Transmission

This sharply tragi-comic novel illustrates the dehumanizing effects of the globalized economy. While attending a programming job cattle-call, Arjun Mehta was recruited by a vocational pimp, and shipped to the U.S. as an indentured techno-servant. After he is exploited personnally, intellectually, and sexually, his emptiness reaches critical mass. Basically, he does create the Leela virus to try to salvage his job, but his deeper goal is to create a life-form. He is so bereft by his losses (which he can't reveal to his family) that he creates the virus to have something to nurture, like a baby. This baby replicates so manically that Arjun is a great-great grandfather within seconds, though. In addition to Arjun, we get to follow Guy Swift (who should be played by Jude Law in the movie) an English capitalist smart-ass; Gabrielle, his globe-hopping unfulfilled girlfriend; and Leela Zahir, the Indian film star who dances through Arjun's heart and the global consciousness. This book is written in language that is subtle and poetic. It is a gem with so many facets that it took me 3 weeks to get though this slender book. There are uproariously funny scenes; thought-provoking tapestries; and a good education. When the virus creator becomes a folk hero, the reader hopes that he finally feels the sincere love he has inspired.

"Transmission" is an immensely enjoyable offering from the talented Hari Kunzru. Kunzru takes a version of his trademark character--a brilliant but isolated young man living increasingly on the edge--and places him firmly in the 20th-21st century. Kunzru presents us with the other side of the "Asians are taking away jobs from Americans" story. Arjun is a brilliant young techie who dreams of a better life in America. Hired on the spot by what turns out to be a supplier of temp help to US companies, he's sent to America, where he waits for a job "on the bench" in a miserable apartment with other young Indians. With no money to return home, no visa if he leaves his employer, Arjun is trapped, until he lands a job at an internet security company. Then the bubble bursts, and desperate to keep his job Arjun unleashes the most invasive virus yet created, shutting down critical systems around the world. Within this story Kunzru creates a vivid picture of young, brilliant, tatooed techies making too much money much too fast in the valley, the craziness of Bollywood, the cutthroat environment of the venture capital investor, and the rich consultant-entrepreneur whose product is thin air. Kunzru also brilliantly describes how the internet works and how viruses are spread in a way that's understandable and exciting for this non-techie reader. As Arjun's scheme fails to save his job, the Bollywood movie stalls because of its star's mysterious illness, the consultant loses his final pitch, and Arjun's sometime-lover Chris gets caught up in a criminal investigation, Arjun's world spins out of control--and then he simply disappears. The ending is fanciful but it works! I hope we hear a lot more from the young Mr. Kunzru

Hari Kunzru's Transmission is a terrifically funny satire about a computer virus, its creator and the lives it touches. Kunzru pokes fun at contemporary British and American culture, taking many stereotypes and running with them. Arjun, a young Indian man, comes to California with dreams of making it big in the computer industry, but reality doesn't make it near his dreams. He ultimately lands a job and things work out for him for a while, but eventually his situation leads him to make a desperate act that changes everything. Arjun's story is funny and entertaining, but also a bit sad. Kunzru thankfully never takes anything too seriously and has apparently quite a bit of fun poking fun at contemporary society. The novel sails along, flashing occasional comic brilliance every couple of pages. Transmission is an entertaing novel, fun to ready, funny to contemplate. Enjoy.

One of the best books I have read in some time, Hari Kunzru's newest novel combines the best of Michael Crichton, Neal Stephenson, and Jhumpa Lahiri all into 278 tautly written pages. His sympathetic protagonist Arjun Mehta is recognizable to anyone with Asian roots; his satirical portrayal of our shrinking, interlinked world recognizable to all. I was sucked in by the stylistic prose and the deftly paced, rollicking narrative. The only negative? It was much too short.

Arjun Mehta is a brilliant but socially inept young computer programmer in India. Leela Zahir is the beautiful young Indian star of Naughty Naughty Lovely Lovely. Guy Swift is the head of Tomorrow, an internet concept company that is better at creating slogans than actual products. Gabriella is a hot-shot publicist, and, for lack of anything better to do, Guy's girlfriend.Things start moving when Arjun gets his big break--a computer job in America! Leela is the subject of every young Indian male's fantasies. Guy is about to lose his funding. Gabriella is about to leave him. Arjun relays his American successes to his family back in India, while in reality he is a low paid virtual slave. Then he loses his job and will have to return to India--as a failure! So, in desperation, he does something really bad. He creates a deadly computer virus based on a picture of the dancing Leela Zahir and turns it loose to create havoc. What happens after that? You will have to read this book to find out. Let's just you won't be able to put it down as it builds toward its amazing surprise ending. Author Kunzru is a brilliant writer who grabs your attention from the first sentence and doesn't let go. His characters are engaging. The dialogue is hilarious. You can see what's coming but you can't stop it. Is it meant to be believable? Not really, but it works. I recommend Transmission highly but--don't start this book unless you have some free time! Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.