Book Review Of ''Moth Smoke" by the DeadOnes

 Book review of  Moth Smoke

Dirty but absolutely delicious. Moth Smoke is a book that you either devour or spit. If a person can stomach unlikable characters who have stopped feeling ashamed of their actions, and think past human imperfection, then this book might prove thought-provoking and offer them a new way to look at life and the people around them. In this book, we follow the story of Darashikoh Shezad, a mid-level banker with a short fuse. When Daru is fired from his banking job in Lahore, he begins a decline that plummets throughout the length of this sharply drawn, subversive tale. Before long, he descends into the world of drug addiction and, for good measure, gets involved in a love affair with his best friend Ozi's wife, the beautiful and restless Mumtaz. Desperate to reverse his fortunes, Daru indulges in a life of crime alongside Murad Badshah, the notorious rickshaw driver and populist. When a long-planned heist goes awry, Daru finds himself on trial for a murder he may or may not have committed. This uncertainty of his fate mirrors that of Pakistan itself, which is hyped up by becoming a nuclear player even as corruption continues to drain its political will.

In his book, Hamid uses moths to represent characters who are drawn to things or people that are unattainable and smoke to represent empty dreams and actions that lead to a dead end. Somewhere in the book, there is also the theme of air-conditioning, an object that implicitly describes the division between the rich and the poor, with the rich living in "an air-conditioned haven" and the poor suffering in the heat. The focus on the issue of cultural imperialism and neo-colonization is evident in Hamid's novels and can be easily pointed out in Moth Smoke too.

Most characters in Moth Smoke are unlikeable, but it's okay because the author intends to expose their failings, not hide them. Each of the four unreliable narrators tries to convince us of the righteousness of their behavior, asking us to step into their shoes. They are far from perfect, but they are what they are, with all their failings and impulses. While reading the book, one goes on to hate, like, and feel for the characters all at the same time. The slow moral disintegration of Daru might be hard to watch, even frustrating at times, but who can deny? – it's interesting to read. 

Stories where good people get their happy endings might seem like a work of fairy tale in light of what's been happening in today's world. So, stories like Daru's, where a well-to-do character falls to their downfall, might, in a twisted way, provide hope or reassurance to readers that they are not alone in their dilemma.

To conclude, we can say that Hamid has successfully delivered an eye-opening book about the limits of morality, love, friendship, and the malleability of truth. It goes on to make observations on the different societal classes and the West vs. East mentality. Moth Smoke lays bare the greed and insecurity of

Pakistan's rich, and their devastating effects. Like a moth flying too close to the fire, Daru gets burned, leaving only smoke in its wake. The book ends with the trial never reaching a conclusion, and it is left up to the reader to decide whether Daru is guilty – and of what. The ending, in my opinion, is the best attribute found in Hamid's books.

If I were to rate this book, I would rate it 4/5; the one point less is because of some factors that have bugged me. For instance, the switches between the narrators can be unnecessarily tricky, and Mumtaz's secret career verges on melodrama.

The impact on my life
Moth Smoke has opened new doors of thinking for me and encouraged me to reflect on the dynamics of our society. The different narratives in one story have helped me reserve some doubt for whatever facts social media or any other source throws at us. It has been beneficial in exploring different personalities of people and being able to accept them and reflect on them while holding back judgment. It warned me against the possibility of slipping into lawlessness when one is convinced that this or that unlawful act will be the last or is only for personal gain. Overall, it has been an eye-opener.