Reviews

Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid

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jess_mango's review against another edition

4.0

My husband is from Pakistan, so when I first heard about this novel, I had to read it as I had never read any Pakistani literature.

The story takes place in Lahore and is about a young Pakistani man, Daru. He is on the bottom-most tier of the young elite in Lahore... he doesn't have as much money or power as his friends. In fact most of what he has, he owes to his childhood friend Ozi's family. After Daru gets fired from his job he begins a downward spiral of drugs, crime and betrayal.

aljavi's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

lottie1803's review

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

jadeyen's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An impressive debut from Hamid. Loved the intersection of Mughal lore, Pakistan, and very modern issues— all while painting the growing pains of a country/middle class in “development” and the anxieties alongside— showing both the beauties and terrors. I liked the chapter set up and the cast of complex characters and their even more layered relationships with each other and their shifting contexts.

I wish it touched more on the lore and the nuclear tests— and the impact of the sanctions and geopolitics felt by every day citizens. Also, sometimes I felt like the story opened an interesting line of inquiry just to not be followed up or perhaps earned.

Maybe a good companion piece to Yang’s Taipei Story.