Book Review: Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid

I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist before Moth Smoke. Perhaps I read the former at a time when my mind wasn’t open enough to understand the concept of the book clearly but I remember not liking it. In discussions, I gave the reason that I found its title and cover to be deceptive.

I read Moth Smoke years after The Reluctant Fundamentalist. In the beginning, I was of the view that this book is also on its way to make it to my resentment list but I kept reading it with interest nevertheless. I have finished reading the book today and I conclude that it was absolutely wonderful. I’m totally impressed; not only by the story but by the style of writing as well. While the story was good on a different level, it was the writing itself that was persuasive and memorable. Hamid’s command over the language and the story-building was strong without being overly done. I liked how the characters and their personalities were related to the Aurangzeb and Darashikoh of the Mughal Empire and how with only one passage in the start and one in the end. The story could have done without this context too, but then again, it became all the more better with this reference. Moreover, there were other, smaller bits and pieces too which were interesting like the name Julius Superb and Mumtaz’s character. While reading, I was critical on some points but reaching till the end, those shortcomings mattered but little.

Like his second book (which I read first), the story ends without an end… open to interpretation. Now after this, I feel I should give The Reluctant Fundamentalist another chance and I’m sure I’ll have a different opinion about the book after that.