Moth Smoke : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Pakistan at its finest....
Review: Being from Pakistan myself I couldnt help but notice the intricate and accurate dissection that the author has performed on the creme de la creme of Pakistani society.A must read for anyone wanting an insight into a certain section of the hierarchal pakistani society....and also enjoy one hell of a story!

I also recommend watching the movie adaptation Daira.

Rating:
Summary: A glorious book
Review: Daru Shezad is fired from his banking job in Lahore and his life goes into a downward spiral involving drugs, crime, and an affair with the beautiful wife of a jet setter friend. This dark, involving story gave me an insightful glimpse of contemporary Pakistani culture. I was able to feel the emotion of each character throughout the entire story. A novel one will read from beginning to end before letting it's cover touch any surface. A very impressive debut.

Rating:
Summary: Sharp and Sincere
Review: Everyone I know has not only read this book, they guard it with their lives. Everyone owns a copy. It is a simple, realisitic portrayal of the post-modern pakistani elite. Some find in it shades of meaning. It is a simple story that could not be born, but from experience. If it is written from imagination, Mohsin Hamid is a genius.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: Honestly speaking, I have read this book numerous times; not because I love it, but because there is something in the story to which I can relate myself. I have spoken to both Pakistani and to those who were not exposed to the culture mentioned in the book, and there are many parts where the latter have been mislead. Much of what he discusses is true, to some extent, but no where should it give you a negative impression of the Pakistani culture itself. I really like this book and that is why I read excerpts from it occasionally. I must admit that the book itself is not as well-written as it could have been. But overall, I do recommend this novel to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Its a novel - NOT Pakistan 101 . . .
Review: I had reviewed this book last year and came back to this site to buy one for one of my friends. It gave me another chance to read some of the current reviews. I think some of the folks who don't have a good cultural understanding of Pakistan, are reading a lot between lines. So please don't be misguided by the story.
Well, its just a novel. Well written, worth reading, and worth recommending. However, it does not portray what normally goes on in that society so don't get so fascinated/opinionated so easily. It's just like when some of the folks from other side of the ocean, watch Jerry Springer show, and create a distorted image about American society.
I can also understand some reviewers feelings who had lived in Pakistan or have a first hand knowledge of that society. The story does concentrate on one dark aspect of a very small segement of society.
It's a novel, good fiction. Enjoy it with that in mind!!!

Rating:
Summary: Made into a TV MOVIE in Pakistan ...
Review: I thought that the book was great! Enjoyed it a lot!
Shows the liberal side of Pakistan, which is not shown by the world media. I have news for you people, this book was made into a TV MOVIE in Pakistan and was a huge hit. ... And Pakistani TV programs and Movies have strong women leads, thats the case in real life too. We had a woman head of state in Pakistan, 2 times! We also have women military Generals and more women in the parliment than any other western/developed nation.
I recommend that you also watch the DVD of the TV Movie.
Lahore's social life and Party scene mentioned in the book are great....i have enjoyed a great deal during my college days.

Rating:
Summary: Let the book stand up on it's own.
Review: I'd never heard of this book or this writer when I picked up Moth Smoke. Being from Pakistan myself, I was somewhat apprehensive...the gushing praise on the back jacket seemed a little TOO gushing, the context of this book seemed too easily marketable in a decade which has seen a feeding frenzy upon asian and asian american writers by critics and publishing houses alike. Imagine my surprise. I couldn't have had less to worry about. This is a truly compelling novel. In a time when words like "post-colonial" are tossed around like garbage, let me say that this work stands up and holds its own. As a document testifying to the various minutiae of Pakistani society and as a study in some very economical prose, with a crew of characters as remarkable as any you've ever read about, and as a novel that manages to engage the reader with disturbing yet very real questions, Moth Smoke is a success. Don't bother to compare this work in any way to other novels based around the same geographical region of the world -- your comparisons are pointless. This work offers a stimulating mix of fast, heady, prose that manages to linger -- somewhat like smoke itself. Mohsin Hamid has Arrived and I for one salute him.

Rating:
Summary: A dark, literary read!
Review: This is a rather dark and literary novel. Mohsin Hamid's Moth Smoke is the story of a man's road to self-destruction. Daru has lived a decent, good life in Lahore, but things quickly change for him and he descends into a life of drugs and deception. To make matters worse, his reunion with an old friend named Ozi makes things worse for him. Ozi has done well for himself, something that Daru cannot handle. The differences between Ozi and Daru only serve to bring about Daru's fall sooner. Daru's downward spiral occurs against a backdrop of heightened nuclear tension between Pakistan and India. Very bad things happen rather quickly in this novel. Daru tries to keep up appearances of being a success, but his deceptions quickly catch up with him. His lack of wealth and power and his need for the same lead to some staggering twists. I enjoyed Moth Smoke. This is one of the darkest novels I've read in quite some time. I highly recommend it...

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This is one of my favorite novels. It's well-written and has a unique style that just got me involved thouroughly into the lines. The movie adaptation is called 'Daira' for your info.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This is one of my favorite novels. It's well-written and has a unique style that just got me involved thouroughly into the lines. The movie adaptation is called 'Daira' for your info.