Hot Water Man

by Deborah Moggach

In this tragicomedy of manners and errors, the ex-pats who have come to the alien swelter of Karachi discover that in the tangle of Anglo-Asian relations, the strangest things are revealed in the very people with whom they arrived.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 1984

About the author

Deborah Moggach is a British writer, born Deborah Hough on 28 June 1948. She has written fifteen novels to date, including The Ex-Wives, Tulip Fever, and, most recently, These Foolish Things. She has adapted many of her novels as TV dramas and has also written several film scripts, including the BAFTA-nominated screenplay for Pride & Prejudice. She has also written two collections of short stories and a stage play. In February 2005, Moggach was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by her Alma Mater, the University of Bristol . She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a former Chair of the Society of Authors, and is on the executive committee of PEN.

Reviews

[Max de Freitas]

It seemed like an authentic slice of expat life on the Indian subcontinent. It was certainly no travel brochure. The interplay of complex characters held my interest although none were particularly endearing.

[Lori Anderson]

I really found myself admiring Christine for bucking the system and going her own way, doing things that just "weren't done" by ex-pats. I'm finding Moggach's books to be full and rich. I dropped a star because at times it lagged. I would still recommend it.

[grundoon]

Interesting: a novel set in 1970s Karachi and its environs, Pakistan
Not so much: the core privileged cast and their respective issues

[Sara G]

What an extremely English book.

[Ruth Griggs]

This story was okay, but it just didn’t come together for me.

[Amy Bee]

Every character in this book can fuck off. Maybe I read this in a bad mood but it made my mood a bit worse. The syntax when it’s the inner thoughts of Mohammed is… dodgy.

[Jayne Charles]

A fascinating view of Pakistan and its culture, viewed mainly through the eyes of Westerners - one of whom is determined to go native, not always wisely. I enjoyed this mainly for the quality of the writing, a glimpse of a foreign country I may never visit myself, rather than the plot, which I found confusing and vague.

[Jackie]

Beautifully written, I was lost in this novel. It was so descriptive, I felt as though I had visited Karachi. Didn't find the characters endearing and the plot had me lost some of the time, but still I could not stop reading this. Can't wait to read more of Deborah Moggach's books.

[Sityhilelo Lilo Mayengse]

Funny, thats all I can say!

[Hina S]

3.5 stars actually