Transmission…A Must-Read
If you like books, especially ones with an element of satire you, will enjoy Transmission by Hari Kunzru. I picked it up on a whim at the Goa airport while in transit. For once I did a very bourgeois thing by purchasing a book which has generated lots of media hype in recent times and commanded the proverbial “one million dollar advance”.
When I buy a book, I always read the first sentence of chapter one. I do not read reviews or the epilogue printed on the back cover because they tend to make one prejudiced and often tend to dictate how one ought to think. The first sentence of Transmission seemed alright. It gave me a feeling that this book will be filled with insights about the world and how it functions. I like books which decipher the subtle nuances that we tend to miss in the chaos of daily life. Our intuition spells out something to us, something which we cannot fathom because our intuition seems intangible. But the truth is that it is tangible. If we bother to dissect each hunch, we will realise that there is a logical reason why we feel the way we do, even if our minds demand otherwise..
Back to Transmission. It’s the story of 3 individuals, each nursing their own own ambitions, hopes and dreams in a world filled with unscrupulous people. Arun, the IT-geek from IIT, Leela, the No. 1 actress in Bollywood and Guy, the new-age advertising guru.
Arun hails from India and travels to America to carve a niche for himself. He discovered that life is n peice of cake on the other side of the world. Finally he lands a job and a good one at that. He’s a virgin and gets deflowered by a tatooed, bisexual American woman. The experience is sacrosant for him and he visualises himself to be in love. He is ecstatic. But little does he knows that his world will come crumbling down any moment. He gets the pink slip. Life begins to fall apart and he must take adequate measures to sustain his job…
Leela Zahir, is the flavour of Bollywood. The face that sells on the silver screen has an expression that does not reach her vacant eyes. She has a mother-from-hell who plots and plans her career to scratch and in the scheme of things makes her do some unmentionable things…
Guy Swift, is the fast-talking, savvy ‘ideas’ man. He owns an ad agency known as Tomorrow *, ‘possesses’ a sexy girlfriend, Gabrielle, jet-sets from from one place to another, appearences portray that he has the world at his feet…or at least that’s what he feels. Suddenly, the venture capitalist which funds the agency threathens to pull the plug…
Gabrielle, eye candy to many has a brain and sensitivity to match. She plays a significant role in the story…
In the meantime, a virus known as Leela.exe dances her way through millions of computer screens, wreaking havoc across the world. Who started the virus, and how does it affect the lives of our central characters?
My verdict is that it’s a gripping read, but I must warn you that the ending is abrupt. BUT I still recommend Transmision. After all, it’s not only the destination that matters, but also the journey.
This journey was worth the trip.
