boutique. But he was in no way innocent. He slept with his best friend's wife. He wanted to kill his best-friend's son. He was a dealer of drugs. Got addicted to heroin and was a pathetic loser. If you are going to say that he was a "victim of the system" then please save your breath. He hated it when the rich folks got a little too condescending but wouldn't treat Manucci with an ounce of respect. The rich folks whom he hated so were the ones who showed Manucci some kindness. After Manucci left Daru didn't realize his mistake instead made a long list of bad remarks to the people of the lower class. All in all he was fucked up.

Ozi was a spoiled brat, who thought that he was the best and could do what he liked because his Daddy had money. So, I am not going to waste my breath on him. We Pakistani people are all too well-aware of people with the same problem.

Mumtaz was by far my favorite character. She was headstrong, independent if sometimes a little too hard to understand She seemed to be the only one with a straight head.

All in all, I loved this book very much and am going to suggest to anyone who is remotely interested in what is going on around him/her.

iqra_iftikhar's review

5.0

Moth smoke is a story of self-destruction. Remember how in a scary movie you shout at the characters for going into that room alone? This book will at times make you go through that except its not as black and white. You cannot pinpoint the exact time or a single act from where the downward spiral of Darashikoh Shehzad's life starts. Was it that he lost his job? Or that he fell in love with his best friend's wife? Did it start when he realised that the people in Pajeros and Land Cruisers can get away with much worse than he ever can? Or when he had his first 'hairy'? Or when it first dawned on him that he wouldn't go anywhere in life if Ozi's father didn't lend him a hand?

This book is a fast-paced, tragic yet beautifully crafted story of hypocrisy, betrayal and self-delusion. My favourite aspect was Daru's transformation into the person he detested but he didn't have enough self-awareness so he kept on visualising himself as the victim of the system. In actuality whatever success he achieved in life it was due to exploiting the same system. The only difference between him and the people who were his villains was that they were richer and more powerful and hence they could exploit the system much better than him could.

Absolute masterpiece.

mirandakhayes's review

dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

adazzlinggirl's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

goatsrsexy's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was an interesting read, I always enjoy reading foreign (to me) books for the insight into another culture, but it was a bit difficult to connect with this one. 

Then again I read it pretty fast so my review might change as I sit with it.