{"product_id":"moth-smoke","title":"Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"44\" data-end=\"1165\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"44\" data-end=\"63\"\u003eBook Summary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"63\" data-end=\"66\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"66\" data-end=\"78\"\u003eMoth Smoke\u003c\/em\u003e (2000), Mohsin Hamid’s debut novel, opens with a murder trial in post–nuclear-test Lahore and then rewinds to trace Darashikoh “Daru” Shezad’s disintegration over one sweltering summer. Once a middle-class banker whose life depended on Ozi’s father’s patronage, Daru loses his job after a social-class–driven outburst. Cut off from financial security, he spirals into drugs, theft, and a torrid affair with Ozi’s beautiful wife Mumtaz. Alternating perspectives—from Daru, Ozi, Mumtaz, and the charismatic hustler Murad—reveal the corrosive effects of wealth inequality, corruption, and suppressed desire. Rich with symbolic resonance (the moth drawn to the flame, oblivious to its own incineration), the book also serves as an allegory for Pakistan’s fragile elite society, showing how ambition, privilege, and moral decay intertwine against the backdrop of national upheaval following the 1998 nuclear tests. The novel deftly blends satire, vivid local detail, and moral ambiguity, leaving readers to assess Daru’s guilt—both personal and societal.\u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1172\" data-end=\"1426\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1172\" data-end=\"1195\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1195\" data-end=\"1198\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMohsin Hamid\u003c\/strong\u003e (born July 23, 1971, Lahore) is a British‑Pakistani novelist whose works include \u003cem data-start=\"94\" data-end=\"106\"\u003eMoth Smoke\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"138\"\u003eThe Reluctant Fundamentalist\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"140\" data-end=\"179\"\u003eHow to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"181\" data-end=\"192\"\u003eExit West\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem data-start=\"198\" data-end=\"218\" data-is-last-node=\"\"\u003eThe Last White Man\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eEducated at Princeton (summa cum laude) and Harvard Law School, he wrote \u003cem data-start=\"73\" data-end=\"85\"\u003eMoth Smoke\u003c\/em\u003e while working as a management consultant in New York, taking advantage of annual leave to complete his manuscript\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eHis writing often portrays Pakistan’s socio-economic divisions, postcolonial identity, and the tension between tradition and globalization, and he has been internationally lauded for his sharp narrative style and moral complexity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Clapping Pages","offers":[{"title":"Used","offer_id":45156849057978,"sku":"2O4AUN5DT-Used","price":19.0,"currency_code":"AED","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0713\/5576\/0826\/files\/MohsinHamid_27ce25ca-be56-4d8f-918c-fa7132739210.jpg?v=1758039218","url":"https:\/\/clappingpages.com\/products\/moth-smoke","provider":"Clapping Pages","version":"1.0","type":"link"}