Description
Book SynopsisDiscover this surprising gem - the sharp, funny and irresistible debut novel from the bestselling author of Exit West and The Reluctant Fundamentalist
''Subtly audacious . . . A steamy and often darkly amusing book about sex, drugs, and class warfare in postcolonial Asia'' Village Voice
''You know you''re in trouble when you can''t meet a woman''s eye, particularly if the woman happens to be your best friend''s wife...''
In Lahore, Daru Shezad is a junior banker with a hashish habit. When his old friend Ozi moves back to Pakistan, Daru wants to be happy for him. Ozi has everything: a beautiful wife and child, an expensive foreign education - and a corrupt father who bankrolls his lavish lifestyle.
As jealousy sets in, Daru''s life slowly unravels. He loses his job. Starts lacing his joints with heroin. Becomes involved with a criminally-minded rickshaw driver. And falls in love with Ozi''s lonely wife.
Trade Review
Sharply observed, powerful, evocative * Financial Times *
A first novel of remarkable wit, poise and profundity. A treat * Esquire *
A vivid portrait of contemporary young Pakistani life, where frustration and insecurity feed not only the snobbery, decadence and aspirations of the rich, but also the resentment of the poor * The Times *
A rare glimpse into modern-day Pakistan . . . The voices that emerge are sarcastic and sad, a lively lament . . . reminiscent of V. S. Naipaul and Salman Rushdie * Chicago Tribune *
Not often does one find a first novel that has the power of imagination and skill to orchestrate personal and public themes of these consequences and achieve a chord that reverberates in one's mind. Moth Smoke is one of the best novels I have read this year -- Nadine Gordimer * - *
Stunning . . . [Hamid] has created a hip page-turner -- Jonathan Levi * Los Angeles Times *
